Patternmakers 2/11/21 Patternmakers 2/11/21

Join the Culture Panel

The Culture Panel makes it easier for arts organisations to gather useful data from audiences when they need to.

It’s an easy way for you to offer support to organisations that need your help!

Will you join Australia’s network of audiences dedicated to culture, creativity and community research?

If you’re willing to participate in research once in a while, The Culture Panel is for you.

Click the button below to join, and hear about the latest research research opportunities, like surveys or focus groups. As well as the warm, fuzzy feeling of supporting the arts and the satisfaction of having your voice heard, you’ll also be in the running for some great incentives (more on that later).

JOIN NOW

FAQ

How often do I need to be available?

We’ll never contact you more than once a month. You can participate as much or as little as you like. You can also opt-out at any time.

Who runs The Culture Panel and who is it for?

The Culture Panel is administered by Patternmakers on behalf of Australian arts, culture and community organisations. It is used in Australia for studies such as the Audience Outlook Monitor ‘Pulse Check’ research.

It’s also used for research about new ideas and concepts for arts, culture and community experiences.

What are the benefits to me?

Support good causes that are doing good work in communities across Australia
Ensure culture and community organisations make the right decisions for the public
Hear about the latest programs and innovations in the arts and culture sector
Access benefits and incentives (see more below).

Am I eligible?

To join The Culture panel, you must have attended a cultural venue or event in the past 3 years.
Cultural venues and events include museums, galleries, festivals, performing arts events, art classes, community development projects and artist talks
You must be 16 years or over
You must reside in Australia.

What’s involved exactly?

When you join, you’re invited to provide your email address, identify which state/territory you live in and let us know your age range so we can send you opportunties that are right for you
From time to time (no more than once a month) you may be sent an email invitation to participate in research, such as surveys and focus groups
When you receive an invitation, you can decide whether to participate or not
At any time, you can click ‘unsubscribe’ at the bottom of any email to leave the panel.

What kind of incentives are offered?

The incentives vary from project to project. For short surveys, you may be invited to enter a prize draw, for the chance to win a gift voucher. For participating in a focus group or interview, we usually offer all participants a cash-equivalent incentive (around $1 per minute). Read more about our incentive policy here.

Who has access to the database?

This Culture Panel is maintained by research agency Patternmakers Pty Ltd, on behalf of cultural organisations.
It exists solely for research in the public interest, on topics related to culture, creativity and community.
It is used for studies such as the Audience Outlook Monitor Pulse Check research.
Participant email addresses will only be used for research invitation emails.
The database is administered via Brevo (EU) and all personal data is stored in line with Patternmakers Privacy Policy.

What kinds of projects will I be invited to participate in?

The Culture Panel is used for national audience studies such as the Audience Outlook Monitor Pulse Check research – which started during the pandemic and has continued as a nationwide study on audience sentiment.

We also approach Panel members to complete short surveys or participate in focus groups helping arts organisations design future exhibitions, programs or marketing campaigns.

How can I find out more?

For any questions, please contact our team on info@thepatternmakers.com.au.

Good causes rely on good data. Join The Culture Panel and start sharing your views on Australian art, culture and community life.

JOIN NOW

Image Credit: Samuel Graves, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2023. Courtesy of Adelaide Fringe.

Example past projects

Featured

Visitor Research for ACMI

Patternmakers is working with ACMI to provide insight into visitor motivations, behaviour and barriers.

Audience Outlook Monitor — 2023

Patternmakers leads a major tracking study of audiences in partnership with US research agency WolfBrown.

Audience Research for the Australian Chamber Orchestra

Patternmakers is working with Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) to inform a community focussed and diversified audience development strategy.

Patternmakers 20/10/21 Patternmakers 20/10/21

Fact Sheet: Rebuilding regional audiences

Download the latest fact sheet on rebuilding regional audiences, as outbreak-affected states move towards reopening.

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.

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

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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 8/10/21 Patternmakers 8/10/21

October Pulse Check: Results out now

Access results from the mid-phase October ‘Pulse Check’ survey of audiences.

As some states move towards re-opening, audiences are concerned with managing risk at cultural events

Data collected between 28 September and 1 October 2021 shows that audiences in outbreak-affected states have become more risk averse over the past few months. However, when asked about their likely comfort levels in a scenario of 80%+ vaccination rates, their confidence levels increase markedly.

Scroll down to read about the summary findings, or click the images to download the reports. You can also download one-page infographics from the National Report or the NSW Report.

The National Report below covers the findings for outbreak-affected states and the rest of Australia. With New South Wales being the first state/territory to open up after lockdown, a NSW Report is also available to assist with the reopening process.

If you would like to request the National Report or the NSW Report in an accessible format, please email info@thepatternmakers.com.au.

As outbreak-affected states move towards re-opening, audiences are concerned with managing risks

As outbreaks continue in NSW, ACT and VIC, audiences in those areas are slightly more risk-averse than they were in July 2021. Approximately 43% say they are ‘ready to attend now or whenever permitted’, down from 57%, while 52% say they will only attend when the risks are minimal, up from 39%.
Audiences in outbreak-affected states await the achievement of population-wide vaccination targets and most are eager to see cultural venues and events open safely.
Although almost all audiences are now partially or fully vaccinated (96%), many are conscious that risks of transmission remain and want to see strict measures in place to keep audiences and staff safe at cultural venues.
Audiences generally believe that clear and consistent COVID-safe measures are key to preventing further disruptions and allowing the sector to rebuild.
Across the rest of Australia, audiences are largely comfortable attending right now (74% are ‘ready to attend’) – but opening borders could present new risks and challenge some audience members’ confidence.

Requiring proof of vaccination will be an important tool enabling attendance in the transition to ‘COVID-normal’

The majority of audiences (81%) feel encouraged by proof of vaccination requirements – and some say they won’t attend unless they are in place, at least in the short-term.
Based on a re-opening scenario of 80% population vaccination rates, vaccine passports, capacity limits and masks in indoor environments, comfort levels in outbreak-affected states should increase to:
- 74% very comfortable at museums/galleries (compared to 56% right now)
- 61% very comfortable at large theatres/concert halls (compared to 37% right now)
- 77% very comfortable at outdoor events with fixed seating (compared to 66% right now)
A small number are concerned that proof of vaccine requirements could create further division within the community – however among arts audiences they are less polarising than masks and social distancing measures.

