A Short Introduction

The Arts and Social Wellbeing in Rural Western Australia

Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson and Frederick McCubbin have all been pivotal in shaping Australian cultural identity as firmly rooted in rural Australia. However many commentators are suggesting that rural Australia is in crisis and suffering from decline. This disadvantage is evident with respect to standards of health, infrastructure, employment and education.

For my research, I wanted to test the premise that the arts play a crucial role in promoting social wellbeing and that the arts contribute to the revitalisation of declining economies through tourism, income generation, and employment.

You can find many reports stating the benefits of the arts. Including that the arts are used as a form of communication, to question norms, express ideas and strengthen social bonds. The arts contribute to rural revitalisation, and thus social wellbeing: directly through economic opportunities, and; indirectly by enhancing participation and creativity in public decision-making, strengthening community capacity, and strengthening identity and sense of place. However this is not to deny that people are often not drawn to the arts for their instrumental effects, but because of the meaning, pleasure and emotional stimulation that they provide and that these intrinsic effects are satisfying in themselves (McCarthy et al., 2004).

So what’s the problem then? Well it all comes down to a lack of hard data. Research is usually conducted by arts funding bodies (yes - potential conflict of interest there!). Otherwise it is left to the organizations themselves, largely not-for-profit, community-based, and heavily reliant on volunteers who don’t necessarily have the time or resources to carry out research.

In recognition of this dearth of data a few agencies, organizations and educational institutions in Australia are starting to do something about it. Including the support of my research http://www.segs.uwa.edu.au/pgweb?displaytype=Student_info&id=735

I wanted to start this blog to not only help clarify a few things in my own mind, but to provide myself with an outlet for this information so it doesn’t just sit on a shelf in some university library with no one to read it. I hope you enjoy it.