July 2020 results from the Audience Outlook Monitor

Audiences around the country are increasingly comfortable to return to cultural venues and events, assuming they are following safety procedures and observing social distancing guidelines.

1 in 4 audience members have attended cultural events and 42% are making firm plans to attend in future, suggesting that confidence is growing in the arts and culture sector.

However, rebuilding will take time, and some attendees are concerned both health risks and/or financial constraints could affect their attendance, long-term.

From state to state, the picture varies. In VIC, ACT and NSW, audiences are still cautious about many types of events, whereas in NT, WA, SA, QLD and TAS, the proportion ready to attend is above 1 in 3 and growing.

Most audience members who have already returned to events say they are satisfied with the way social distancing is being applied, but some want to see better communication of what to expect at different venues.

Use the arrows below to browse the first Snapshot Report and see the national headlines. You can also download the Snapshot Report, or the Infographics alone.

Register for a webinar

Next Wednesday 29 July 2020 at 2pm AEST, we’ll be doing a webinar on Phase 2. Register now to hear more about the key findings and insights.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 15,000 respondents has been uploaded to the dashboard, which now contains insights from over 38,000 Australian participants.

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 results now available represent the second 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 initially collected between 6 and 14 May 2020, forming a baseline against which future changes can be tracked. Phase 2 of data collection occurred from 8 to 12 July 2020.

Data will be collected from audiences again in September 2020, as we follow the course of the pandemic and see how audiences respond to changing restrictions on cultural events.

Six government agencies 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

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 below.

Subscribers to our regular Culture Insight & Innovation Updates will need to update their preferences to receive all updates about the Audience Outlook Monitor. Just enter your email below and follow the instructions provided.

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