Spotlight on Arts Audiences: Research
Alberta continues to be at a crossroads brought by a pandemic that has changed public life and reshaped our economy. This is especially true in the arts and culture sector, which continues to experience a decline in engagement with events and activities.
With this in mind, the Rozsa Foundation contracted research firm Stone-Olafson to conduct in-depth research on the current engagement of arts audiences in the province. Funding for this projects was also provided by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Foundation, Edmonton Arts Council, and Edmonton Community Foundation.
This work was developed for the arts and culture sector exclusively, and builds upon research that began in 2020 (Building Experiences in the New Economy), but is designed to provide specific, relevant and reliable facts to support the leaders in the sector as they build relevance and grow attendance. The project is two years long and will have six waves of in-field research and results.
Research Wave 1
The survey for the first wave of research was conducted in November 2023 and the results were shared in January 2024 at in-person events in Calgary and Edmonton. The key topics include:
• Current audience behaviours, habits, and patterns
• Current attitudes and perceptions towards the arts
• Barriers to engagement and support
• Programming and communication preferences
• Perceptions of value in a tight economy
Watch a video of the Calgary presentation here.
The Wave 1 reports are also available for download on the Rozsa Foundation website:
Results from the second wave of research are expected in April 2024.
