Visions for Culture

Explore ideas:

by theme: Place | Connect | Remodel | Escape | Transform | Heal

by artform: Performance | Film & digital | Literature | Visual arts & crafts | Comedy | Cross-artform

by group: First Nations | Children & families | Young & emerging | Seniors | Diverse

Place

Connect

Escape

Heal

Transform

Remodel

Reanimating public places and community spaces

Bringing people together after isolation

Letting us forget our problems and inhabit other worlds

Processing the pandemic and grieving for what has been lost

Helping us grow and progress as a society

Rethinking the way arts and culture works

• First Nations people see culture as vitally important to their lives, and have higher rates of participation. However, there is a group of First Nations respondents that feel vulnerable due to underlying health conditions. Nationally, audience interest in First Nations works and experiences is growing, but a range of barriers prevent more people from participating. The quotes displayed above suggest audiences want to learn more about First Nations arts and culture post-pandemic.

• Children & their families have faced difficulties in relation to home-schooling and are processing complex topics. The Audience Outlook Monitor shows that parents and caregivers of children are participating online more frequently than they did before the pandemic, and are more likely to say they’ll continue post-pandemic. They also have higher levels of interest in works that helps make sense of the pandemic.

• Young audiences (16-35) are among the most likely to have returned to events, and are making plans at higher rates than other age groups. They are more likely to be engaging in creative activities at home, and are consuming online courses and tutorials at higher rates than other age groups. They are also more likely to be creating content to share online. They are likely to play an important role in re-building attendance.

• Senior audiences (over 65) are more cautious in their outlook about re-attending and 15% say they can’t forsee going back until there is no risk to them. However, this age group remain highly engaged with arts and cultural organisations and want to show their support. When they do pay for experiences online, they are more likely to do so via donation, and those that do spend more than their younger counterparts.

• Diverse audiences include people who live with a disability, people who speak another language at home, and those from lower socio economic backgrounds. People who experience a disability are statistically more likely to feel vulnerable in relation to COVID, and are more likely to stay away from public interaction to avoid risks. However, among those who are comfortable to attend, higher than average rates of attendance and future planning are observable, as is true for audiences who speak another language at home.

Head to the study’s homepage to access more detailed Fact Sheets about these groups at the national level.

With support from City of Sydney, Patternmakers worked with independent designer Marchelle Matthew to create a visualisation system for key quotes. The result is what you see on this page: an overwhelming variety of voices and views, with one clear message: arts and culture will play a powerful role on our recovery from the pandemic.

Visions for Culture is designed as a resource for culture practitioners, arts organisations, local governments and event organisers.

It draws upon data collected by Patternmakers and WolfBrown as a part of the Audience Outlook Monitor, an international study tracking audience attitudes and behaviours in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data reported here is based on the Phase 2 and 3 (July and September 2020) surveys of over 2,500 past attendees of cultural events in Sydney, including concerts, festivals, exhibitions and workshops.