Respondent profile
584 creative artists who are mainly engaged in making original work, shared their experiences on how COVID-19 has impacted their work.
Respondent type
- 76% Sole traders
- 15% Freelancers
- 9% Other.
Industry sub-category (top responses)
- 38% Visual artists or sculptors
- 20% Musicians or composers
- 12% Writers, poets, playwrights or screenwriters
- 7% Actors
- 4% Dancers or choreographers
- 4% Circus performers.
The following findings are based on respondents’ reported impacts from 1 April to 30 June 2020.
Number of jobs
Jobs for creative artists fell 77%. This was based on expected versus actual number of employees reported by partnerships, companies and not-for-profits operating in the creative artists sector. There were significant decreases in freelance and
contract jobs (down 94%) and casual jobs (down 73%).
Actual versus expected revenue
- 30% - Percentage of expected revenue earned before COVID-19 support
- 53% - Percentage of expected revenue earned after COVID-19 support.
COVID-19 support
- 23% - Received COVID-19 support
- $4,537 - Average value of support.
JobKeeper
Percentage of business entities that received JobKeeper assistance for employees.
- N/A - Freelancer
- 31% - Sole trader
- 23% - Partnership
- 42% - Company
- 30% - Not-for-profit.
Alternative revenue sources
Percentage of business entities that needed to draw on alternative revenue sources to cover lost revenue.
| | Freelancer
80% | Sole trader
80%
| Partnership
69% | Company
83% | Not-for-profit
40% |
|---|
| Business reserves | - | - | 38% | 56% | 30% |
| Personal savings | 64% | 67% | 38% | 50% | 10% |
| Family and friends | 20% | 13% | 15% | 11% | 0% |
| Credit cards | 17% | 18% | 0% | 6% | 0% |
| Superannuation | 14% | 11% | 15% | 11% | 0% |
| Bank loan | 2% | 1% | 8% | 6% | 0% |
| Other | 13% | 11% | 8% | 6% | 0% |
| None | 20% | 20% | 31% | 17% | 60% |
Methodology
This fact sheet was compiled from a survey conducted in 2020 by CATALYSE® Pty Ltd on behalf of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. View the full survey report.