Working the Field: Creative Graduates in Australia and China

The research seeks to understand how graduates of creative arts programs in Australia and China build creative vocations. It investigates the motivations for, and rewards of, unpaid cultural work across three areas of graduate work - visual arts, creative writing and performance - in two United Nations recognised Creative Cities; Melbourne and Shanghai. Such research is of high significance for curriculum developers, as studies show that employment outcomes for creative arts graduates remain very poor despite a growing cultural economy. The project will lead to a theoretically innovative, evidence-based and globally-transferable account of the practical economy of arts work, one that can assist creative arts programs better prepare students.