One of the five pillars on which the Australian Government’s new cultural policy Revive is built relates to the centrality of the artist – the dedicated professionals whose commitment underpins the creative work that makes such a vital contribution to Australian life. But effective policy-making to support artists requires an in-depth understanding of the nature of professional artistic practice. A survey of individual practising artists is the most practical way to obtain comprehensive and objective data on the conditions of professional artistic practice across all art forms.

This survey is the seventh in a series carried out over the last four decades at Macquarie University, with funding from the Australia Council (now Creative Australia). The surveys have thrown light on the ways in which professional arts practice has been changing over time. The development of the internet and digital technologies have transformed not only the ways in which artists can participate in the international art world and the global economy, but also the very processes of artistic creation.

The survey covers both full-time and part-time artists; employed and self-employed artists; and artists regardless of whether all, some or none of their income comes from art practice. It identifies artists according to their principal artistic occupation (PAO), grouped into eight occupational classifications: writers; visual artists; craft practitioners; actors and directors; dancers and choreographers; musicians and singers; composers, songwriters and arrangers; community cultural development artists (formerly known as community artists or community cultural development workers). The survey does not cover filmmakers or interior, fashion, industrial or architectural designers.

The latest survey was in the field late 2022 and early 2023 and examines activity in the 2021-22 financial year. This edition therefore captures the conditions for artists in the wake of COVID-19 and coincides with the Australian government’s January 2023 announcement of its five-year national cultural policy.