Exporting the arts

Actors Cate Blanchett and Hugh Jackman are two of the most visible ambassadors of Australia’s arts industry. But when it comes to exporting the arts, there’s plenty more going on behind the scenes. So here’s a close-up of arts exports.

The breadth of the sector makes it hard to set a structure around how to export arts, especially because arts businesses have different business models to most, due to their unique product. The arts encompass a range of creative industries and the entertainment sector, which includes, but is not limited to, visual and decorative arts, performing arts (music, dance, theatre), film and television production, literature, and some aspects of design.

However, there is an increasing professionalism in the arts, says John Odgers, export advisor in Austrade’s Arts, Culture & Entertainment department. Odgers says the current generation have benefited from having business courses run within arts education: “They don’t want to be starving artists in the garrets who win prizes but don’t earn any money.”

Sandra Bender, director of market development at the Australia Council for the Arts, agrees. “People don’t talk about their art as a charity. There’s a new generation of artists who want a viable outcome—it’s not just financial, it’s an audience. There’s a much bigger focus on how do you create demand; how do you facilitate that demand; and how do you make that audience connection?

“The international scene is becoming like that. People don’t go overseas just because they got an invitation. People are now saying, three years out, is the UK my target market? If it is, what are the calculated risks I’m willing to take and how do I negotiate fees, the travel and tour itineraries? They’re driving it,” she observes.

New Arts Exporters
Compared to exporters in other industries, market evaluation is particularly important for new arts exporters. Compared to exports like wheat, trends and demographic affect the arts significantly, because it is often considered a luxury, especially in developing countries.

While there are a number of resources for new exporters—for example, Austrade runs programs including coaching, business planning and market selection—networking is also a good way to learn how to approach the overseas market.

“Because it’s a small sector, most people learn about their market and access through colleagues, both in terms of contacts and in terms of mistakes made,” says Bender. “Sometimes they’ll be seduced by government policies, or because DFAT [the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade] is focusing on certain country profiles.”

Having contacts in the industry plays a significant role, as advocates often speak to one another and can spread the buzz. For example, a festival director may recommend an artist to a colleague hosting a festival in another part of the world, a promoter may attend the festival and approach the artist for additional performances, or emerging musicians could tour as a supporting act for established musicians to widen their exposure. This type of advocacy occurs mostly in the performing arts, and sometimes in fine art exhibitions.

New exporters also need to expect plenty of paperwork. This may range from working visas for performing artists, to entry tax for artworks. The cost of necessary bureaucracy may even affect whether you’re likely to sell in your market.

“If you’re going into China, the various taxes work out to be about 30 percent of the price. Once you take a product from Australia where there’s a high labour cost and then have a 30 percent impost on that, you’re talking about a very serious disadvantage for the artist in terms of the price,” explains Odgers. “You have to be careful about your market in terms of who your buyers will be and whether they can afford your work.”