Fact Sheet: Rebuilding regional audiences
As outbreak-affected states move towards re-opening, some regional audiences are cautious about risks at cultural events
Regional audiences are generally highly engaged with arts and culture, and have been less affected by outbreaks than metropolitan audiences. However outbreaks in NSW, VIC and ACT (‘outbreak affected states’) over winter and spring have impacted attendance significantly in some regional areas.
As of 1 October 2021, 40% of regional audiences living in outbreak-affected states say they are ‘ready to attend now or whenever permitted’. This declined from 59% in July 2021, when the Delta variant had not yet made an impact beyond major cities.
This proportion is slightly smaller compared to metropolitan audiences in outbreak-affected states, among whom 44% are ready to attend – and some regional audience members are conscious that opening borders could present new risks, particularly for vulnerable communities in regional areas.
In outbreak-affected states, regional audiences are only slightly slower in achieving vaccination targets — with 86% fully vaccinated — compared to their metropolitan counterparts (90% fully vaccinated) – and they lead the way compared to regional audiences in the rest of Australia (77%).
Despite the high and increasing vaccinations rates, many are conscious that risks of transmission remain and want to see measures in place to keep audiences and staff safe at cultural venues as more Australians begin to move around the country.
Access the Fact Sheet below, download a one-page infographic or read on for more key findings.
If you would like to request the Fact Sheet in an accessible format, please email Holly at holly@thepatternmakers.com.au.
Register for our upcoming webinar on this topic with Scott Howie, General Manager at Regional Arts Australia.
Fact Sheet: Rebuilding regional audiences.
Regional audiences see a role for the arts in community recovery – and most agree that proof of vaccination requirements will assist in the transition to ‘COVID-normal’
With lower case numbers than metropolitan cities, regional audiences around Australia are eager to return to cultural events — but the majority see COVID-safety as an imperative while vaccination rates continue to climb.
The majority of regional audiences feel encouraged by proof of vaccination requirements — both in outbreak-affected states (80%) and the rest of Australia (78%) and some say they won’t attend unless they are in place, at least in the short-term.
Based on an opening scenario of 80% population vaccination rates, vaccine passports, some capacity limits and masks in indoor environments, comfort levels among regional audiences in outbreak-affected states should increase to:
71% very comfortable at museums/galleries (compared to 58% right now)
61% very comfortable at large theatres/concert halls (compared to 34% right now)
73% very comfortable at outdoor events with fixed seating (compared to 68% right now).
Outside of outbreak-affected states, some regional audiences are cautious about the re-opening scenario and the lifting of travel restrictions could challenge comfort levels.
Staying vigilant on COVID-safety will help provide greater confidence for regional audiences and artists – and enable cultural venues and events to play a role in bringing communities together and fuelling the recovery process.
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
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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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