Digital participation rates are lower than the early days of the pandemic, but key cohorts remain engaged - making digital presentation a long-term proposition

After a boom in digital participation in the early days of the pandemic (75% were participating online in May 2020), online engagement in 2021 is lower (44% in July 2021) and some audience members want to limit their ‘screen time.’

However, 1 in 10 people are ‘digital devotees’, who want to engage this way long-term, and ongoing uncertainty is likely to keep many more tuning in for some time yet.

Audiences in lockdown are a special case and there are some unique opportunities at this time.

Download the Fact Sheet on reaching audiences at home below, or read on for more of the findings.

If you would like to request the Fact Sheet in an accessible format, please email Holly at holly@thepatternmakers.com.au.

Watch our webinar on this topic, where Tandi spoke with Anne Dunne, Executive Director at Sydney Dance Company.

Three segments are emerging

This fact sheet identifies three key audience segments for digital participation: ‘digital devotees,’ who see a substantial role for digital in their lives, ‘selective but supportive,’ who see a small role, and ‘tired of tech,’ who see no role at all outside of lockdown:

Digital devotees can be expected to show deeper and more dedicated engagement.7 in 10 (70%) participated in arts and cultural activities online in the fortnight before data collection—and on average are more averse to attending in-person right now. More than half (51%) are paying for online experiences and half (50%) of those spent more than $50.
Tired of tech audience members are eager to return to in-person attendance. Some report being ‘screen-fatigued’ and others say that after trying digital events, they just aren’t that interested. However, during stay-at-home orders, some may still be willing to participate online in the absence of in-person alternatives. In metropolitan New South Wales (NSW), for example, which was locked-down at the time of data collection, 3 in 10 (31%) ‘tired of tech’ audiences participated online.
Selective but supportive audience members feel favourably about online offerings but will generally only participate in the right events and under the right conditions. They are likely to favour digital events that are more convenient, more accessible or less risky than in-person alternatives. 6in 10 (57% in July 2021) participated in the fortnight before data collection, while over a third (36%) paid to access online content.

Audiences in lockdown are getting creative at home –and may be more motivated to improve their mental health

Lockdowns and working-from-home policies have meant audiences are spending more time at home. Many audience members report taking up new pursuits during the pandemic or resuming old hobbies, and some say the pandemic has led to a renewed appreciation for the creative arts.

According to the latest data, arts audiences are participating in a wide range of at-home creative activities—including reading for pleasure (88% in July 2021), listening to music (89%), making art or craft (35%) and making music (18%).

A third of audience members are still doing creative activities at home more frequently than when the pandemic began (31% in July 2021 compared to 46% in May2020). This increases to 35% in areas locked-down at the time of data collection, such as metropolitan NSW.

There are signs that audiences in lockdown are more motivated to engage with the arts to improve their mental health—and show support for arts organisations.

Getting creative at home, whether online or offline, helps audiences stay sane and feel connected to the culture sector

By presenting creative activities that can be done at home and shared with family and friends, arts organisations can help audiences stay creative and connected.

During lockdowns, marketing can emphasise connection, support and improving wellbeing. There are opportunities to invest in increasing the discoverability of online events and offering audiences prompts for at-home creative activities. Sustaining engagement during lockdown periods can also help strengthen relationships for the long-term.

Looking ahead, the data provides some indication of how the market for events may be affected by changing conditions. Offering events both in-person and online (or creating hybrid events) will provide audiences with ways to engage, regardless of changing conditions for physical gatherings.

Premium offering scan be more highly targeted to ‘digital devotees’: the small segment of audiences who will continue to engage deeply when events resume, and who exhibit greater willingness to pay for premium experiences.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 8,000 respondents has been uploaded to the dashboard, which now contains insights from over 60,000 Australian participants.

You can use the dashboard to explore the findings by state/territory, artform and audience segment.

It’s freely available to access, just click the image below and use the login details provided on the dashboard page.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor provides the results of a study that has tracked audience sentiment over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, including how audiences respond to changing restrictions on cultural events.

Data was collected in three phases throughout 2020 and is again being tracked in 2021.

Government agencies across Australia are collaborating with research agencies Patternmakers (Sydney) and WolfBrown (USA) to produce this resource. 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

To receive new releases directly into your inbox, as soon as they are available, you can opt in to receive Audience Outlook Monitor news below.

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

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About the Author

Tandi Palmer Williams
Managing Director

Tandi is Founder and Managing Director of Patternmakers. She’s an arts research specialist and leader of the agency’s research projects.

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Fact Sheet: Reaching audiences at home