Mixed Serious Leisure and Grassroots Organizational Capacity: A Study of Amateur Artist Groups in a Regional Australian City

Abstract

This exploratory research used qualitative data from semi-structured interviews conducted with spokespeople from grassroots associations of artists who described their role, personal rewards and costs involved from fulfilling a leadership role within their group. By becoming leaders in their groups, they enjoyed community and individual benefits, accepted costs on their time and finances and persevered with demands based on their people skills. By combining the role of a participant and a helper, they became amateur-volunteers with mixed serious leisure careers. The findings identified facets of mixed serious leisure that met needs for leadership, and several successful groups were encouraged to blend amateur-volunteer careers for some members.

Keywords:

• Australia
• creative arts
• grassroots
• mixed serious leisure
• organizational capacity