Organisations should prepare to hear a range of views from audiences and stakeholders

This data quantifies the case for vaccine passports at cultural events, however there are a diversity of views on the best way forward and organisations should prepare for a period of vocal objections and debate.
Discussions around vaccination are somewhat charged at the moment – and at times elicit anger, frustration and anxiety. Some audience members have very firm views while others are still working out what they are comfortable with, particularly outside the outbreak-affected states.
Government mandates and industry guidelines will help organisations manage relationships with audience members during the challenging transition period.
Organisations should monitor developments such as rapid antigen testing, which could help further increase confidence, and consult with staff.
Audience readiness to attend is likely to change rapidly in the coming months, and may vary from venue to venue, as people begin to navigate decisions about re-entering public life and managing risks for their households and communities.

As NSW moves into the first phase of its re-opening plan, half of audiences are ready to attend

With NSW anticipating the first phase of its re-opening plan, approximately half (46%) of the past attendees surveyed say they are ‘ready to attend now or whenever permitted’ (down slightly from 49% in July).
Another 49% of NSW audience members say they will attend when the risks are minimal. Many are awaiting higher population vaccination rates and will watch carefully for surges in case numbers as restrictions lift.
Almost all NSW audiences are now partially or fully vaccinated (98%). The state has one of the highest rates of complete vaccination (92%) among arts audiences in the country, particularly among younger audiences.
Vaccination has boosted the confidence of many audience members. However, many are conscious that risks of transmission remain and want to see strict measures in place to keep audiences and staff safe and minimise the potential for further disruption to cultural events.

Requiring proof of vaccination will be an important tool to encourage risk-averse audience members in NSW

The vast majority of NSW audiences (90%) will be encouraged to attend by proof of vaccination requirements - and some say they won’t attend unless they are in place, at least in the short-term.
NSW organisations can expect audience comfort levels to increase when the state’s vaccination rate increases to 80%+ assuming COVID-safety requirements like vaccine passports, capacity limits and masks are satisfied.
In a scenario with an 80% vaccination rate, along with vaccine passport mandates, masks indoors and some capacity limits, comfort levels at cultural venues in NSW will increase to:
- 75% very comfortable at museums/galleries (compared to 57% right now)
- 63% very comfortable at large theatres/concert halls (compared to 39% right now)
- 77% very comfortable at outdoor events with fixed seating (compared to 64% right now).

Looking forward, many unknowns exist – and venues can expect to hear a range of perspectives

This data quantifies the case for vaccine passports and makes it clear that the majority are in favour. However, there are a diversity of views on the best way forward and organisations should prepare for a period of vocal objections and debate.
A small number are concerned that vaccine passports could alienate members of the community – however among arts audiences they are less polarising than masks and distancing measures.
Many audience members express uncertainty about the ‘new normal’ of living with COVID-19. If venues open up to the unvaccinated in December as planned, it can be expected to affect confidence among arts audiences.
Presenters will face increased pressure from audiences on both sides of the debate if vaccine policies are decided on a venue-by-venue basis.
Front-of-house staff may bear the brunt of the passport controversy and measures should be taken to ensure staff are supported, informed and safe.
Organisations should monitor developments such as rapid antigen testing, which could help further increase confidence, and consult with staff about the best way to enforce COVID-safety policies.
It will take time for audiences to adjust to the new normal and ‘define their dealbreakers’ – it’s wise to expect some fluctuation in attitudes over the next few months.

About the data

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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.

On 28 September 2021, we sent a ‘pulse check’ survey to 12,500 past respondents from previous phases of the Audience Outlook Monitor study, who opted-in to be contacted about future research on this topic. The survey closed on 1 October 2021 with over 2,000 respondents.

This ‘pulse check’ survey is a short questionnaire delivered between the fifth (July 2021) and sixth (November 2021) phases of the survey, designed to ‘take the temperature’ of audiences in light of rapid changes to outbreak conditions and planned lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in some states/territories.

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 29/9/21 Patternmakers 29/9/21

Fact Sheet: Reaching audiences at home

Download the latest fact sheet about digital and creative participation at home.

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

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

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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 28/9/21 Patternmakers 28/9/21

Information for survey participants

Here’s what you need to know about participating in the Audience Outlook Monitor survey.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way people engage with arts, culture and creativity. Artists and cultural organisations are faced with decisions about how to connect with audiences and adapt to the changing circumstances.

The Audience Outlook Monitor was launched in 2020 as a tracking study of audience sentiments during the pandemic. The study is being rolled out for a further three phases in 2021, to continue bringing timely and essential data to the sector’s decision making about planning and programming live events.

What to expect

The Audience Outlook Monitor survey takes 10-15 minutes to complete and your responses are anonymous and confidential. The survey asks you about:

Your readiness to attend cultural events
Comfort levels with different types of cultural venues
The extent to which COVID-safe procedures impact your comfort at venues
Your spending on cultural activities
Future plans to attend cultural events
Your experience with lockdowns and event cancellations
Participation in online arts and cultural activities
Participation in other cultural activities at home
Demographic questions to help us interpret your responses.

Resources

We’ve put together some key resources related to the Audience Outlook Monitor:

The Australian home page — access all the reports and publications related to the findings
Methodology — read about how the study was developed and the study method
List of participating organisations — the full list of arts and culture organisations participating in the 2021 study
Dashboard — an interactive tool to find and filter results related to different regions, art forms and audience types
The global Audience Outlook Monitor home page — read about the international results from the Audience Outlook Monitor in the U.S., Canada, Norway and more.
About Patternmakers – read more about us.

Keep in touch

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.

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

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 15/9/21 Patternmakers 15/9/21

Privacy Collection Statement and Information for Participants

The Audience Outlook Monitor is being delivered in Australia as a collaboration between arts and culture organisations, and two research organisations, Wolf Brown (USA) and Patternmakers (Aus).

This page lets you know what personal information of yours we hold, what we do with it, who we will disclose it to and how you can access the personal information we hold about you. You can also find out here how to change inaccurate personal information and how to opt out of receiving communications from us.

About the study

The Audience Outlook Monitor is designed to help artists and cultural organisations adapt to the needs of audiences, in the context of changing conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is being delivered in Australia as a collaboration between arts and culture organisations, and two research organisations, WolfBrown (USA) and Patternmakers Pty Ltd (Australia, ABN 97 627 469 649).

Patternmakers is a research agency based in Sydney, Australia. It specialises in research related to culture, creativity and community. You can read more about its work here. WolfBrown is an agency based in the USA, which provides market research and consulting support for arts and culture organisations. You can read more about its work here.

The Audience Outlook Monitor is being delivered with support from the Australia Council for the Arts, Creative Victoria, Create NSW, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Arts SA) and DLGSC (WA). It is being delivered in collaboration with arts and culture organisations across Australia, who are deploying the survey with a sample of their audience. The results are then being aggregated to provide a national picture of audiences.

If you have received an invitation to complete the survey, it is because an arts/culture organisation values your perspective and the sector is relying on insight from audiences about attending arts and cultural events.

Participating is completely optional, and results will only be viewed in aggregate. Your survey responses will be treated as anonymous and confidential. Below, you can read the privacy collection statement for the study.

Privacy collection statement

Introduction

Both WolfBrown and Patternmakers respect and uphold your rights under the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act"). As an Australian research organisation, Patternmakers also adheres to the Privacy (Market and Social Research) Code 2014 (“Code”). For more information about the Privacy Act, the Australian Privacy Principles and the Code click here.

What personal information about you will be collected?

On the first page of the survey, you will be presented with a privacy statement. By clicking ‘Next’ to Start the survey, you are indicating that you acknowledge the statement and consent to this Privacy Policy.

The survey will ask about your views on attending arts and cultural events. To help interpret responses, the survey will also collect some demographic information. It will also ask about your perspective on restrictions related to COVID-19. All demographic and COVID-19 related questions are optional.

This data will be collected and stored offshore via Alchemer (formerly SurveyGizmo) at www.alchemer.com, a well-known survey software platform based in the USA. Alchemer LLC is committed to complying with international regulations including GDPR. You can read more about Alchemers’ Privacy Policy here www.alchemer.com/privacy.

At no point, will Alchemer ask for your name, phone number or email address. However, like many websites, the software does track your IP address.

Please note that at the end of the survey, you will be given the option to go in the draw to win a prize. If you click next, you will be taken to a separate, and secure platform Checkbox Survey at www.checkbox.com, where you will have the option to enter the draw by providing your email address. You will also be asked if you are open to participating in further research on this topic, as the researchers, Patternmakers, maintain an Audience Outlook database, which you can join to participate in future audience research projects.

Your email address will be stored separately from your survey response, so your responses will remain anonymous and confidential. This is being administered via Checkbox Survey and MailChimp (US), which comply with the Australian Privacy Act. You can read more about their privacy policies here; Checkbox Survey (Australia) and MailChimp (US). Your email address will only ever be used for research, and will never be used, or sold, for any other purpose.

What are the purposes for which Patternmakers use, handle and disclose your personal information?

If you have participated in our research, we will only re-contact you if you were informed of this, opt-ed in, or we have valid reasons to believe a genuine research concern warrants such re-contact. You can opt-out or unsubscribe at any time.

Who will Patternmakers disclose your personal information to?

We will not disclose any personally identifiable research information we collect from you unless we have your express prior consent and will only report the information you provide in an aggregate form that will not personally identify you. We will not disclose any personal information or personally identifiable research information to a third party for a purpose other than conducting our research unless we have your express prior consent or are required to do so by an Australian law or court/tribunal order.

In the course of conducting our research we may rely on third party service providers to host or store the data we collect who are located overseas. The names and locations of those suppliers are:

Alchemer LLC, based in the U.S.

WolfBrown LLC, based in the U.S.

MailChimp, The Rocket Science Group LLC, based in the U.S.

Microsoft, based in the U.S.

Checkbox Survey, based in the U.S., data stored on servers hosted in Australia.

We will also take reasonable steps to ensure any service providers (and their employees and contractors) comply with relevant privacy regulations in their jurisdiction, as well as this Privacy Policy.

Openness

You have the right to request access to any personal information we hold about you. You can request this information by contacting the Privacy Officer at the details listed below. Where we hold information that you are entitled to access, we will respond to your request in a reasonable time and endeavour to provide you with a suitable range of choices as to how access is provided (e.g, emailing or mailing it to you). A fee may be charged to cover the cost of retrieval. However this fee will not be excessive and will only apply to the facilitation of your request.

If at any time you believe that personal information we hold about you is incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate, then you may request amendment of it and we will either amend the information or make a record of your comment, as we think appropriate.

Questions and complaints

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or believe that we have at any time failed to keep one of our commitments to you to handle your personal information in the manner required by the Privacy Act, the APPs or the Code, then we ask that you contact us immediately using the following contact details:

Jodie Bombardier, Operations Manager: info@thepatternmakers.com.au

We will respond and advise whether we agree with your complaint or not. If we do not agree, we will provide reasons. If we do agree, we will advise what (if any) action we consider it appropriate to take in response. If you are still not satisfied after having contacted us and given us a reasonable time to respond, then we suggest that you contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by:

Phone: 1300 363 992 (local call cost, but calls from mobile and pay phones may incur higher charges). If calling from overseas:+61 2 9284 9749

TTY: 1800 620 241 (this number is dedicated to the hearing impaired only, no voice calls)

TIS: Translating and Interpreting Service: 131 450 (If you don’t speak English or English is your second language and you need assistance and ask for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner)

Post: GPO Box 2999 Canberra ACT 2601

Fax: +61 2 9284 9666

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

Collection statement for Patternmakers website

When visiting Patternmakers’ web site, the site server makes a record of the visit and logs the following information for statistical and administrative purposes:

the user’s server address – to consider the users who use the site regularly and tailor the site to their interests and requirements;
the date and time of the visit to the site – this is important for identifying the website’s busy times and ensuring maintenance on the site is conducted outside these periods;
pages accessed and documents downloaded – this indicates to Patternmakers which pages or documents are most important to users and also helps identify important information that may be difficult to find;
duration of the visit – this indicates to us how interesting and informative Patternmakers site is to candidates; the type of browser used – this is important for browser specific coding
In order to optimise Patternmakers web site and better understand it’s usage, we collect the visiting domain name or IP address, Computer Operating System, Browser Type and Screen Resolution

A cookie is a piece of information that an Internet web site sends to your browser when you access information at that site. Cookies are either stored in memory (session cookies) or placed on your hard disk (persistent cookies). The Patternmakers web site does not use persistent cookies. Upon closing your browser the session cookie set by this web site is destroyed and no Personal Information is maintained which might identify you should you visit our web site at a later date.

Terms and conditions for the Audience Outlook Monitor March 2022 Prize Draw

Eligibility

Entry is open to anyone over 18 who has completed the Phase 7 Audience Outlook Monitor survey in March 2022.

Employees, immediate family members of employees, and employees of any company associated with the Audience Outlook Monitor are ineligible to enter. This includes the research organisations, supporting partners and participating arts and culture organisations.

Entry

The Promotion commences at 01:00AM AEDT 9/3/2022 and entries close at 11:59PM AEDT 13/3/2022 (Promotion Period).

To enter, Eligible Entrants must provide their email address at the end of the survey during the Promotion Period. The prize draw is being administered via Checkbox Survey at www.checkbox.com.

Only one entry per person.

Winning and prize conditions

The total value of the prize draw is AUD$1,000. This includes 5 x $200 Mastercard e-gift cards.

The winners will be randomly selected at 12:00pm AEDT on 15/3/2022 at 223 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst NSW 2010.

Winners will be notified by phone/email within two (2) business days of the draw and prizes must be claimed within seven days after notification.

If there are any unclaimed or unwanted prizes within seven days, a subsequent prize draw will be conducted seven days later, at the same time and place as the original draw. Draws will be repeated as needed until a winner accepts the prize.

Patternmakers 8/9/21 Patternmakers 8/9/21

Webinar: Reaching audiences at home

Watch Tandi and Anne Dunn from Sydney Dance Company discuss strategies for reaching audiences at home during lockdowns, restrictions and border closures.

Webinar: Reaching audiences at home

Watch Tandi Palmer Williams from Patternmakers and Anne Dunn from Sydney Dance Company discuss strategies for reaching audiences at home during lockdowns, restrictions and border closures.

This webinar is live captioned and Auslan interpreted.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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 are being tracked.

How to find out more

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 8/9/21 Patternmakers 8/9/21

Webinar: Regional Connections

Watch our Regional Connections webinar with Australia Council for the Arts, where we discuss how to use data to reach regional audiences across Australia.

Webinar: Regional Connections

Watch our Regional Connections webinar with Australia Council for the Arts, where we discuss how data from the July 2021 Audience Outlook Monitor from regional respondents can be used to reach audiences across Australia.

This webinar is live captioned and Auslan interpreted.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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 are being tracked.

How to find out more

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

Patternmakers 8/9/21 Patternmakers 8/9/21

Webinar: Understanding pandemic audiences

Watch Tandi Palmer Williams join George Dunford for the latest in a series of Recovery Roadmap Webinars to discuss audience needs and expectations during a pandemic.

Webinar: Understanding pandemic audiences

Watch Tandi Palmer Williams join George Dunford for the latest in a series of Recovery Roadmap Webinars, co-presented by ArtsHub and Creative Victoria. Discussing the latest Audience Outlook Monitor findings, Tandi and George explore audience needs and expectations, the wait for vaccination, the importance of communication and more.

This webinar is live captioned.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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 are being tracked.

How to find out more

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

Patternmakers 7/9/21 Patternmakers 7/9/21

Arrange a research briefing

Book a briefing on the latest Audience Outlook Monitor data, and ensure your organisation stays on top of the changing audience landscape.

Book a briefing to get across the key issues

In addition to our free webinars, you can book a research briefing tailored to your needs.

These briefings are designed for board meetings, leadership team catch-ups and staff planning days. We also present at conferences and events - both virtually and where possible, in-person.

Book a briefing

At $349 for small organisations and groups, our research briefings are a cost-effective way to gain insight about audiences - and feedback from both organisers and attendees is outstanding (see below).

The benefits of a research briefing include:

Helping your board members, colleagues or leaders stay up to date on the latest audience insights
Ensuring all decisions are being made with the best possible information, specific to your jurisdiction and artform
Allowing your colleagues/participants to ask questions in a private forum - with more time for discussion about the strategic implications
Bringing in an independent voice to your forums and events, allowing discussion to flow from evidence-based insights
Putting aside scary news headlines and helping your organisation stay focused on practical actions.

Our presentations are delivered by Tandi Palmer Williams, an experienced speaker, researcher and trainer who is highly regarded in the culture sector. She has a clear, engaging communication style - and helps describe data in an accessible way.

She’ll present the most relevant insights for you, take questions and offer some thoughts about areas of opportunity. Afterwards, she’ll follow up on any key questions and leave you with a copy of the slides, for you to use in board papers, planning documents and key communications.

To book, hit the button above, or email info@thepatternmakers.com.au for more information.

Click the button below to learn more about our professional development programs/sessions:

Learn more

Feedback from past webinars and speaking engagements is shown below.

“It really hit the mark. The students have definitely picked up the themes and come back to your prompts quite a bit already.”

— Dr Kim Goodwin, Lecturer, University of Melbourne

“I cannot thank you enough. You are such a good presenter and the work you are doing is so deeply relevant. The Board felt really excited about the future. The research gives such tangible pathways to connect with people deeply. You are a star.”

— Collette Brennan, CEO, Abbotsford Convent

“Thank you so much on behalf of the staff and Board at Byron Writers Festival for coming and presenting your brilliant research to us today. We all found it thoroughly inspiring – it sparked so many interesting ideas for us to consider as a team and has made us confident to make informed planning decisions based on solid evidence.”

— Edwina Johnson, Director, Byron Writers Festival

“Excellent presentation last night! Your research definitely stacks up against what it actually happening... your research is an invaluable tool that I will be recommending to other industry folks.”

— Co-panellist at a speaking engagement

“Thank you for giving an excellent, insight rich presentation. Thank you for being human and humane and reassuring me (and I extrapolate to everyone else in the audience) that is ok to be struggling right now.”

— Webinar attendee

“I have been watching the Patternmakers work like a hawk - it’s been so useful to us at the Festival, and like Tandi, I’m a total data nerd, I love it. When I hear anyone making an incorrect assumption, I just forward them the latest research which politely makes them stop.”

— Webinar attendee

“Congratulations to you both. Informed and well delivered. You should be rightly proud of this achievement.”

— Webinar organiser

“I just listened to you present in the ArtsHub Creative Vic Recovery Roadmap Webinar and thought you were great! Super engaging, data delivered in an interesting way with great anecdotes - bravo.”

— Attendee

“Thank you for a wonderful and insightful presentation on Understanding Audiences during a Pandemic. I learnt so much... and highly recommend it to any creative industries professionals out there looking to gain new knowledge...”

— Attendee

“The session was excellent! Tandi was a compassionate, knowledgeable speaker - who knew her data inside out, and kept the human side of our current situation front of mind. Organisations attending gained an understanding of audiences’ needs and wants, and actions organisations can take now to support and engage with those audiences.”

— Ruth Gormley, Senior Manager, Creative Victoria

Past webinars and speaking engagements

Below are a list of past webinars, where we share insights about audiences. These sessions draw on data from our research projects and the COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor.

ArtsHub - What will post-pandemic audiences look like? (September 2020)

Recorded on 4 September 2020, ArtsHub in partnership with Creative Victoria, with Ruth Gormley, Senior Manager of Strategic Marketing, Creative Victoria and Richard Watts, Performing Arts Editor, ArtsHub.

Australia Snapshot: Phase 2 (July 2020)

Recorded on 29 July 2020, Australia Council for the Arts, with Jade Lillie, Head of Sector Development.

M&G QLD/UQAM Seminar 2020 - Audience Recovery Seminar Series (July 2020)

Recorded July 2020, Museums & Galleries Queensland, with Colleen Dilenschneider, Chief Market Engagement Officer, IMPACTS Research & Development, USA, Moderated by Kate O'Hara, Director, Umbrella Studios Contemporary Art

Gold Coast Music Industry Mingle - The Future of Live Music? (June 2020)

Recorded 30 June 2020, Gold Coast Music Awards, Gold Coast Arts and Culture, Blank GC, with Shelley Bishop, conducting a PhD including a focus on how our industry’s leaders have innovated their operations during this time, Mark Duckworth, Major Events Gold Coast, Brad Hinds, Oztix. Conversation led by Kimberley Ferguson of Beats Cartel and Mo’s Desert Clubhouse fame.

Australian Snapshot: Fundraising, Support & Marketing (June 2020)

Recorded 29 June 2020, Australia Council for the Arts, with Matthew Morse, Executive Director, Strategy and Programs, Creative Partnerships Australia.

Australian Snapshot: First Nations (June 2020)

Recorded 22 June 2020, Australia Council for the Arts, with Wesley Enoch AM, Chair of the First Nations Arts Strategy Panel of the Australia Council for the Arts.

Australian Snapshot: Online Engagement (June 2020)

Recorded 15 June 2020, Australia Council for the Arts, with Keir Winesmith, strategic consultant and academic working across digital and culture.

Australian Snapshot: Museums & Galleries (June 2020)

Recorded 15 June 2020, Australia Council for the Arts, with Keir Winesmith, strategic consultant and academic working across digital and culture.

Australian Snapshot: Performing Arts (June 2020)

Recorded 2 June 2020, Australia Council for the Arts, with Katherine Connor, Executive Director, PAC Australia.

Use the dashboard to get results for your artform and region

Survey data from over 39,000 Australian respondents has been aggregated in a freely available dashboard. Click the image below to access the dashboard and start exploring the data.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The results now available represent the first two phases of a three-phase study, which is tracking how audiences feel about returning to events in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Phase 1, data was collected between 6 and 14 May 2020, forming a baseline against which future changes can be tracked. In Phase 2, data was again collected from audiences between 8 and 12 July 2020. A third and final phase of data collection will occur in September 2020 (Phase 3).

Seven 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 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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 6/9/21 Patternmakers 6/9/21

Evaluation of MCA Art Parcels

Patternmakers is working with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia (MCA) to evaluate its 2021 Art Parcels.

We are pleased to be working with the MCA to evaluate their 2021 Art Parcel program.

Designed especially for the NSW Government’s Creative Kids vouchers, the MCA Art Parcel is for primary school children in NSW to use at home with their families. It includes a range of art making activities, including instructions and art materials. The 2021 Art Parcel has been produced in collaboration with MCA Collection artist Raquel Ormella.

Information for participants

If you have been invited to participate in the evaluation, your involvement is very much appreciated.

Our team of researchers have worked closely with staff at the MCA to design a series of research activities to gather a range of different perspectives. Our goal is to understand the impact of the Art Parcels for children and families in NSW - and identify ways to continue improving MCA programs for kids and families.

We try to make sure our research is fair and equitable by using incentives and thank you gifts. You can read more about our incentive policy here.

Below are the terms and conditions for the prize draw for completed questionnaires.

One entry per child
Entries are not permitted from MCA staff members
The prize draw will be drawn on 30 November 2021 and winners will be notified by phone or email
If the winner does not accept their prize within one week, the prize will be redrawn until a winner is found

Patternmakers 31/8/21 Patternmakers 31/8/21

July 2021 State/ Territory Snapshots

Audience sentiment varies markedly around Australia.

Download the July 2021 snapshot reports for key states/territories.

Snapshot reports for key states/territories

The national results from the July 2021 phase of the Audience Outlook Monitor were released on 20 July.

Below you can access Snapshot reports for key states, thanks to support from state arts agencies: Creative Victoria, Create NSW, Arts Queensland, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (Arts SA) and Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (WA) and artsACT.

Download the Snapshots

Navigate and click the images below to access the Snapshots for each state.

If you would like to request a State/Territory Snapshot in an accessible format, please email Holly at holly@thepatternmakers.com.au.

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

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

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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 20/7/21 Patternmakers 20/7/21

Key findings: July 2021

July 2021 results from of the Audience Outlook Monitor are now available, indicating setbacks in audience attendance and comfort.

Read about the findings and download a Snapshot Report.

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

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

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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 15/7/21 Patternmakers 15/7/21

Webinar: Live Attendance Outlook

Watch our Live Attendance Outlook Webinar to explore the July 2021 results from the Audience Outlook Monitor with Tandi Palmer Williams and Andy Donovan.

