The Social Impact of Creative Arts in Australian Communities

This book brings together discussions about Australian arts policy and funding, outcomes of arts engagement in terms of social inclusion, well-being and education. It presents exemplars of creative programs or case studies that build capacity and lasting impact for communities in urban and regional Australia. This book describes the impact of the arts using narrative case studies. Through this, it develops conceptual understanding and frameworks that can be used to dynamically assess the value and impact of arts engagement across the three types of cultural value: intrinsic value, instrumental value and institutional value. It focuses on how arts engagement creates, supports and extends factors such as well-being, social inclusion and educational achievement. This book provides an innovative examination of the evidence from Australian projects depicting the impact of the arts on a range of indicators and sectors.

Dr Sandra Gattenhof is Associate Professor and Director of Research Training in the Creative Industries Faculty, Queensland University of Technology. Sandra’s research engagements have established her as a leader in the in the field of arts and cultural evaluation as evidenced by commercial research contracts and the publication of ’Measuring Impact: Positioning Evaluation in the Australian Arts and Culture Landscape’ (2017, Palgrave). Sandra is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council three-year grant investigating the social impact of the arts in Australian regional communities. Sandra is also a Drama Queensland Life Member awarded for Longstanding Contribution to the Drama Community.
Dr Donna Hancox is an Associate Professor in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology. She is the co-leader of the Creative Placemaking for Social Impact Research Group and is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council three-year grant investigating the social impact of the arts in Australian regional communities. Donna is an international leader in the field of creative community engagement and storytelling for social change. In 2017, she was awarded a Smithsonian Research Fellowship.
Professor Helen Klaebe is Dean of the Graduate School and Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Queensland and is a Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council grant investigating the social impact of the arts in Australian regional communities. For two decades, Helen has led research in participatory public history and social engagement using multi-artform storytelling strategies to engage communities, and also to evaluate the economic, cultural and audience impact of public art programs.
Dr Sasha Mackay is an early career researcher in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology. Sasha’s professional background spans public service media and socially engaged arts in regional Australia, and her research explores the practices and impacts of co-created life storytelling and participatory arts projects for underserved cohorts and communities.