NAVA welcomes Arts Workforce Scoping Study interim findings
The findings highlight critical workforce and skills shortages across the arts sector.
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) welcomes the release of the interim findings from the Arts Workforce Scoping Study by Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA) and Creative Australia. This study is a pivotal initiative of National Cultural Policy, Revive, and marks a significant step forward in understanding and addressing the complex challenges facing the nation’s arts workforce. The findings illuminate critical workforce and skills shortages across the arts sector, including First Nations arts and the visual arts, craft and design.
“The interim findings of this study reinforce the longstanding workforce concerns that NAVA has been voicing for years,” said Penelope Benton, NAVA's Executive Director. “The visual arts is experiencing a workforce crisis, with serious shortages in technical, managerial, and support roles, particularly in regional and remote areas. We hope this study will catalyse meaningful workforce development strategies to secure a more sustainable future for the sector.”
The Arts Workforce Scoping Study's first phase identifies a range of recruitment and retention challenges, emphasising that the arts sector is not only dealing with the impact of a shifting economy and a fast-changing technological landscape but also longstanding issues of precarity, low wages, and limited career progression. Full findings, which include consultations with artists and arts workers, are expected in early 2025, but the interim report highlights areas requiring urgent action.
Skill gaps in visual arts, craft and design
Among the most pressing concerns are shortages of skilled workers in production and technical roles in the visual arts, craft, and design sector. Positions such as exhibition technicians, gallery curators, and conservator/registrars are especially scarse, with acute shortages in regional areas.
Additionally, qualified front-of-house workers, including gallery assistants and museum guides, face similar recruitment challenges, largely due to limited skilled candidates and uncompetitive salaries.
The report also reveals business support role shortages in finance, accounting, marketing, and communications, which are essential for sustaining arts organisations. Low wages in these roles make it difficult for art organisations to retain skilled workers, leaving many without the resources to effectively advocate for their work or ensure financial sustainability.
Pay and career pathway issues
Low pay, long hours, and limited career progression continue to exacerbate recruitment and retention issues across the sector. Small-to-medium (S2M) arts organisations report that they struggle to offer competitive salaries, making it challenging to attract and retain staff compared to larger cultural institutions or commercial businesses. As a result, high turnover rates affect organisational stability, especially for those providing essential platforms for early-career artists.
In response, NAVA calls for a comprehensive review of wages and conditions for arts workers. Benton stressed the need for sector-wide changes, saying, “It is unacceptable that those who dedicate their careers to enriching public life through the arts face such low pay and limited career pathways. We urge the government to prioritise adequate wages for the many artists and arts workers in roles fundamental to our society.”
Diversity and inclusion efforts
While the interim report acknowledges some progress toward diversity and inclusion, it also highlights ongoing challenges. Recruiting First Nations people and other underrepresented groups remains difficult, as barriers such as low pay, access to training, and culturally unsafe environments persist. In the visual arts sector, only one-quarter of surveyed organisations are actively recruiting for First Nations-identified roles, highlighting the need for improved cultural safety and retention strategies for First Nations workers.
NAVA has long advocated for First Nations representation in the workforce and sees this study as an opportunity to strengthen inclusion and cultural safety initiatives. Benton elaborated, “First Nations people bring invaluable cultural knowledge and perspectives to their roles. However, we need robust support systems and training that prioritise cultural safety and competency, enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts workers to thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.”
Lack of awareness of training resources
The report also reveals a lack of awareness amongst arts organisations about the existing CUA (Creative Arts and Culture) training package, which provides pathways for skill development. Among visual arts, craft, and design organisations, 76% reported unfamiliarity with the package, indicating a critical gap that could be addressed through targeted education and outreach programs.
This issue is compounded by increasing cuts to tertiary arts courses, most recently at Southern Cross University (SCU), which announced its decision to discontinue its standalone creative arts program, including undergraduate degrees in art and design, digital media, and contemporary music. These cuts limit future arts workers’ opportunities to acquire essential skills and access entry-level career pathways, further endangering the arts workforce.
“Building a skilled, resilient arts workforce starts with education,” Benton stated. “We need to ensure that arts workers have access to training, development, and career pathways from entry-level to senior positions. For our sector to grow and meet the demands of a changing world, investment in arts education and professional development is crucial.”
NAVA’s call for a comprehensive workforce plan
The insights from SaCSA’s interim report highlight the urgent need for a Workforce Plan that not only addresses these immediate challenges but also sets a foundation for a sustainable arts workforce. NAVA looks forward to continued collaboration with SaCSA and Creative Australia in the second phase of this study to ensure the voices of artists and arts workers are central to workforce development strategies.
Benton concluded, “The arts are essential. It’s time we address the workforce challenges that threaten the sector’s future and invest in building a workforce that is well-supported, diverse, and resilient. This is not only an investment in the arts but in the enrichment of us all.”
With the final report due in 2025, NAVA remains committed to advocating for strategies that promote adequate wages, inclusivity, and workforce development in the arts sector. SaCSA’s work, supported by the government’s Revive policy, is playing an essential role in supporting a sustainable future for artists and arts workers and preserving cultural heritage for future generations.
Image credit
APHIDS, OH DEER! Photo: JMA Photography.
ID: A performance artwork on a red-lit stage shows performers spread across the space, some standing and others sitting. At the centre, one performer faces a camera operator who films her, with the live footage projected onto a screen at the back of the stage.
