State of the arts in Cairns report 2020 (SoARTS)

The Cairns Regional Council’s Strategy for Culture and the Arts 2022 (CRC 2018) is a strategic vision that supports and stimulates the creative vitality of the Cairns region, as well as promoting and perpetuating the broad artistic and cultural heritage of the people of Cairns. This State of the Arts in Cairns (SoARTS) 2020 report is the second report in a series by James Cook University and Central Queensland University, that works alongside the Strategy to produce research-informed insights and recommendations relating to Council’s main priorities in this area. The majority of the data presented here refers to the calendar year 2020 and as such, takes place in the fully blown COVID-19 context. COVID-19 tested the resilience of the sector, but arts and culture organisations were quick to respond to funding opportunities and develop new online services and alternative channels for audiences. The arts, culture and creative industries are vital to healthy communities and economies, and these activities are an important component in Cairns’ recovery and renewal process. The particular focus of this SoARTS report is the Strategy’s Priority 1: Infrastructure, resources and skills. This priority or ‘pillar’ of the Strategy aims to support and stimulate the cultural and creative life of the community, in part through providing infrastructure, resources and opportunities for skill development and training. Infrastructure is broadly conceived and includes more than Council-managed buildings and venues, even though these are vital to the region. Supportive infrastructure also includes: places to work/create, grants to develop new ideas and pathways to support employment and training. This SoARTS report therefore focuses on stakeholder perspectives on the hard and soft infrastructure that keep the sector vibrant.