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The Audience Outlook Monitor – a snapshot of arts attendance in a time of change

Over 23,000 respondents from 159 organisations contributed to the aggregated results that are freely available in an accessible dashboard to assist artists and cultural organisations of all kinds in understanding how audiences feel about attending events again.

Baseline data was collected in May 2020 in a cross-sector collaborative survey involving museums, galleries, performing arts organisations and festivals, from the country’s largest companies to micro ones in regional Australia.

These organisations simultaneously sent a survey to a random sample of their audiences, who had attended a cultural event, such as a concert, exhibition, festival, author talk or art workshop since January 2018.

Results from the Audience Outlook Monitor are now available

Key findings of the results include:

  • Overwhelmingly, audiences plan to return to arts and cultural events in the future (85%), with 78% planning to attend just as they did in the past and 7% even more often. 
  • On average, 22% of audiences are comfortable attending as soon as restrictions are lifted. 67% will attend when they deem the risk of transmission to be minimal. 11% won’t be back until there is no risk at all.

The results show that the pandemic will affect who comes back when, and the size of events and the type of interactions with which audiences feel comfortable. With respect to artistic content, the vast majority agree they will be most interested in the same kinds of events they used to attend (93%).

In the short-term, the pandemic will affect who comes back to arts and culture events and how soon, the types of events they visit, and the size of events that they feel comfortable attending. Venue safety measures are critical, with 96% saying their decision to attend will be influenced by the measures put in place.

Access the first Snapshot Report to read the national headlines here.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 23,000 Australian respondents has been aggregated in a freely available dashboard, to assist artists and cultural organisations of all kinds to understand how audiences feel about attending events again.

Baseline data was collected in a cross-sector collaborative survey process involving 159 arts and culture organisations, including museums, galleries, performing arts organisations and festivals. These organisations simultaneously sent a survey to a random sample of audience members who had attended a cultural event since January 2018. Read more about the methodology and the types of events that are included.

By aggregating the data from 159 participating organisations, this study provides a detailed resource with insights about all different artforms, types of events and demographic groups in all parts of Australia. No individual respondents or organisations are identified.

Access the dashboard by following the link below and entering the login details provided. For guidance on how to use the dashboard, visit the Australian homepage for the dashboard, where you can watch a tour or download a guide.

User: access@AOM.com.au
Password: Australia

The dashboard is freely accessible and designed to help artists and cultural organisations of all kinds to make the best possible decisions about re-opening.

Please share your reflections and insights using the hashtag #audienceoutlookmonitor

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The results now available represent the first phase of a three-phase study that will track how audiences feel about returning to events in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected between 6 and 14 May 2020, forming a baseline against which future changes can be tracked.

Data will be collected from audiences again in July and September 2020, as restrictions are lifted on the number of people allowed to gather for cultural events.

The dashboard is freely accessible and designed to help artists and cultural organisations of all kinds to make the best possible decisions about re-opening.

How to find out more

More Snapshot Reports, Fact Sheets and resources will be made available in the coming weeks. To receive these directly into your inbox, as soon as they are available, you can opt in to receive Audience Outlook Monitor news straight  from the researchers here.

If you have a question, or an idea for using this data, please contact Patternmakers at info@thepatternmakers.com.au

Web: www.thepatternmakers.com.au

Email: info@thepatternmakers.com.au

Phone: (02) 9188 7926