RISING and Mandala Launch Arts Value Research

A new research series will examine how Australians value arts and culture beyond traditional economic measures.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Cultural

RISING and Mandala Launch Arts Value Research

Live Poll

Should the Australian government increase its spending on arts and culture?

RISING has partnered with Mandala to launch a research initiative examining how Australia values arts and culture. Creative Australia's National Arts Participation Survey 2026 found 74 per cent of Australians attended a live arts event in the past year.

Why it matters

Arts participation has reached record levels while government spending on cultural services remains below international benchmarks. The research aims to inform future investment and policy decisions for the sector.

Creative Australia's survey recorded 74 per cent live arts attendance, the highest since 2009, with 47 per cent citing socialising and 36 per cent citing understanding other perspectives as key motivations. OECD figures for 2026 show Australian per-capita cultural spending 37 per cent below the average.

The players

RISING

RISING is an Australian arts festival and organisation known for presenting contemporary performance and cultural programs.

Mandala

Mandala is an Australian firm whose managing partner serves as RISING's Economist in Residence and provides pro bono support to the platform.

Creative Australia

Creative Australia is the Australian Government's principal arts funding and advisory body, which conducts the National Arts Participation Survey.

The details

The research series, supported by a pro bono contribution from Mandala, will examine art as an economic sector, a cultural good and a strategic asset. It will go beyond conventional measures of direct output, employment and return on investment to assess broader social and economic contributions.

Past year: 74 per cent of Australians attended a live arts event, per the National Arts Participation Survey 2026.
2009: Creative Australia began tracking arts participation rates.
Past five years: Think tanks and government departments introduced measurement frameworks for the sector.
2026: OECD figures show Australia's cultural spending 37 per cent below the average.
10 November 2026: RISING and Mandala launched the research initiative.

Season Trajectory

Creative Australia's National Arts Participation Survey has tracked arts attendance since 2009, and the 2026 result marks a record high. The research initiative extends that data series toward measuring the sector's broader economic and social value.

Record arts attendance suggests more Australians are engaging with live events, and the research aims to inform future public, commercial and philanthropic investment in those offerings. Readers can expect the research papers to shape how arts programs are funded over time.

The takeaway

Arts participation is growing, and measuring its wider value could strengthen the case for sustained investment. Readers interested in the sector can follow the research papers as they are released.