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A survey commissioned by the Arts Council of Wales (ACW) towards the end of 2002 has revealed that 43% of adults claim to attend arts events once a year or more often including musicals, opera, ballet, contemporary dance, plays, classical music, jazz and art galleries or exhibitions; but the attendance figure rises to 70% if the definition of arts is extended to include film, other live music and literary events.
Whilst 65% of people agreed with the statement that the arts play a valuable role in the life of the country, only 37% agreed that the arts played a valuable role in their own lives ? an identical proportion to the one found in the most recent survey of this kind in England.

ACW asks a series of questions each year in the Beaufort Research Welsh Omnibus survey, which gathers responses from 1,000 adults across Wales. The research is designed to monitor the overall level of attendance and participation in the arts in Wales, and for the first time last year investigated attitudes towards the arts. The most recent survey found that 67% of those surveyed believed there should be public funding of arts and cultural projects and 88% felt that all school children should have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument or participate in other arts activities. In England, the equivalent figures were 74% and 97% respectively.

Regional variations across Wales were found to be strong. Arts attendance remains highest in the North Wales region and continues to grow, with 77% of adults saying they attend the arts once a year or more, compared with just 56% in South Wales. Welsh speaking adults are more likely than average to attend and participate in arts events ? 35% of Welsh speaking adults participate in the arts once a year or more compared with an average of 29%. A summary of the key findings from the survey is at
w: http://www.artswales.org.uk.