The wild ride of the lockdown era is now behind us, so it’s time for a clear-eyed look at where we’ve landed.

In this article, I share the topics that we’ll be researching this year, to ensure you can plan for the challenges and opportunities of the post-pandemic years. 

Over the past few months, our team has been out and about at performances, museums and festivals.

In Sydney alone, it’s been sensational to see the city come alive with World Pride and the excitement of a new flagship gallery Sydney Modern.

Around the country, we’ve seen record sales in the Adelaide festival season, new projects funded and of course Revive, the National Cultural Policy.  

So, things have vastly improved over the past 3 years.

But not all parts of the sector are recovering at the same pace. Some concert halls remain stubbornly hard to fill, and some tours are still being cut short after cancelled shows.

In the US, forecasting by IMPACTS Experience projects that while the museum sector may reach almost back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023, performing arts attendances will only reach 78% of 2019 levels. 

Our own research shows that some segments in our community are behaving very differently right now. For instance:

  • Disabled and immunocompromised audiences are the most likely to be participating in online cultural activities (47%, compared to 39% of audiences without access needs)

  • Young people under 25 are participating in most types of cultural activities more than older audiences — particularly live performance (85%, compared to 75% of older audiences)

  • Families are more likely to be facing financial barriers at the moment (49%, compared to 38% of other audiences) – and this trend is likely to continue into 2023.

While there’s lots to celebrate, the picture is complex, and I believe it’s vital we look at where we are with clear eyes. Simply waiting for attendances to build further is not a sound strategy.

This year we will be undertaking three projects as part of the Audience Outlook Monitor. We’re delighted to be working with US agency WolfBrown for the fourth year, with support from the Australia Council for the Arts and state arts agencies around Australia.

1. Pulse Check on audiences amid cost-of-living pressures

Right now, our primary interest is the economic outlook, and how Australian audiences are responding amid cost of living pressures.

Before the autumn is out, we’ll be conducting a ‘Pulse Check’ survey of past participants to get an updated picture of their spending, and explore how arts and culture events are faring in a range of household budgets. 

It will be interesting to see the segments that are continuing to spend, who is feeling pained but patient, and who is out of the market altogether. 

Our sector has been through recessions before, but this situation is unique in that it comes following three years of a pandemic. 

As reported in HBR, ‘The deeper and more prolonged a recession is, the greater the possibility that there will be profound transformations in consumers’ attitudes and values.’

The smartest organisations will stay flexible, strategising on the assumption of a worsening slump, but being ready to respond when the upturn comes. Past downturns suggest audiences may be likely to branch out and try a variety of new experiences once the economy improves.

Make sure you’re subscribed to our Culture Insight & Innovation Updates to hear when the insights are available. 

2. Full round of the AOM, tracking audience sentiment on a wide range of topics

Alongside the Pulse Check, we’ll also begin working towards a full round of the AOM in July. Full rounds are where we execute a survey in partnership with around 100 Participating organisations nationally. In contrast with our more targeted Pulse checks, our full rounds explore a broad range of topics, from digital attendance to cultural tourism and subscriptions and memberships.

Organisations that have participated in the past will be invited to continue - and we’ll be reaching out to some new organisations to join the cohort. 

This year, participating organisations will also be invited to share their situation in an optional benchmarking exercise. By anonymously sharing their attendance results, top challenges and strategies, we’re aiming to provide a stronger picture of recovery across the arts.

We’re excited to see what emerges when we combine audience data with organisation statistics - and hope it will deliver a useful resource for everyone working on audience development. 

3. Pulse Check on diverse audiences

For us at Patternmakers, it’s vital that we continue reaching out to different parts of our audience and community, and we’re excited to see what we can learn this year. 

Later in the year, we’ll be exploring audience sentiment in a new segment of our audience - stay tuned for that announcement soon.

Research with diverse audiences requires extra time and care, and it’s important not to shy away from challenging topics. We seek advice and input from those with lived experience to ensure our process is appropriate, accessible and ethically sound.

In 2023, I feel like it’s time to tabulate our gains and losses, take stock of everything that we have learned, and strategise for the next chapter. We have left our ‘panic stations’, and are charting a new course in calmer waters. 

A lot of organisations will be forming new strategic plans, or updating old ones. It’s a good time for leaders to be recharging their batteries, thinking deeply and marshalling their resources for the next charge. 

It feels like there is A LOT going on, a lot of volume returning to our plates and we are wise to pace ourselves. 

I hope the research we provide will be helpful to you. 

If you have any suggestions or questions for us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@thepatternmakers.com.au

Image Credit: Nicole Reed and Michael Oulton, courtesy of ACMI.