Latest US figures reveal impact of economy on the arts

A major US study looking at the attitudes and behaviour of cultural consumers and the impact of the economy on arts attendance in the USA has revealed that arts organisations underestimated the impact that the economic downturn would have on attendance. In 2009, fewer than 10% of arts organisations predicted that the state of the economy would have a significant impact on cultural participation over the following six months, but these predictions were premature: 51% of performing arts attenders and 52% of visual arts attenders say they have attended less frequently because of the recession. The most frequent attenders – those who attend 3 or more cultural events a month – have declined by almost one-third: 22% in 2011 compared with 31% in 2007. Audience recognition of the value of corporate sponsorships, however, has grown, and frequent attenders are the most supportive of corporate sponsorship, with more than 60% saying they are more likely to make purchases from businesses that support the arts. As for the effectiveness of marketing activity, the report concludes that word of mouth remains the primary influencer of arts engagement, and that this is being “supercharged” through social media. The ‘Culture Track 2011’ research, by LaPlaca Cohen and AMS Planning & Research, was conducted among 4,000 arts and cultural attenders across the USA.