• Summary
• Downloads
• Explanatory Notes
• Related Information
• Past Releases

EMPLOYMENT

Survey of Performing Arts Industries

Putting together a production requires more than performers. Technicians, producers, directors, stage managers, those involved in marketing and sales, ticket collectors and a variety of others all contribute. According to the 2002-03 ABS Survey of Performing Arts Industries, there were 7,842 people employed in the music and theatre production industry in June 2003(this survey only includes people working for organisations with employees).

Of these, 60% were performing artists, 17% were in managerial or administrative roles and 10% were providing artistic support (e.g. choreographers, composers and music directors). While the industry employed roughly equal numbers of males and females (52% and 48% respectively), the majority of performing artists employed were male (58%) while the majority of managerial and administrative staff were female (65%). The survey also found that there were 2,548 people working as volunteers in the industry during the month of June 2003.

Organisations involved in running performing arts festivals of more than 2 days duration during 2002-03, reported employing a total of 1,272 people. While the festivals were on, they received assistance from 15,728 volunteers working an average of 25 hours each.

Census of Population and Housing

The performing arts surveys do not give information on the occupations in which people work, and it is necessary to analyse data from the Census of Population and Housing for such detail. According to the Census, there were 10,797 people whose main job was in music and theatre production in August 2001. Almost two-fifths of these (4,255) were Instrumental musicians - easily the largest occupation category in the industry.

There were also 847 people who indicated that they worked as Singers, 301 as Actors and 190 as Dancers and choreographers in the Music and theatre production industry. However, this does not represent all the singers, actors, dancers and choreographers in Australia, with many people reporting having these occupations whilst being employed in other industries.

For example, there were a total of 2,009 people in various Australian industries who described their main job as "actor" in August 2001, with the largest concentrations in the Creative arts (277 people) and the Television services industries (263 people).

The same is also true of many performing arts occupations, with opportunities for employment existing in many different industries. In a statistical overview publication it is not possible to map in which industries all performing arts workers are employed, however, such detail is available in another ABS publication entitled Employment in Culture, Australia, 2001 ( cat. no. 6273.0).

12.10 PERSONS EMPLOYED IN MUSIC AND THEATRE PRODUCTIONS INDUSTRY(a), By occupation - August 2001
		Number	%
Cultural occupations
	Instrumental musicians	4 255	39.4
	Singers	847	7.8
	Actors	301	2.8
	Music teachers (private)	274	2.5
	Media producers	247	2.3
	Dancers and choreographers	190	1.8
	Composers	170	1.6
	Radio presenters	168	1.6
	Sound technicians	158	1.5
	Directors (film, television, radio and stage)	105	1.0
	Stage managers	96	0.9
	Light technicians	82	0.8
	Ticket collectors and ushers	76	0.7
	Theatre and cinema managers	74	0.7
	Artistic directors	63	0.6
	Music directors	61	0.6
	Other cultural occupations	1 108	10.3
	Total cultural occupations	8 275	76.6
Other occupations
	Project and program administrators	147	1.4
	Sales and marketing managers	137	1.3
	Public relations officers	120	1.1
	Other (includes not stated)	2 118	19.6
	Total other occupations	2 522	23.4
Total all occupations		10 797	100.0
(a) In their main job in the week before Census Night.
ABS, Census of Population and Housing, 2001, data available on request.

Work Survey

According to the 2004 Survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, there were 230,800 people who had performed music in front of an audience in the 12 months before interview. Around 29% of these people received payment for at least one of their performances. The same survey found that there were 272,700 people who performed as actors, dancers or in other performing roles before an audience. Approximately 15% of these were paid for at least one of their performances.

12.11 PERSONS INVOLVED IN MUSIC AND THE PERFORMING ARTS, By payment status - 12 months ending April 2004
		Some paid involvement	Unpaid involvement only	Total(a)
NUMBER ('000)
Music
	As a live performer	64.3	158.0	230.8
	No involvement as a live performer	19.5	48.6	69.1
	Total(b)	83.8	211.9	305.2
Performing arts
	As a performer	40.4	228.3	272.7
	No involvement as a performer	32.0	116.8	151.2
	Total	72.4	345.1	423.9
PER CENT (%)(c)
Music
	As a live performer	28.9	71.1	100.0
	No involvement as a live performer	28.6	71.4	100.0
	Total	28.9	71.1	100.0
Performing arts
	As a performer	15.0	85.0	100.0
	No involvement as a performer	21.5	78.5	100.0
	Total	17.3	82.7	100.0
(a) Includes some persons for whom payment details are not known.
(b) Total includes some persons for whom details are unavailable.
(c) Percentage of paid involvement calculated from the total of those where the payment status was known.
ABS, Survey of Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities, 2004, data available on request.