On the one year anniversary of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, the comprehensive post-Games report has been published by the Queensland government. Culture Counts is extremely proud to have evaluated the cultural and economic impact of the Games, collecting and analysing more than 20,000 survey responses from Festival-goers, artists, spectators, athletes and volunteers.
The report highlights the important role the Games played in developing and enhancing the cultural life of the Gold Coast, as well as long-term legacy benefits for businesses, tourism and the community.
The Arts and Culture program evaluation captured data at events across the Gold Coast, Cairns, Brisbane and Townsville to assess the creative principles and goals of Festival 2018. Using feedback gathered from a large sample of patrons and stakeholders, the report celebrates the exceptional artistic quality of the Festival’s programs, its far reach and its success in achieving the Games’ larger strategic goals.
Some key findings include:
Enhancing future development of Cultural Life
Over 80% of organisations and artists agreed Festival 2018 provided new opportunities to artists by increasing the artists’ profile and engagement with audiences while supporting and strengthening the creative sector. More than 90% of attendees found the Festival to be of strong importance for the local area, encouraging them to attend similar things in future.
Celebration of Diversity
Festival 2018 involved a large variety of art forms and content, with more than half of the 553 events containing family-friendly and locally-developed programs, and 25% of events involving Aboriginal or Torres Islander content. Festival 2018 reflected a broad and inclusive range of voices and generated greater respect for diversity amongst 84% of the audience.
Community and economic impact
As the Commonwealth Games host city, the Gold Coast was showcased on a national and international stage, encouraging a vast audience to attend future cultural activities and festivals. Festival 2018 also generated important outcomes across the Event Cities of Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville, including a strengthened sense of community and a new appreciation for cultural experiences amongst local residents.
Read the full report here.
