Spotlight on Arts Audiences: Final Research Report
After two years and six waves of research, the Spotlight on Arts Audiences project wrapped up on November 24, 2025 with a day-long symposium at cSPACE Marda Loop. Led by the Rozsa Foundation, the project was developed exclusively for the arts and culture sector, and tracked shifts in audience behaviour, attitudes and expectations following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Rozsa Foundation contracted research firm Stone-Olafson to conduct the in-depth research on the engagement of arts audiences in the province. Funding for the projects was also provided by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Foundation, Edmonton Arts Council, and Edmonton Community Foundation.
The symposium was an opportunity to step back and take stock of the arts landscape in Alberta at the end of 2025. What does it look like now? What challenges are emerging? What opportunities might be in front of us? And, most importantly, how do we adapt?
Research Wave 6 + Symposium
Stone-Olafson, Rozsa Foundation, Mass Culture and invited panellists wrapped up the two-year Spotlight on Arts Audiences project with a full-day symposium that looked at the sixth and final wave of research on Alberta arts audiences, as well as:
- Trends and themes that emerged over the project, including retention strategies, breaking through the noise to reach new audiences, and navigating the new cultural experience landscape.
- How to use your own research to ask the right questions and get results you can use.
- How national arts data can supplement your research to create powerful narratives.
- Perspectives from industry experts outside the arts who specialize in retention and loyalty.
- How audiences themselves describe the essential value of the arts in Calgary.
Watch the Wave 6 results presentation and download the reports from the Rozsa Foundation website here.
The Spotlight on Arts Audience project built upon research that began in 2020 (Building Experiences in the New Economy), but was designed to provide specific, relevant and reliable facts to support leaders in the arts and culture sector as they build relevance and grow attendance. Learn more about the previous waves of research below.
Research Wave 5
Building on previous waves, this wave utilized six focus groups to delve deeper into the “Passive” audience – individuals who occasionally attend arts events but aren’t regular audience members. Because there were few differences in the responses, the report and presentation are for the entire province.
- Understanding the motivations and considerations of the Passive arts audience
- The pre-conceived ideas this audience holds about arts events
- Barriers to their increased attendance
- Preferences in advertising and marketing messages
Watch the Wave 5 results presentation and download the reports from the Rozsa Foundation website here.
Research Wave 4
The survey for the fourth wave of research was conducted between January 17 – 27, 2025, and the results were shared in March at an in-person event in Calgary. The fourth wave of research focused on:
- General interest in the arts/current levels of arts participation
- Updated understanding of the consumer mindset
- How well consumers’ expectations are being met in the arts
- Marketing methods to inspire potential audiences (mid-funnel marketing)
Watch the Wave 4 results presentation and download the reports from the Rozsa Foundation website here.
Research Wave 3
The survey for the third wave of research was conducted between August 5 – 15, 2024, and the results were shared in November 2024 at an in-person event in Calgary. The key topics included:
- Assess interest and engagement with arts related education opportunities
- Understand spending habits and how they’ve altered
- Identify current barriers to last minute engagement
- Understand ad hoc decision variables
Watch the Wave 3 results presentation and download the reports from the Rozsa Foundation website here.
Research Wave 2
The survey for the second wave of research was conducted in March 2024 and the key topics included:
- Exploring arts audiences’ engagement and general perceptions
- Understanding audiences’ preferences for content, programming and ticketing purchasing
- Understanding opportunities for increasing support and engagement through fund development
Learn more and download the Wave 2 reports here.
Research Wave 1
The survey for the first wave of research was conducted in November 2023 and the key topics included:
- 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
Learn more and download the Wave 1 reports here.
