4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2014  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/07/2014  Final
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ARTS EDUCATION

Arts education covers the teaching of skills specific to the fields of literature, television, radio, film, visual arts and crafts, design, music, performing arts and other arts. Skills taught include creative writing, acting, dancing, singing, music composition, music playing, visual design, radio, television and film production, post-production and direction, photography, and sound engineering and recording.

TRAINING IN THE ARTS

Run for the first time in 2010-11, the Survey of Participation in Selected Cultural Activities collected data about participants in selected cultural activities including performing arts, singing or playing a musical instrument, dancing, writing, visual art activities and craft activities. Those who had participated in a cultural activity were asked if they had ever completed a qualification in, or related to, that cultural activity. The proportion of participants with qualifications varied across the selected activities.

Just over a quarter of all participants in fashion, interior or graphic design (26% or 85,000 people) reported a qualification relevant to this activity. A similar proportion (23%) of participants involved in designing websites, computer games or interactive software also held relevant qualifications. Conversely, the activities attracting the highest number of participants, namely textile crafts, jewellery making, paper crafts or wood crafts (1.6 million people) and sculpting, painting, drawing or cartooning (1.3 million people) had the lowest proportions of relevant qualifications held (6% and 12% respectively).

PARTICIPATION IN SELECTED CULTURAL ACTIVITIES(a), Qualification status by type of activity, 2010–11

Relevant qualification
No relevant qualification
Total participants
('000)
('000)
('000)

Performing arts
Performing in a drama, comedy, opera or musical including rehearsals
42.1
185.7
227.8
Performing inn a cabaret or variety act, including rehearsals
*7.1
50.2
57.3
Singing or playing a musical instrument
176.1
730.0
906.1
Dancing
50.9
544.2
595.1
Writing
Writing song lyrics, or mixing or composing music, including digital composition
37.7
387.1
424.9
Writing any fiction, such as stories, poetry or scripts
81.7
656.4
738.0
Visual art activities
Sculpting, painting, drawing or cartooning, including digital pieces
149.0
1132.5
1281.5
Printmaking, screen printing or etching
20.8
112.4
133.1
Photography, film-making or editing, apart from recording personal events
107.6
690.6
798.2
Craft activities
Textile crafts, jewellery making, paper crafts or wood crafts
96.0
1541.7
1637.7
Glass crafts, pottery, ceramics or mosaics
20.4
199.1
219.5
Designed websites, computer games or interactive software
114.3
385.4
499.8
Fashion, interior or graphic designer
85.0
237.3
322.3
Other digital art or craft not already reported
*14.7
85.7
100.5


* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution.
(a) Recorded for up to three activities per person in the 12 months prior to interview.
Source: Participation in Selected Cultural Activities, Australia, 2010-11 (cat. no. 4921.0)


Tertiary arts education data are available from the Australian Government Department of Industry. According to their publication, there were 86,547 students undertaking a course in the field of creative arts at higher educational institutions (excluding TAFE) in Australia in 2012. The data shows a 1.7% increase in the number of creative arts students between 2011 and 2012, compared with a 3.0% increase in the total number of students during the same period.

NUMBER OF STUDENTS UNDERTAKING HIGHER EDUCATION(a), In the field of Creative Arts(b), 2012
Creative Arts students
All students

no.
no.
2012
New South Wales
30 232
390 902
Victoria
20 831
326 594
Queensland
17 939
222 919
South Australia
5 019
84 290
Western Australia
7 177
134 327
Tasmania
2 428
25 480
Northern Territory
179
9 921
Australian Capital Territory
2 242
36 168
Multi-state
500
27 121
Total
86 547
1 257 722
2011
85 078
1 221 008
2010
83 167
1 192 657
Change between 2011 and 2012 (%)
1.7
3.0
Change between 2010 and 2011 (%)
2.3
2.4

(a) Students enrolled in higher education courses in each Australian Higher Education Provider.
(b) Creative arts comprises the following educational fields: performing arts, visual arts and crafts, graphic and design studies, communication and media studies and other performing arts.
Source: Department of Industry: Selected Higher Education Statistics - 2012 Student Full Year.


Information relating to vocational education can be obtained from the National Centre for Vocational and Education Research (NCVER). According to NCVER data, vocational training organisations, such as Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes, reported 51,958 students enrolled in courses in the field of Creative Arts in 2012.

STUDENTS IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING COURSES(a), In the field of Creative Arts(b)(c), 2012
Students
Percentage of all Creative Arts students
no.
%

New South Wales
17 422
33.5
Victoria
15 780
30.4
Queensland
7 177
13.8
South Australia
2 189
4.2
Western Australia
6 837
13.2
Tasmania
733
1.4
Northern Territory
1 072
2.1
Australian Capital Territory
784
1.5
Australia
51 958
100.0

(a) Excludes VET delivered in schools, where the delivery has been undertaken by schools.
(b) Whose major field of education was the creative arts.
(c) Creative arts comprises the following fields of education: performing arts; visual arts and crafts; graphic and design studies, communication and media studies; and other creative arts.
Source: National Centre for Vocational and Education Research, Students and Courses 2012 available on the NCVER website


Useful links
Department of Industry: Selected Higher Education Statistics - 2012 Student Full Year.
National Centre for Vocational and Education Research (NCVER) website