WA arts after the mining boom

With income from the resource sector declining, what are the implications for arts funding and philanthropy in Western Australia?

One of the Gormley sculptures at Lake Ballard, WA. Image via caravanandcampingshow.com.au

Western Australia’s mining boom began in the mid-2000s, and quickly led to substantial growth in the state’s economy: within a decade, per capita gross income in WA had risen by almost 50%. Now, however, the boom is over, and the stream of wealth which once gushed into government coffers and private pockets has begun to dwindle.

Unlock Padlock Icon

Unlock this content?

Access this content and more

Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts