Northern Ireland audience survey reveals cost-of-living impact

A new, first of its kind survey for Northern Ireland hightlights how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting arts audiences.

The IMPACT Survey (Impact Measurement of People Attending Culture Today) found that 58% of those audiences surveyed felt the cost of living was having 'a detrimental impact on their arts and culture engagement', while 29% said they are going to events less often as a result.

This impact is more acute among disabled and LGBTQ+ audiences in Northern Ireland, with both of these groups also expressing lower rates of satisfaction after attending arts events.

Of the audiences surveyed, 39% earn less than the Northern Ireland median wage.

The survey, which was coordinated by Thrive Audience Development for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, provides further insights into the behaviours and concerns of arts audiences in the country.

It looks at a range of audience-related areas, including how different demographics engage with arts organisations and the impact attending arts events has on audiences.

Feedback was, in general terms, positive: 94% of those surveyed said they plan on returning to the same venue, and around three-quarters of audiences said they left feeling happy after an event.

Disabled audiences in particular were more likely to report 'feeling safe/comfortable, belonging, and being seen/understood'.