Core audiences defy the downturn

Despite the economic climate, levels of spend on the arts in London are holding up, but there have been changes in audience profile which suggest that fewer households are attending overall, and there is less social diversity. This is one of the conclusions in the latest ‘Snapshot Audience Report’, compiled by Audiences London Plus about bookers for the performing arts from over 10 million households. The research found that audiences still tend to come from areas dominated by well-educated professionals, and the group described as ‘Liberal Opinions’ by Experian’s Mosaic profiling makes up over a third of audiences – “young, well-educated city dwellers enjoying the vibrancy and diversity of urban life”.