“Our program provides a lively space for students - it’s fresh, urgent and intellectually stimulating.”

Deakin University’s Arts and Cultural Management (ACM) research program recently received the highest possible rating in the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA 2018) report. 

The triple ‘high’ rating was one of only two clean sweeps nationally and underlines the exceptional work Deakin Business School (DBS) academics are achieving in the specific areas of ‘Research Impact’, ‘Engagement’ and ‘Approach to Impact’.

Associate Professor Hilary Glow, Discipline Leader of the Arts and Cultural Management program at DBS, says she is delighted that her team’s efforts are recognised for making a real difference. 

“This rating is the product of many years of cross-disciplinary collaboration with Associate Professor Katya Johanson from the Faculty of Arts and Education, as part of the Cultural Impact Project research group. 

“There is a big appetite in the sector for high-quality, robust and rigorous research and this rating demonstrates that we have the skills to provide that.”

98 per cent of Australians engage with the arts in some form. The ARC’s ERA results are therefore an important and independent validation of the significance of Deakin’s research in this space – as compared against national and international benchmarks.

Assoc. Prof. Glow explains that her team’s aim is not only to produce findings for their own sake, but rather to create notable social and cultural benefit, by shaping government policies and initiatives of arts organisations and Government funding agencies.

“What characterises all of our research work is that we are industry-facing. For example: our sector is currently facing real problems around audience diversification; which, if not addressed, we predict will compromise organisational and sector sustainability into the future.” 

“We strive to make a real difference by driving genuine organisational change, in order to combat these types of problems. Our goal is to find a way by which we can influence who is participating in the arts and diversifying the social profile of audiences, which is largely white, middle class and ageing,” she says. 

With today’s student looking for real-world scenarios rather than textbook experiences, ERA 2018 demonstrates that Deakin’s Arts and Cultural Management program focuses on issues that define the workplace, require discussion and debate and are taught by academics who are immersed in the field.

“Our real-world approach delivers a sense of excitement because students are entering a field where the issues they are debating and discussing at university are live right now and each and every one of them has the opportunity to make a real difference.”

“Our aim isn’t simply to teach management skills out of a box, but rather to provide a whole suite of skills, as well as a solid context around the creative industries and its specific management challenges,” Assoc. Prof. Glow explains. 

“Our program provides a lively space for students – it’s fresh, urgent and intellectually stimulating.”

You can find more information about our Arts and Cultural Management program on the Deakin website.