Careers, Community, and Leadership in the Arts

Careers, Community, and Leadership in the Arts is a comprehensive guide that unites three essential cultural career development pillars. It examines how arts workers navigate complex and precarious career pathways, highlighting the role of community in shaping sustainable creative work. Grounded in over a decade of research across Australia, England and Asia, this book critically examines issues of employability, career development and leadership within the arts. It explores how effective leadership not only underpins individual career progression, but is also fundamental to the sustainability of arts organisations. Positioning arts leadership within the broader ecology of networks and relationships that characterise the sector, the book considers how individuals build leadership capabilities within their professional and disciplinary contexts. It further highlights the essential role of community in shaping leadership identities, fostering career resilience and offering vital peer support. Adopting an integrated approach, this book provides critical insights and real-world strategies to support researchers, students and practitioners in building creative careers and developmental communities while also focusing on constructing sustainable organisations. Careers, Community, and Leadership in the Arts offers a timely contribution to advancing professional practice and scholarship within the cultural industries.

Kim Goodwin teaches arts management and human resources at the University of Melbourne. Her work bridges research, teaching and real-world practice, exploring how people build careers, lead teams and thrive in the arts. She's passionate about creative workforces, inclusive leadership and supporting emerging talent in the cultural sector.

List of figures About the author Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Crafting Arts Careers 2. Career and Leadership Development in the Arts 3. Understanding Communities of Practice in the Arts 4. Characteristics of Arts Leadership 5. The Reluctant Arts Leader 6. Arts Development Through Community Participation 7. Creating Sustainable Communities of Practice in the Arts 8. The Power of Community Appendix Index