SERIOUS LEISURE, CAREER VOLUNTEERS AND THE ORGANISATION OF ARTS EVENTS IN A REGIONAL AUSTRALIAN CITY

This paper presents results from an exploratory study that is framed by serious leisure theory and investigates the social organisation of the arts in a regional Australian city. This study found that local voluntary amateur and hobbyist artist groups are active in the local community and according to Stebbin’s (1982) definition, can be regarded as serious leisure participants as they develop and coordinate resources, provide continuing calendars of activities, and organise events for the benefit of their members and the public. Consequently, it was found that each artist group relies heavily on a small number of members who, in addition to active participation in their group's creative activities, also undertake leadership duties and responsibilities to manage their group’s activities and events. These members were identified as combining their creative amateur or hobbyist pursuits with a career volunteer role within their group. The personal rewards and personal costs of those roles align with the six qualities of serious leisure. The paper, briefly introduces the underlying beliefs of serious leisure theory, the method of research, and findings related to events and career volunteers. It also describes in aggregate terms, the events provided by voluntary artist groups, and identifies themes that emerged from the analysis of discussions with group spokespeople about their career volunteer roles, associated personal rewards, and personal costs