This report explains the system that delivers arts and cultural experiences in Australia, from broad and grassroots through to specialised and professional. Applying the new UNESCO Cultural Value-Generation Model to an Australian context, the report demonstrates how the arts and culture system is organised, governed and developed, to help system leaders understand their role, and how to leverage resources for the benefit of the Australian community. The arts, culture and creativity system has clear structures for creation and production, dissemination and consumption, and preservation and transmission. 

The report also highlights how cultural literacy and creative skills building occur across the population through education, training and practice. Using systems thinking, it considers the complex policy problems Australia is grappling with across arts and culture to help identify system levers, where small changes can make big differences.

Key findings

• A systems approach highlights the interdependencies that underlie complex policy problems in arts, culture and creativity and provides opportunities to achieve better outcomes.
• Systems thinking offers principles to interrogate 12 leverage points – places where small changes could make a real difference to Australia securing its place as a cultural powerhouse.
• Everyday settings, such as schools, the home and online, are crucial entry points for people to develop cultural and creative skills in Australia.

Key opportunities

• Arts and culture system stewards should grasp the key levers for change that are identified in this report to tackle policy problems and to design solutions, structures and processes of the future.
• Stewards can trial the policy approach of prioritising cultural and creative engagement in specific settings, such as schools and the community.
• An opportunity and challenge of future regulatory, industry and investment practices will be managing the expanding complexity and interconnections of the arts, culture and creativity system with other systems.