The informal economy and the arts: a two-country perspective

Abstract

This article argues the importance of the relationship of the informal economy to the formal economy in the arts sector. Data on arts workers is presented from two countries in the Asia Pacific region. The article highlights that artists work across both the formal and informal economy during different phases of their career, and even when artists work in less formal settings culture is sustained, grows, and is passed on to others. The conclusion suggests why and how more equitable linkages between the informal and the formal economy should be promoted and acknowledged through an appropriately inclusive policy and regulatory environment.