About Us
The Arts Party is now an international political movement, inspired by the importance of the Arts and creative action, with parties currently registered federally in Australia and locally in NSW, also in England, Scotland and Wales.
The next party registration is expected to occur in Ireland in 2018.
The Arts Party is committed to introducing arts thinking into politics and promoting creative, scientific and evidence based ideas that improve the lives of as many people as possible.
We believe Arts thinking can offer a fresh new perspective on any issue that affects us as a country. Undoubtedly, new voices and approaches are needed right now in our democracy.
Ideas can and do change the world, but only if we act on them. Our idea is to bring new voices into our parliaments with a new positive point of view, based on community, creative and cultural support. The last few years have been very difficult in so many ways for so many people. The Arts sector alone has been systematically defunded, but we can talk about so many more issues than that - homelessness, mental health, fragmented communities, missed education opportunity, the rising cost of living, the loss of opportunity in so many areas. There are so many ways we can make things better if we choose to. We need to reset our expectations and raise our hopes as a people. We should be inspired by our leaders, not embarrassed!
The Arts Party is committed to introducing arts thinking into politics and promoting creative, scientific and evidence based ideas that improve the lives of as many people as possible.
We believe Arts thinking can offer a fresh new perspective on any issue that affects us as a country. Undoubtedly, new voices and approaches are needed right now in our democracy.
- We are a positive, collaborative party, looking for win-win solutions, inspired by the arts.
- We believe every party has both great and terrible ideas - we will support and work with all others to get the best ideas on the table.
- We promote creative, scientific and evidence based ideas for improving the future.
- We are a principled party from which our policies and positions flow.
- We remain the only political party in the world, to be born from the arts and arts thinking.
We offer free memberships with the optional ability to make a regular donation to support us. Alternatively, if you just want to follow our activities, we send out the odd newsletter.
How did it start and what have you done?
Like many great ideas, it started over a few beers in the pub. You can read about it here. None of us had political backgrounds but realised something was missing from our democracy. It was a voice for the Arts - for Arts thinking and feeling. A voice that put people and all our potential first on the agenda. Since then..
- We crowdfunded to begin and the party was registered on 6th August 2014.
- We crowdfunded again to stand 21 candidates for the 2016 Federal Election.
- Our senate candidates received over 1.5 million preference votes between 1-6, ranking us 26th out of 56 parties in the first preference senate results.
- Of our 7 lower house candidates, two came 4th in their seats, after Labor, Liberal and the Greens, Full results here.
- Well over 10% of all Australians voted for us between 1-6 for the senate.
Why have you done all this?
Because each of us need to be the change we want to see in this world and politics is the best way to make that change happen.Ideas can and do change the world, but only if we act on them. Our idea is to bring new voices into our parliaments with a new positive point of view, based on community, creative and cultural support. The last few years have been very difficult in so many ways for so many people. The Arts sector alone has been systematically defunded, but we can talk about so many more issues than that - homelessness, mental health, fragmented communities, missed education opportunity, the rising cost of living, the loss of opportunity in so many areas. There are so many ways we can make things better if we choose to. We need to reset our expectations and raise our hopes as a people. We should be inspired by our leaders, not embarrassed!
Did you know? The Arts & Creative Sectors Explained
- Australia’s creative industries contribute more than $90 billion to our economy annually in turnover, added more than $45 billion to GDP and generated annual exports of $3.2 billion. *
- In 2011 there were more than 600,000 people working in the creative industries in Australia and over 120,000 creative businesses. Creative Industries employ 3.5% of the Australian workforce. Additionally there are many volunteers who go unaccounted for.*
- In 2009, 11 million people visited an art gallery. To give that number context, it’s more people than went to the AFL and NRL combined.
- As an industry, the Arts employs more people than mining does.
- 85% of Australians believe art enriches their lives.*
- 95% of Australians were involved with the arts in the last 12 months (covering visual arts and crafts, music, theatre, dance and literature, community and Indigenous arts)*
- 89% of Australians believe art is an important part of education.*
- 2012 The Live Performance Industry (which covers music, musical theatre, opera and dance) generated revenues of over $2.5bn in Australia. Total profits and wages (for performing and support staff) amounted to $1.53bn, while also employing thousands of Australians.
- Australia's 2015-16 budget was worth over $450bn. 2% of that goes on military spending. 0.001% goes on Arts Funding.