Recent arts engagement survey confirms Calgarians value the arts
MEDIA RELEASE
For Immediate Release
July 18, 2017
(Calgary AB) – A recent arts engagement survey confirms that 92% of Calgarians engage with the arts; 89% believe that developing local artists of all kinds is a good thing for Calgary; 87% believe arts and culture venues make life in Calgary better, 86% believe the arts bring people together and enable people to connect, and 79% believe that a strong arts and culture scene is key to creating a vibrant, safe and prosperous city.
“At Calgary Arts Development, we believe Calgary is a place that empowers every resident to live a creative life, which fuels a vital, prosperous and connected city,” says Patti Pon, President and CEO of Calgary Arts Development. “The results of the engagement survey prove that Calgarians feel that way, too. We were pleased to see such positive attitudes towards the arts in our city.”
“As an independent businessman, I appreciate the role the arts play in attracting businesses, a talented workforce, and visitors to our city,” adds Dean Prodan, Board Chair of Calgary Arts Development. “And for all Calgarians, a vibrant arts and culture scene makes Calgary a great place to make a living and a great place to make a life.”
Other key highlights of the engagement survey include:
- Technology plays a significant role in arts engagement, especially among younger Calgarians.
- Women generally have stronger connections to the arts than men.
- Family groups appear to have stronger connections to the arts than those without children.
- Music is amongst the most meaningful art forms.
- Arts engagement appears tied to length of time in Calgary, with the highest levels among the newest Calgarians.
- Live arts attendance is alive and well in Calgary.
To learn more or to read the entire engagement survey report, visit calgaryartsdevelopment.com/publications.
Calgarian Engagement Survey Background
In the fall of 2016, Calgary Arts Development contracted Stone-Oafson to conduct a Calgary arts engagement survey to:
- Understand arts engagement in Calgary.
- Gauge Calgarians’ interest in attending various arts events.
- Examine Calgarians’ attitudes toward the arts and its impact on communities.
A total of 1,047 Calgarians completed the online survey, providing a margin of error of +/-3.03%. The sample was weighted to ensure representation by age and gender.
About Calgary Arts Development
As the city’s designated arts development authority, Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. We invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Our programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives, and ad hoc groups in Calgary.
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Further Information
Helen Moore-Parkhouse
Director, Communications and Engagement, Calgary Arts Development
Phone: (office) 403.264.5330 ext. 102; (mobile) 587.227.0150
Email: helen.moore-parkhouse@calgaryartsdevelopment.com
