Survey of the Creative Industries

The 2008 Creative Industries Survey revealed that the creative industries make a vital contribution to the economy of the Central West.

About the survey

In 2008 the Western Research Institute, on behalf of Arts OutWest, conducted a survey into the nature, economic contribution and needs of the Creative Industries in this region.

The survey was commissioned by Arts OutWest and funded by the Department of State and Regional Development and the Central West Regional Development Board.

The project was designed to align with the NSW Government's research into innovation in the creative industries.

This was the largest survey ever undertaken of the region's Creative Industries.

Some interesting findings from the report

Local employment growth in the sector outperforms the state average, with the main growth area being film and video services.
The Creative Industries contribute more to the Central West economy than Mount Panorama, the region's largest tourist attraction.
While paid employment in the sector is relatively healthy in the Central West, it is also fed by a vast pool of volunteer labour.
The creative industries in the Central West act as a magnet for tourist dollars and public and private grants.

What are the 'Creative Industries?'

The Creative Industries, as surveyed in this report, include visual arts, design and architecture, community arts and events, music and performing arts, media including radio and TV, publishing and literature, and heritage and culture.

A vital part of the Central West economy

The survey found that the creative industries generate about $196 million per annum in economic output, $62 million in value added (gross regional product) and $42 million in household income. They generate 891 full-time equivalent jobs. As a whole, the creative industries account for 0.77 per cent of gross regional product. This is a significant contribution, as evidenced by comparing this result with the most prominent tourism attraction in the Central West, Mount Panorama. Events held on Mount Panorama generated 0.56 per cent of gross regional product in the year 2000.

Employment outstrips the state average, especially in film and video

The creative industries generate about 891 full-time equivalent jobs. Cultural services in the Central West outperformed the state in terms of employment growth between 2001 and 2006, with the greatest increases occurring in film and video services. This must be seen in the context of a decline in employment in the creative industries as a whole, including in the Central West. However, the margin by which employment fell was less in the Central West than in the state as a whole, which can be interpreted as being a result of local economic factors and advantages. The most significant area of employment decline was in the field of libraries.

A huge contribution by volunteers

Conservatively, some 462,000 unpaid hours were worked in creative industries organisations in the Central West region over the one year period surveyed. This equates to 234 full-time positions within organisations. At the same time, on an individual basis, 395,000 hours were volunteered by individuals, equating to 200 full-time positions.

Tourism is important to the creative industries

Tourism is an important source of income for individuals and organisations working in the creative industries. Half of the organisations and 41 per cent of the individuals responding to the Central West Creative Industries Survey said that they had derived part or all of their gross income from the tourism industry over the past year.

The creative industries attract grant monies to the region

Respondents received 114 grants and sponsorships totalling about $1.2 million to assist them in their involvement in the creative industries over the one year period under survey.

The need for greater public and private investment in the creative industries

Respondents to the survey identified the availability of industry and government funding as the most critical barrier to their future development in the creative industries in the Central West. Improving their grant application skills was a high priority for both individuals and organisations, indicating an opportunity to provide information about managing business finances and sourcing and accessing financial assistance.

An important contribution to the State Government's Innovation Strategy

The State Government sees innovation as a key part of its commitment to support economic growth. Its Statement on Innovation identifies five industries most likely to produce benefits to the broader economy. These are creative industries; financial services; manufacturing; logistics and resources (coal). The creative industries were selected because of their high employment growth, high industry growth and being one of the state's top 20 exports.

What the report looked at

The five key research questions were:
1) What do the Creative Industries look like in the Central West?
2) What is the economic value of the Creative Industries in the Central West?
3) How well are the Creative Industries performing?
4) How can the performance of the Creative Industries be improved?
5) How do the results link with the NSW Government Statement on Innovation?
The study was based on data gathered from the Creative Industries Survey 2008 and census data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This report is a useful tool for

Infrastructure planning
Cultural planning by local, state and federal government
Developing interpretation and marketing strategies for cultural tourism operators and managers
Informing funding applications and decisions
The design and location of training programs
Demographic data on regional NSW
The development of strategic initiatives to support arts and culture development at a local, regional and state level
A resource to assist managers, government agencies and planners better understand the dynamics of the creative industries in regional Australia.

Download the Central West Creative Industries Survey 2008 [pdf]

2008 Central West Creative Industries Survey