The findings from 'Working in the Australian Entertainment Industry: Final Report' are damning and highlight an industry in severe distress.  Despite artists being truly passionate about their work, the lack of industry support and toxic culture can no longer be overlooked.   

 - 70% of Artists earn less than $30,000 per year (before tax) and 21% earn no other supplementary income.

 - 20% of Artists report being addicted to alcohol and /or drugs vs 4.5% of the general community.

 - 44% of Artists have symptomology identified as Mild to Severe Anxiety  vs 3.7% of the general community.

 - Sleep disorders are diagnosed seven times more often amongst artists vs the general community.

 - Suicide attempts by artists are at double the rate of the general community.

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Fundamentally the Arts are about Social Inclusion.  It has been proven that participation in cultural and recreational activities has major benefits for our mental health and our social well-being.  A night out to a show with a group of friends has been shown to help us create shared stories where we can define our culture and values and strengthen our support networks.   
 

When Artists suffer, the Arts at large suffers and we are all worse off for it.

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Sources - 
'Working in the Australian Entertainment Industry: Final Report' from Entertainment Assist and Victoria University October 2016
'Promoting Mental Health through accessing the Arts' from VIC Health September 2006