The hidden topography of Australia’s arts nation - University of Melbourne - InArts Nation 2015

Oct 15, 2026

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Explores how Australian universities contribute to the artistic landscape beyond traditional teaching, focusing on the largely hidden role of university arts infrastructure and practitioners. The paper uses publicly available data from Australian university websites collected in April 2015 and supplements it with face-to-face interviews with 27 practising artists employed as academic staff in three case study universities (2013). It analyzes why these contributions remain underrepresented in Arts Nation reports and argues for greater recognition benefiting artists, audiences, and Australia’s cultural heritage.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Information sources

University contributions to Australia’s artistic and cultural landscape

Art museums, galleries & performance venues

A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W The hidden topography of Australia’s arts nation The contribution of universities to the artistic landscape Jenny Wilson University of Melbourne InArts Nation 2015, the Australia Council documented the current landscape of artistic endeavour in Australia, acknowledging that there are still gaps that need to be filled to build a greater public understanding of the arts in Australia. The contribution of Australian universities to the arts is one such lacuna. This paper seeks to expand this understanding by considering the contribution that the university sector makes to visual and performing arts outside its traditional teaching role. It draws upon data contained in university websites and through interviews with practising artists employed as academic staff in three case study universities. It explores how and why these contributions remain largely hidden in reports on artistic endeavour and concludes by suggesting that a greater recognition of the role that universities play in Australia’s Arts Nation will deliver benefits to artists, audiences and to Australia’s artistic and cultural heritage. Keywords: arts, research management, Arts Nation Introduction The Australia Council’s 2015 Arts Nation report provides a national picture of the economic and cohesive contribution that the visual and performing arts are making to Australian society (Australia Council, 2015) . Noting the connection between tertiary education and artistic engagement, the report highlights: that younger Australians are ‘more likely to create art’when linked to school or tertiary education (Australia Council, 2015, p. 11); that ‘people with a university degree’ are more likely to attend arts events (Australia Council, 2015, p. 15); and that over 100,000 students are currently undertaking tertiary level creative arts programs. For anyone who works or studies in one of Australia’s universities; who has attended a performance or an exhibition in the University art gallery; or is familiar with the current categorisation of non-traditional research outputs (ARC, 2012a), this portrayal of university arts will appear incomplete. Although Australian universities shape 20 The hidden topography of Australia’s arts nation Jenny Wilson artistic understanding and talent through their teaching programs, they represent far more to Australia’s artistic landscape than just a home for the undeveloped waiting to be enlightened on the appreciation or creation of art. The university sector houses a sizeable component of Australia’s artistic infrastructure and current practitioners. It is a core ‘player’in the Australian visual and performing art world, but, as the Arts Nation report exemplifies, its contribution is largely hidden from public and government comprehension. Information sources This paper draws heavily upon digital sources to ensure contemporaneity. Data on university arts infrastructure that is open to the public was gathered by a search of all Australian public university websites, conducted in April 2015.The search terms‘art collection’,‘art gallery’,‘theatre’,‘exhibition and performance space’were supplemented by analysis of visual and performing art schools’web pages, vol. 58, no. 1, 2016 A U S T R A L I A N U N I V E R S I T I E S ’ R E V I E W which also provided examples of artistic activities. Finally, the search term‘venues for hire’was used to capture detail that may not have been revealed by other search terms.The data are confined to that which was available on university websites at the time of access and are thus indicative rather than comprehensive.These data are supplemented by faceto-face interviews with 27 practising artists employed as academic staff in three case study universities conducted in 2013 as part ofa larger study on artists in the university. Case study universities, selected for a sufficiency of academic staff and the diversity of artistic discipli

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this paper?

To expand understanding of how the university sector contributes to visual and performing arts beyond its traditional teaching role.

What sources does the paper use to support its findings?

Publicly accessible data from Australian university websites collected in April 2015, supplemented by face-to-face interviews with 27 practising artists employed as academic staff in three case study universities in 2013.

Why are university arts contributions described as largely hidden?

The paper argues that these contributions are not well captured in public and government understanding and remain underrepresented in reports on artistic endeavour, despite universities providing substantial arts infrastructure and practitioners.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Ben