Audiences are queuing for certain arts experiences in record numbers, but not all festivals are faring the same. Photo: Courtesy Adelaide Fringe Festival.
Artists are no strangers to tight budgets and stretching their dollars further than most. But lately, it’s not just artists, but great swathes of the economy where more is being done with less, amid rising costs.
Unfortunately, this creates a perfect storm for the arts and their audiences: cost increases make the price of staging shows more expensive, while punters lack the funds to buy tickets when their spending capacity is reduced or non-existent.
ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