Webinar: July 2021 Live Attendance Outlook

The results are in from the July 2021 Audience Outlook Monitor. Watch Tandi Palmer Williams from Patternmakers and Andy Donovan from the Australia Council for the Arts unpack the July results and discuss the outlook for live attendance in the coming months.

This webinar is live captioned and Auslan interpreted.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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 are being tracked.

How to find out more

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

Patternmakers 1/7/21 Patternmakers 1/7/21

Patternmakers' Privacy Policy (2021)

Privacy is important to us. This page sets out our Privacy Policy.

Introduction

Patternmakers Pty Ltd (ABN 97 627 469 649) respects and upholds your rights under the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ("Privacy Act"). Patternmakers Pty Ltd also adheres to the Privacy (Market and Social Research) Code 2014 (“Code”). For more information about the Privacy Act, the Australian Privacy Principles and the Code click here.

This Privacy Policy for Patternmakers Pty Ltd (“Patternmakers”) lets you know what personal information of yours we hold, what we do with it, who we will disclose it to and how you can access the personal information we hold about you. You can also find out here how to change inaccurate personal information and how to opt out of receiving communications from us.

What personal information about you does Patternmakers collect and hold?

The information Patternmakers collect could include name, email address, IP address, age, gender, postcode, household income, opinions and feedback in relation to cultural experiences. When providing personal information you have the option of remaining anonymous or to use a pseudonym to be identified by. However, in certain circumstances, such as where we receive your contact details from a third party or where the research data itself may potentially allow for identification, this may not be practicable.

Depending on the nature of the research we conduct, we may also collect sensitive information from you, including country of birth, health and family information. Sensitive information will only be collected with your prior consent, and only if it is directly related to, or reasonably necessary for, the research we conduct. Sensitive information will only be collected in anonymous surveys, so that your information remains confidential.

How does Patternmakers collect and hold your personal information?

Patternmakers will generally collect your personal information directly from you in the course of you participating in our research and/or online surveys. However, we may also from time to time collect personal information about you from third parties, such as supporting partners. If so, we will inform you as soon as practicable of this collection and the circumstances of this collection.

If you are a respondent to a survey, Patternmakers will generally collect your personal information via Checkbox Survey at www.checkbox.com or via Alchemer (formerly SurveyGizmo) at www.alchemer.com. The information collected is only for research purposes, and no personally identifiable information will ever be used for marketing.

Checkbox Survey data is stored securely on servers hosted in Australia. You can read more about Checkbox Privacy Policy here: www.checkbox.com/privacy_policy/ and their data hosting in AWS centres here.

Alchemer survey data is stored securely on servers hosted in the USA. Alchemer is committed to complying with international regulations including GDRP. You can read more about Alchemer’s Privacy Policy here: www.alchemer.com/privacy/.

We may also collect personal information in MailChimp at www.mailchimp.com if you opt-in to join our database of research participants or if you subscribe to a newsletter from our website, www.thepatternmakers.com.au. You can read more about MailChimp’s Privacy Policy here: www.mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/. MailChimp complies with Australian Privacy Law (Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) for its storage of customer data.

If you register to attend a Patternmakers event your information would be collected via EventBrite, www.eventbrite.com.au.

What are the purposes for which Patternmakers use, handle and disclose your personal information?

We will only use and disclose your personal information for the purpose of conducting our research and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. We will not use or disclose your personally identifiable information provided for research for the purpose of advertising, promotions or direct marketing activities. If you declined to participate in our research, there are limited circumstances where we may use your personal information to re-contact you for a research purpose, but only if we have valid reasons to believe a genuine research concern warrants such re-contact. If you have participated in our research, we will only re-contact you if you were informed of this, opt-ed in, or we have valid reasons to believe a genuine research concern warrants such re-contact.

Patternmakers may also collect personal information (name, email address or postal address) when you provide it to receive specific services, such as contracting us to deliver research services, or buying a ticket to an event. This information is stored in secure databases. As a customer of Patternmakers, your email address may be added to a mailing list, as purchasing from us is an indication that you want to hear about our services. However, you can unsubscribe at any time. The information you provide will not be used for any other purpose without your consent. You can choose not to receive such information.

Who will Patternmakers disclose your personal information to?

In the course of conducting our research we may rely on third party service providers to host or store the data we collect who are located overseas. The names and locations of those suppliers are:

Checkbox Survey Inc., based in the U.S., data stored on servers hosted in Australia.

Alchemer LLC, based in the U.S.

WolfBrown LLC, based in the U.S.

MailChimp, The Rocket Science Group LLC, based in the U.S.

Microsoft, based in the U.S.

Openness

Questions and complaints

Jodie Bombardier, Operations Manager: info@thepatternmakers.com.au

Phone: 1300 363 992 (local call cost, but calls from mobile and pay phones may incur higher charges). If calling from overseas:+61 2 9284 9749

TTY: 1800 620 241 (this number is dedicated to the hearing impaired only, no voice calls)

Post: GPO Box 2999 Canberra ACT 2601

Fax: +61 2 9284 9666

Email: enquiries@oaic.gov.au

Patternmakers Website

When visiting Patternmakers’ web site, the site server makes a record of the visit and logs the following information for statistical and administrative purposes:

the user’s server address – to consider the users who use the site regularly and tailor the site to their interests and requirements;
the date and time of the visit to the site – this is important for identifying the website’s busy times and ensuring maintenance on the site is conducted outside these periods;
pages accessed and documents downloaded – this indicates to Patternmakers which pages or documents are most important to users and also helps identify important information that may be difficult to find;
duration of the visit – this indicates to us how interesting and informative Patternmakers site is to candidates; the type of browser used – this is important for browser specific coding
In order to optimise Patternmakers web site and better understand it’s usage, we collect the visiting domain name or IP address, Computer Operating System, Browser Type and Screen Resolution

Be in the loop

Patternmakers 22/6/21 Patternmakers 22/6/21

A Time for True Leadership to Shine

Earlier this week I spent two days at ADAPT: Queensland’s Performing Arts Conference, at the invitation of arTour and Stage Queensland, to share insights about audience trends since the onset of the pandemic.

