Culture and the Arts Survey Key Findings & Implications

Survey participants:

The national survey (including Philadelphia was conducted with 3,815 adults and findings have a margin of error of +/- 1.59%.

• There were 660 Philadelphia area respondents surveyed, for a margin of error of +/-3.81%.
• 29% (1,093) of all survey respondents were frequent attendees: those attending art galleries, art museums, children’s museums, classical dance and music, living museums, modern dance, opera or theater at least once a month.
• 71% (2,722) of all survey respondents were infrequent attendees: those attending the above genres less than once a month.

Key findings:

• Cultural participation in Philadelphia tracks above the national average in 18 of the 20 cultural disciplines.

What Gets Audiences Involved?

• Mixed Media: newspapers and word of mouth are the leading source of awareness for cultural events, followed by email, TV and radio advertising. Investigating, planning and purchasing an arts experience takes place mostly online. The importance of the Internet is more significant for younger audiences, with blogs and Internet content sites being twice as important for younger audiences than for older ones.
• Welcoming and orienting the visitor
• Rooting the art in human experience: the power of the personal; authenticity
• Connecting the unknown with the familiar
• Providing family-friendly resources
• Audience feedback: saying “thank you”; asking opinions; offering feedback channels
   

What Alienates Audiences?

• Absence of pre-visit tools (especially via websites). E.g., “trailers” on the performance or exhibition; instructions on where to park, how early to arrive, etc; any “rules” or protocols for the performance or exhibition.
• Poor customer service, such as: impersonal first impressions; admonishing instead of assisting
• Information “art speak.” E.g. too little interpretive material; interpretive material that uses too technical terms
• Treating children as intruders. Only 39% of Philadelphians surveyed felt that most arts organizations in the area are children-friendly.
  
  

Implications:

• All audiences emphasize the importance of entertainment and enjoyment.
• Content is the motivating factor in choosing cultural activities and audiences are becoming increasingly specific in what content they enjoy.
• Social factors are more influential in decision-making than logistics or promotions.
• Cost and time are still big barriers.
• Increasingly, the Internet plays a dominant role in how audiences interact with culture.