01 Jul 2012

This content is tagged as Multi-Artform .

NEWS

New Zealanders strong support for cultural activities revealed

New Zealanders spent $2.31 billion on arts, culture and heritage in the past 12 months, according to Creative New Zealand’s Audience Atlas New Zealand Report 2011, launched today.

The Audience Atlas is a new Creative New Zealand initiative, designed to provide insights into arts audiences across the country.  It covers 39 artforms and leisure activities throughout the country and measures lapsed, current and potential markets. The report aims to help arts organisations gain greater understanding of their current and potential audiences, so they can strengthen their audience and marketing programmes.

The Atlas shows the market for arts and culture in New Zealand is large, with 95% of adults having been to at least one cultural event or place in the past three years. This figure compares favourably with Australia, with 87% of adults and the United Kingdom, with 85%.

The regions with the highest numbers of people who had taken part in cultural activities in the past three years were Wellington and Nelson, both with 98% of their adult population.  Auckland was slightly above the national total, with 96% but lower than Otago and Gisborne, both with 97%.

The Audience Atlas New Zealand Report 2011 also revealed that in any four-week period, 40% of New Zealanders spent around $130.00 each going to cultural events or places. 

The report is based on New Zealand residents, aged 15 or more, who have been culturally active in the past three years. This is defined as having made a least one visit to a cultural event or place during that time: this includes attending cinema, live music, comedy, museums, galleries, theatre and dance.

The Audience Atlas New Zealand Report 2011 research was conducted by arts management consultancy Morris Hargreaves McIntyre, who specialise in audience and organisational development. It expands on the Creative New Zealand survey New Zealanders and the Arts: Attitudes, Attendance and Participation in 2011 released last month.

For the full Audience Atlas New Zealand Report 2011, go to
www.creativenz.govt.nz/audienceatlas2011

 

For further information and interview requests, please contact:
Rebecca Lancashire, Senior Communications Adviser
Creative New Zealand
Rebecca.Lancashire@creativenz.govt.nz
DDI: 04 498 0725 Mob: 027 677 8070