Half of audiences attended cultural events in July, though lockdowns have affected activity around the country

The July 2021 results of the Audience Outlook Monitor indicate a setback in audience attendance, as cancellations affect events around the country. Nationally, slightly more than half (53%) of past attendees had recently attended an event, down from 71% in March 2021.

Three-quarters (76%) of audiences say their plans have been affected by lockdowns/restrictions in the past four months, whether that be because they were in lockdown (60%), the event was in an area affected (59%), or the event was cancelled due to an artist not being able to appear (62%), among other reasons. Most audiences are understanding of the forces beyond anyone’s control and feel strong empathy with artists and teams affected.

Around half (52%) now say the risk of future lockdowns and cancellations is inhibiting their attendance, while 38% are concerned about virus transmission. However, audiences remain committed to engaging with culture and 86% are at least somewhat confident that the vaccination roll-out will be successful in helping things return to normal within 12 months.

Download the Snapshot Report or read on for more of the findings.

Click here for an Accessible version of the Snapshot Report.

Check-ins, ventilation and distancing can help build confidence in the wait for vaccination

Many audiences around the country continue to make future plans to attend events of all kinds — though more people are now making plans for spring or summer when they have greater confidence events will be going ahead.

Among those affected by lockdowns and cancellations, some say the experience has made them more cautious about making plans and may opt for local events or make last-minute decisions about attending. The vast majority of audiences want to see the same things they used to in the past, though there is a segment who are attracted to more light-hearted events at present.

A majority of audiences continue to be comfortable attending most venue types and are encouraged by check-in procedures (85%), upgraded ventilation (83%) and, where needed, mandatory mask policies (65%).

In a positive sign for economic recovery, more audiences are now saying they think their spending on arts and culture events will reach pre-pandemic levels this year, compared to March 2021. While much uncertainty remains in terms of what operations will be viable in this context, audiences express a renewed appreciation for cultural events and some say they want to ‘make up for lost time.’

Download the live attendance infographic below or read on for more of the findings.

Online participation is stable and 52% see a role for digital events in their lives long-term

Around 4 in 10 (44%) audience members continue to participate in online arts and cultural activities, compared to 47% in March. While participation is slightly higher in lockdown-affected states, there has not been a return to the digital participation boom of the early pandemic period and most forms of participation are stable.

When asked about the role that digital programming plays in their lives when it’s possible to attend events in-person, 1 in 10 (10%) see online arts and culture playing a substantial role, while larger proportions see it playing a small role (42%) or no role at all (47%).

Many audiences are attracted to digital events they can’t access in their own communities. Others would like to see hybrid events in their area continue, affording them more certainty of being able to participate in the event of an outbreak, illness or work commitments.

While the proportion of online users paying for content has fallen slightly, a higher proportion of users say they spent over $50 in the past fortnight and most types of payment are consistent with March levels — potentially providing a more stable basis for planning.

Download the online participation infographic below.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 8,728 respondents has been uploaded to the dashboard, which now contains insights from almost 75,000 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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Key findings: July 2021