Culture & Recreation

Adelaide has a reputation as one of the world’s great festival cities and is widely recognised as the cultural heart of Australia.

Its rich artistic life is demonstrated not just in its galleries and theatres but also in its many cultural festivals, the world’s largest youth arts festival, and international festivals of art, music, film and literature – culminating in the biennial Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts, the annual Adelaide Fringe - the second biggest in the world after Edinburgh, and the WOMADelaide world music festival.

In many ways the cultural centre of the City is North Terrace with its long established institutions including the South Australian Museum, Art Gallery and State Library. Other locations such as the City’s West End have been further strengthened by the addition of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Arts SA and the iconic Jam Factory.

The 2008 combined ticket sales for the Festival and Fringe reached a record $11 million, with Festival attendances increasing by nine per cent over the previous festival to around 600,000. Fringe events claimed another 900,000 attendances.

“Performers love the City – its scale and the ease of getting around,” says Rainer Jozeps, CEO of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. “One of the nicest things about Adelaide is that unlike most other cities, arts festivals are a natural part of its everyday life. There seems to be a history of willingness to embrace cultural things and a strong tradition of participation by all sectors of the community.

“Business is also very strongly involved. It sees the arts as being integral to the community, and understands that supporting the arts will help it connect with that community.”

The measurable economic flow-on is considerable, with the cultural and recreational services sector as a whole around $330 million to the State’s Gross Product, employing more than 5,500 people and attracting tens of thousands of new visitors to the State each year.

The City of Adelaide is the major beneficiary of these economic benefits, accounting for around 28 per cent of total metropolitan Adelaide employment in cultural and recreational services.

The City provides a number of advantages for the cultural and recreational services industry, including networking opportunities and enhanced possibilities to combine business and pleasure activities, and the ongoing public positioning of the City as a world-ranking destination for a wide range of arts and cultural experiences.

The City is also the State’s place to party and relax – not just at Festival time but throughout the year. The refurbished and expanded casino, an eclectic range of nightclubs and the world’s most picturesque cricket ground add to the City’s recreational mix.

Fast Facts

● World renowned cultural attractions
● Draws interstate and international attractions
● Massive economic benefits

Links

● Arts SA
● South Australia Film Corporation

Related Features

● The art of artlab