Posted on December 7, 2005

Arts and Culture

Arts and cultural groups need to pay greater attention to the kinds of events people attend, and why, in order to attract larger audiences, a new report from the Urban Institute argues. Based on a national survey of 1,231 adults, Motivations Matter: Findings and Practical Implications of a National Survey of Cultural Participation (12 pages, PDF) finds that 68 percent of those who attend plays and 60 percent who attend musical performances do so to socialize with friends and family, whereas 65 percent of museum-goers are looking to educate themselves. The survey also found that frequent attendees go to a greater variety of events and are more likely to become donors to cultural groups and organizations. The report was commissioned by the Wallace Foundation.