Creativity and Culture Careers

Adelaide has a booming creative industry. With renowned arts festivals nearly every month, there are always opportunities to immerse yourself in artistic and creative culture. This creates many job opportunities.

Significant contributions have been made to cultural understanding, appreciation and indigenous heritage in South Australia. Through DNA analysis and population studies, much work is progressing to recover cultural artefacts and ancestral remains.

The University of Adelaide is the top ranked university in arts and humanities and sciences. Follow your passion into a creative or scientific career with us.

Explore careers and courses

Pave your way into a career in the creative and cultural industry. Search for career options and the University of Adelaide degrees that will get you there.

A

  • Actor Actors interpret a role to portray a character in a theatre, film, television or radio production. Often actors start their careers in smaller productions, in advertisements, at theme parks, with touring companies, or as extras on television shows or films.
  • Advertising officer Employment is available in advertising agencies as account managers, media buyers and planners, copywriters and designers.
  • Animation artist This is a highly creative, very competitive industry with careers in the fields of multimedia, television, movie, cartoon, telecommunications and the Internet.
  • Architect Following additional postgraduate study, graduates may be employed as architects, landscape architects, urban designers/ planners, project managers, digital designers, conservation consultants, construction managers or building scientists.
  • Architectural engineer Architectural engineers design the engineering systems associated with buildings. This includes planning, design, construction and operation with an emphasis on sustainability, architectural and structural design and geotechnical engineering.  

C

  • Choreographer Choreographers plan and arrange dance movements and patterns, and then teach dancers how to perform them. Often the choreographer will be involved in the selection of dancers for a performance as they have clear ideas of the artistic style of the work.
  • Community musician Graduates may work in Indigenous communities or be employed by governments or private groups to work in the wider community and extend knowledge of Indigenous music and culture.
  • Composer Composers create music for films, television, radio and TV commercials and performers.
  • Conductor Conductors work with orchestras or may be employed in universities.
  • Curator Graduates work in museums, art galleries and other organisations that have large collections of art or artefacts. They may work for individuals with private collections or become a consultant.

D

  • Dancer Dancers use movement to express ideas and stories in performances. They often perform in a group, and have the ability to dance to different styles of music. Dancers may perform on television, in theatre productions, film, advertisements, for photographers, or at special events. Dancers may continue to work as choreographers, directors or teachers.

E

  • Editor Editors play a key role in developing, managing and growing audiences for publications and newspapers. Employment is found in the media and publishing companies.
  • Entrepreneur Graduates can create their own opportunities by developing a broad set of skills that can be applied to creating personal and business ventures.

F

  • Film director Traders identify opportunities to trade with overseas governments or organisations to sell or buy goods or services. They also deal with the legal aspects of import/export. Traders need good negotiation skills and knowledge of other cultures.
  • Food technologist Food technologists develop and improve food products and set standards for producing, packaging and marketing food. They are employed in food/wine/beverage manufacturing, in research, marketing and distribution, quality assurance, development and production.

G

  • Gaming programmer Gaming programmers create and write code and scripts for video games and related software. As video games may include a range of aspects such as advanced physics, artificial intelligence, 3D graphics and digitised sound across multiple input devices, gaming programmers may specialise in one area or have expertise across several disciplines.
  • Graphic designer Graphic designers communicate visually to create publication and display materials across all media: print, film, electronic, digital and others. Graphic designers may work in illustration, typography, multimedia, or digital media such as web design.

H

  • Humanitarian/aid worker Graduates in relevant disciplines can work with agencies such as Community Aid Abroad, CARE Australia, Engineers Without Borders and Médicins Sans Frontières.

I

  • Interpreter/translator Graduates may work with community groups and government instrumentalities or offices overseas, or with private enterprise in the international sphere.

J

  • Journalist Graduates may find employment as journalists with the print or electronic media, government, community groups or private enterprise. Specialist fields may include agriculture, science, politics, exports, global business, international relations, industrial relations or legal affairs.

M

  • Marketer Jobs include market planner, sales manager, brand marketer, advertising and product manager, public relations officer, advertising executive and market researcher in both public and private sectors.
  • Ministerial adviser Ministerial advisers work closely with government ministers. Their work includes research, providing advice and writing speeches. Advisers are sometimes required to travel with their Minister, locally and overseas.
  • Music journalist/critic Graduates are employed to review music for newspapers, magazines and websites.
  • Music teacher Music teachers work at universities or schools, or tutor students privately.
  • Music technologist Technologists provide support for theatre, production companies, bands and festivals. They may also work as audio visual and sound technicians.
  • Musician/singer Graduates work as self-employed performers, session musicians, music/singing teachers and orchestra/opera members. Associated professions include music journalism, music/instrument sales, music/record publishing, music direction, research and arts administration.

P

  • Photographer Photographers use images to communicate. Using technology, they catalogue, edit, process and store digital images, as well as manipulating and enhancing images to create their own style or to meet a client’s brief.
  • Planner Following additional postgraduate study, graduates may be employed as urban designers/planners, urban planners or town planners.
  • Producer Employed by theatre groups, production companies, bands and advertising agencies, producers generally control all aspects of production, from idea development and cast hiring to researching content and financial management.
  • Publisher Publishers manage all aspects of publishing newspapers, magazines and books, including finance, marketing and legal issues.

S

  • Science educator Careers include writing scientific articles or presenting for various media outlets, collating data for media programs, or working in museums or science centres.
  • Set designer Set designers plan, design and oversee the construction of sets and scenery for theatre, film and TV productions.
  • Singer Singers use their voice to perform music for live audiences or recordings. Some singers write their own music to perform and record, while others interpret music already written. Singers may work in environments such as theatre, television, film, concerts, advertisements, or private events.
  • Sound production The music and media industries use sound production for television commercials and shows, popular recordings, radio, video games, and films. People who work in sound production may write the music, or record, mix, and produce sound.
  • Structural engineer Structural engineers design the framework of buildings, towers, bridges, tunnels and other structures to ensure strength and safety. Graduates may find employment in private consulting practices, construction companies, civil engineering service providers and government departments.

T

  • Teacher Graduates may gain employment in state, independent or Catholic school systems. Australian teachers are much sought after overseas, e.g. Great Britain and Canada.

W

  • Web designer Web designers and developers plan, research, design, build and maintain websites. Designers are concerned with how a website looks and how easy it is to use.
  • Wine marketer Wine marketers deal with the marketing and promotion of wine and wine related products. Wine marketers would generally find employment within wineries, in retail, wholesale and export companies, and within state tourism organisations.
  • Writer Jobs include: speech writer, communications officer, journalist, editor, novelist, playwright, screenwriter, technical writer, teacher, advertising copywriter.

To advance your career in the creative or cultural industries, or to change career direction, consider a world-class postgraduate qualification specialising in a range of diverse degrees:

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