Ninety per cent of adults living in Scotland either attended or participated in arts or cultural activity during 2008, but attendance is significantly higher among those with degree-level education, according to new research released by the Scottish Arts Council (SAC). ‘Taking Part in Scotland’, which has been carried out biannually for the past ten years, covers attendance at performing and visual arts, including traditional Scottish music and dance. Participation categories included reading and buying books and writing poetry, stories and articles. The survey found that 77% of the adult population in Scotland had attended one or more arts or cultural activities during the previous 12 months, compared with 77% in 2006 and 75% in 2004. This contrasts with recent DCMS figures from England showing that 66% of people attend the arts and 52% participate (see AP177). However, it is difficult to compare the figures, since the definitions of attendance and participation differ considerably. In Scotland the only significant fall in attendance was for dance, from 15% in 2004 to 11% in 2008. The most popular cultural experiences were cinema (55% attended), museums (32%), art galleries (27%) and rock and pop (27%).
The survey also sought new information on what influences people’s attitudes to the arts. It identifies new groupings such as ‘experienced seekers’, with 14% of the population saying they engage frequently with the arts and are “open to new experiences”; ‘prudent purchasers’, for whom value-for-money is the main factor (17%); and ‘time poor’, whose commitments prevent them spending more time engaging with the arts (21%). Those labelled ‘free’ have more time, income and freedom and are generally younger (17%). ‘Restricted’ describes a further 17% of the population facing barriers to attendance and participation, “through disability, lack of information, long-term illness or age”. A further 14% describe themselves as ‘opting out’, feeling uncomfortable in any arts setting. SAC Chief Executive, Jim Tough, said it was known “that there was no such thing as a ‘typical’ arts audience”, and added that the SAC “will have to work harder to convince those ‘opting out’ that they could and can enjoy the arts”.