Earlier this week I spent two days at ADAPT: Queensland’s Performing Arts Conference. It was great to be in a room full of performing arts colleagues after so long.

I was there at the invitation of arTour and Stage Queensland to share insights about audience trends since the onset of the pandemic.

It was also a chance for me to connect with colleagues: artists and producers readying new works for touring and presenters planning artistic programs to bring audiences back to arts centres and festivals.

What struck me the most, as I listened to other speakers share their learnings, was that the pandemic has forced us to become more responsive, more innovative and collaborative—and that these attributes could actually be the keys to tackling some of our sector's long-standing challenges.

The session that made this most clear was 'Lessons from 2020,' a discussion among leaders from our country’s three largest arts centres. The speakers were unanimous in observing a need to focus on people and relationships. They suggested that collaboration across departments and externally with the independent sector might enable us to not just recover the old ways, but build a more vibrant, equitable and sustainable culture sector in future.

Sydney Opera House

Fiona Winning at Sydney Opera House reflected on the heightened communication and innovation in response to the uncertainty and anxiety brought about by the pandemic.

Already poised to invest in their role as a digital broadcaster pre-pandemic (and with the excellent Stuart Buchanan newly appointed to the role of Head of Digital), SOH ultimately streamed 50 events and performances during the pandemic period. Fiona shared that what they learned over COVID equalled what they expected to learn and achieve over two years of their digital strategy.

Interestingly, construction in concert hall continued—since the building industry wasn’t as affected as the arts. SOH also fundraised $1.5m for a commissioning programme to invest in artists—money they wouldn’t have had if it were not for COVID.

Arts Centre Melbourne

We also heard from Melanie Smith at Arts Centre Melbourne, where the city's population was enduring another lockdown following an outbreak of the virus. She remembered back to when they first decided to close ACM on 16 March 2020. Their team was faced with cancelling 500 events—and ultimately lost $50 million in revenue (a quarter of a year’s trading) —but moving through the experience they had come together to support each other: 'There’s a lot more trust between us, we grew as a team.’

She said she has learned to focus on really looking after people and acknowledge that everyone is having a different experience.

QPAC

John Kotzas at QPAC said it has been the most challenging time of his career. He reflected that the only precedent they had to work with was an extreme weather event, which unlike the pandemic had a clear beginning and an end.

He shared that apart from having to reschedule events and communicate with audiences, there was confusion with promoters, ultimately creating extreme pressure on the team. At QPAC they went from having a board meeting every 2 months to having one every 2 days, working more closely than ever before.

He also spoke about some financial learnings. Working towards a business case for a fifth venue in QLD pre-pandemic, QPAC had reduced reliance on their base grant to 15%, relying on earning 85%—a model which proved to put the organisation under stress during Covid. Previously thinking $10m+ in reserves would put the organisation in a great place, he realised that those funds could be spent in 3 months with no other income. The organisation is now exploring new business models for digital work.

Leadership lessons

Stephen Foster from Cairns Performing Arts Centre said it was a time where true leadership would really shine—and I would suggest that this time is far from over. As we tackle the task of rebuilding, there are positive signs, with many presenters reporting strong sales (albeit with reduced capacities and fewer events). However, data from the Audience Outlook Monitor suggests that it's still early days in the recovery process, and we will need to work hard to not just bring back all segments of our past audience, but look to further grow and expand access so that more Australians have the opportunity to participate in arts and culture.

In opening the conference Minister Leeanne Enoch spoke about moving out of ‘survival’ mode and into ‘sustainability,’ and I think her words were spot on. She said she’s observed greater collaboration in the sector—and that if we work together, giving and telling stories, culture has the power to heal everything. She said ‘through the arts we see ways to deal with what’s going on around us’; it is fundamental to our recovery and helps focus on adaptation and agility.

Thank you to the organisers of Adapt QLD. It has helped many of us start to process the events of the past year and look at how we can tackle the challenges ahead through more collaboration, braver innovation and greater responsiveness than ever before.

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.

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 16/6/21 Patternmakers 16/6/21

Fact Sheet: Disability and Access

Explore the latest findings related to disabled audiences and access.

Download the Fact Sheet and watch our webinar on this topic.

Live attendance has increased, though disabled audiences remain cautious

The March 2021 findings show that attendance is growing among disabled audiences, as more events and venues re-open around the country. Two-thirds (65%) of past attendees who identify as disabled attended a cultural event recently (up from 28% in September 2020) and three-quarters (75%) are making plans to attend events in the near future.

Download the Disability and Access Fact Sheet in two formats, or read on for more of the findings.

Watch our webinar on expanding access for disabled audiences with Morwenna Collett, where we discuss the insights emerging from the March phase of data collection.

In general, disabled audiences are slightly less confident than non-disabled audiences. For example, just 35% would be comfortable at an event with 100% seating capacity, compared to 50% of non-disabled audiences. Long-term, the proportion who anticipate attending events less often in future is higher than the proportion of non-disabled audiences (29%, compared to 16%).

Some disabled audiences mentioned accessibility challenges related to COVID-19 restrictions, such as mandatory mask-wearing. Many are conscious of complacency in relation to safety regulations and compared to non-disabled audiences, disabled respondents are more interested in how venues will be monitoring audience compliance (30% compared to 26%).

Disabled audiences are participating online to a greater extent than non-disabled audiences (57%, compared to 46%) and many plan to continue long-term. Attending an event online is the preferred format for 19% of disabled audiences (compared to just 8% of non-disabled audiences), highlighting the important role digital presentation is playing in widening access right now.

However, digital experiences are not suited to everyone with access needs and several respondents mentioned opportunities to the range of access options available. There are also opportunities to explore innovation in accessible formats such as offering experiences that do not involve screens (e.g. audio experiences).

Needing help to access experiences online is a more common barrier for disabled audiences (15%) compared to non-disabled audiences (8%). Offering telephone assistance and embedding access into ticket purchasing platforms will ensure that digital offerings are inclusive of a range of audience members with access requirements.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

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

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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Image: WolfBrown logo and Patternmakers logo

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 7/6/21 Patternmakers 7/6/21

Webinar: Expanding access for disabled audiences

Watch Tandi Palmer Williams and Morwenna Collett discuss the latest findings related to disabled audiences.

Webinar: Expanding access for disabled audiences

In our latest webinar hosted by Australia Council for the Arts, Tandi Palmer Williams was joined by Morwenna Collett to discuss the findings related to disabled audiences and accessibility from the March 2021 data collection.

This webinar is live captioned and Auslan interpreted.

An accessible copy of the presentation slides are available for download here — once you download the file, click ‘Read Only’ to see the slides.

Resources

There are a number of excellent resources available for understanding and expanding access, as mentioned by Morwenna in the webinar presentation;

You can also Download our Disability and Access Fact Sheet to read about the findings in detail.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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 are being tracked.

How to find out more

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Image: Patternmakers and WolfBrown logos

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 7/6/21 Patternmakers 7/6/21

Webinar: International Perspectives

Watch our International Perspectives seminar with WolfBrown where we compare insights from Australia and the USA.

Webinar: 2021 International Perspectives

Get an insight into post-vaccination audience sentiment in this International Perspectives webinar with Alan Brown and Megan Bander from WolfBrown USA, leaders of the Audience Outlook Monitor internationally.

Tandi Palmer Williams from Patternmakers and Rebecca Mostyn from the Australia Council for the Arts interviewed Alan and Megan about developments in the USA, where the vaccination roll-out is well progressed and arts organisations are actively planning their return. The webinar is Auslan interpreted.

Read on below for some of the key insights.

Key insights

While the impacts of the pandemic have been very serious in the USA, particularly from a health perspective, the country is now opening up.

Through a suppression strategy and closed borders, Australia has avoided the worst of the pandemic, however the challenge now is dealing with ongoing lockdowns, creating an environment of extreme uncertainty. In some ways, this presents a greater challenge for the recovery of the arts sector.

Australian audiences are now less confident than US audiences about vaccination and the ability for things to return to normal within 12 months.

Vaccination alone will not “end” the pandemic - there may still be audience segments who are not comfortable going out

Although we’ve all heard the phrase “post-pandemic,” Megan and Alan point out that the vaccination roll-out in the USA has not heralded a return to pre-pandemic behaviours.

Some audience members remain unwilling to attend arts events in person. The post-pandemic “new normal” may in fact reflect a shift in the way we engage with arts and culture. For example…

Digital is a formative market and as a sector we're still at such an early stage of product development

We learnt a lot about the flexibility and utility of digital engagement during the pandemic, but there is still a way to go to refine the best models of digital presentation.

Digital programming has the capacity to increase the accessibility of arts events for certain audience segments, even post-vaccination. However, we are still at an early stage in the product development process.

As digital arts events become more mainstream, we have the opportunity to explore new programming and revenue models, and to highlight a broader array of experiences and perspectives in digital art – such as First Nations artists, artists of colour, and gender diverse artists.

It is important to be prepared for new developments – and to come together and debrief on what we learnt during the pandemic

Given the unpredictability of the pandemic, emergency preparedness remains key, and we need to take this opportunity to consolidate what we have learnt about audiences during COVID-19 so far.

For instance, ehat modes of storytelling have worked for audiences, and which haven’t? How can data help us make sense of the pandemic and better understand audience segments and their needs?

It’s important to document how we responded and evaluate what worked and what didn’t, so we are more prepared for ‘unforseen’ events in future.

Strategic and transparent communications will help to build trust when things are uncertain

When it comes to planning events in a pandemic-affected world, there will continue to be uncertainties. Well-communicated ticketing policies will help build audience confidence when it comes to booking events in advance.

Event planners can’t account for all eventualities, but honesty and openness will reduce the likelihood of disappointment. Clear communication can help maintain goodwill and reduce instances of complaints and .

For more information about international perspectives, watch the webinar in full.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

The Audience Outlook Monitor is tracking 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 are being tracked.

How to find out more

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

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners

Past posts on this blog

Patternmakers 12/5/21 Patternmakers 12/5/21

Fact Sheet: Digital Engagement

Take a look at who is participating in online arts and culture, motivations and barriers to attendance and more.

Read about the findings and download a Fact Sheet on Digital Engagement.

Online participation has decreased nationally, and audiences are becoming more selective

In March 2021, just under half of the 13,836 past attendees surveyed said they recently participated in an online arts experience (47%). This is somewhat lower than the previous Audience Outlook Monitor survey in September 2020 (70%), when many venues and events were closed or operating under significant restrictions.

Download the Digital Engagement Fact Sheet or read on for more of the findings.

Watch our Digital Audience Engagement Webinar with Stuart Buchanan where we share insights on audience participation in digital culture experiences.

AOM_March2021_Digital_Engagement_Fact_Sheet

Watching video content of performances and events remains the most popular activity, whether that be pre-recorded video (25%, down from 46%) or live-streamed video (20%, down from 38%). However, participation in online courses has seen the smallest decrease, and now is one of the most popular forms of online engagement among audiences (21%, down from 31%).

Some audiences say they have grown fatigued of ‘screen-time’ or aren’t interested in digital programs (27%, up from 16%). Others are increasingly selective about what they participate in.

1 in 10 (9%) would select a digital program as their first choice for attending a cultural event today — increasing substantially to 58% for audiences who don’t foresee going out ‘until there is no risk’ of contracting or spreading the virus.

Audiences living with a disability are also more likely to be participating online (57%) compared to those without a disability (46%), confirming the role online experiences are playing in widening access to arts and culture.

Audiences paying for content are spending more on average and premium content could have the most enduring market

As audiences return to physical events in greater numbers, there is strong appeal for content that is available on-demand, with 64% ranking this type of access as an appealing feature when accessing online experiences.

More than one-third (37%) of audiences participating online continue to pay for content (compared to 39% in September 2020) and more of those people are spending over $100 (22% of those paying, up from 14%).

However, the types of digital patronage are changing and vary among audience segments. Fewer people are making a donation for something they consumed (13% compared to 20% in September 2020), though this remains a common method for audiences under 35 (17%). Audiences aged 75 and older are most likely to access digital content as part of a program/season they are subscribed to (15%, compared to 8% generally).

Strategic investment in quality experiences, supported by targeted digital marketing campaigns will help sustain engagement with key segments online and encourage ‘discoverability’ of arts content.

About the Audience Outlook Monitor

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

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.

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

Subscribe for updates

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.

Delivery partners

Supporting partners