The Arts Response Tracking Study is a regular monitor of the environment in the arts andculture sector.

The study focuses on culture-goers who have attended an indoor cultural gathering, an outdoor cultural gathering or a gallery or museum in the 12-month period prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This third report contains information on the sentiment of Canadian culture-goers, namely:

• Tracking on when culture-goers plan to return to in-person performances and exhibitions;

• Tracking on what precautions are required to make culture-goers comfortable in returning;

• Current obstacles to art and culture participation; and,

• Comfort levels purchasing single tickets and membership to favourite art/cultural organizations in 2021.
  
  The study was sponsored by Business / Arts and the National Art Centre, the FoundingArts Partner for this project.

Key findings:

1) Culture-goers are more comfortable supporting their favourite arts/cultural organizationin 2021 by buying single tickets than purchasing a membership or subscription

Just over one in two culture-goers say they will feel comfortable (29%) or somewhat comfortable(24%) making single ticket purchases in 2021, while just over one in four say they are comfortable(12%) or somewhat comfortable (15%) paying for annual subscription or membership.

2) Culture-goers increasingly mention a vaccine as a precaution for INDOOR arts/culturalperformances for early return

32% of indoor culture-goers (19% in July, 12% in May) who plan to attend immediately afterreopening and 46% of indoor culture goers (28% in July, 23% in May) who plan to attend one to fivemonths after reopening say they want a vaccine to make them comfortable to attend in-personindoor performances.

3) Culture-goers increasingly mention a vaccine as a precaution for OUTDOOR arts/culturalperformances for early return

27% of outdoor culture-goers (6% in July, 5% in May) who plan to attend immediately afterreopening, 44% (15% in July, 16% in May) who plan to attend one to five months after reopening,and 61% (34% in July, 39% in May) who say they will wait 6 months or more say they want a vaccineto make them comfortable to attend in-person outdoor performances.

4) There is a decrease in mentions of masks as a precaution for INDOOR arts/culturalperformances for early return

27% of indoor culture-goers (43% in July, 29% in May) who plan to attend one to five monthsafter reopening, and 17% of indoor culture-goers (29% in July, 24% in May) who plan to attendover six months after reopening say they want MASKS to make them comfortable to attendindoor performances.

SUMMARY:

Indoor Arts and Cultural Performances

Regarding indoor arts and cultural performances, one in four indoor culture-goers say that they plan toattend them in person immediately after businesses, government and cultural organizations are re-opened and following public guidelines.

• Canadians most frequently report attending theatre and popular music performance indoors –Asked which indoor cultural gatherings they have attended in the 12 months before the Covid-19outbreak, Canadians most frequently say theatre (drama, musical, dinner, comedy) indoors (48%),followed by popular music performance indoors (36%), classical music performance indoors(18%), or a cultural or heritage music, theatre or dance performance (16%). Over one third ofCanadians (36%) say they have not attended indoor cultural gatherings in the previous year.

• One in four indoor culture-goers say that they plan to attend indoor arts and culturalperformances in person immediately after businesses, government and cultural organizationsare re-opened and following public guidelines – Asked when they plan to attend, in person, anindoor arts or cultural performance, indoor culture-goers say, on average, 5 months afterbusinesses, government and cultural organizations are reopened and following public healthguidelines (6 months in July 2020). One in four (25%) say they will do so immediately afterbusinesses, government and cultural organizations are reopened and following public healthguidelines, while 20 per cent say in 1-5 months and 14 per cent say in 6 months or more. Five percent say they have already attended indoor performances during COVID, while eight per cent saynever and 29 per cent are unsure when they will attend.

• Indoor culture-goers who plan on attending indoor arts and cultural performances immediatelyafter businesses reopen and are following health guidelines say they want a vaccine, social/physical distancing and masks – Asked what are the precautions that need to occur to makethem comfortable to attend an INDOOR arts or cultural performance, indoor culture-goers whoplan to immediately attend them after businesses are reopened and following health guidelinesmost frequently say a vaccine (32%; 19% in July, 12% in May), followed by masks (30%; 40% inJuly), social/physical distancing (30%), proper ventilation (13%; three per cent in July), followingmedical/government guidelines (12%) and cleaning protocols (10%). Six per cent of indoorculture-goers who plan to attend indoor performances immediately after businesses reopen andare following health guideline say no precautions are needed.

• Indoor culture-goers are increasingly likely to say a vaccine is needed for them to feelcomfortable attending indoor arts and cultural performances – Over one in two indoor culture-goers (60%) who plan to attend, in person, an indoor art or cultural performance 6 months ormore after businesses, government and cultural organizations are re-opened and following publicguidelines mention a vaccine as a precaution that needs to occur to make them feel comfortableattending an indoor arts or cultural performance, while 46% per cent of those who plan to waitone to five months say the same, (up from 28% in July), and 32% (19% in July) of those who planto attend immediately.

Outdoor Arts and Cultural Performances

One in three outdoor culture-goers say they plan to attend an outdoor arts or cultural performanceimmediately after businesses, government and cultural organizations are re-opened and followingpublic guidelines, with vaccines becoming an increasingly important precaution for culture-goers tofeel comfortable attending performances again.

• Canadians most frequently report attending popular music performance outdoors – Askedwhich outdoor cultural gatherings they have attended in the 12 months before the Covid-19outbreak, Canadians most frequently say outdoor popular music performance (28%), followed byoutdoor cultural or heritage music, theatre or dance performance (15%), and outdoor theatre(13%). One in two Canadians (51%) say they have not attended in the previous year, and 10 percent do not recall.

• Canadians most frequently report attending popular music performance outdoors – Askedwhich outdoor cultural gatherings they have attended in the 12 months before the Covid-19outbreak, Canadians most frequently say outdoor popular music performance (28%), followed byoutdoor cultural or heritage music, theatre or dance performance (15%), and outdoor theatre(13%). One in two Canadians (51%) say they have not attended in the previous year, and 10 percent do not recall.

• One third of outdoor culture-goers say they plan to attend an outdoor arts or culturalperformance immediately after businesses, government and cultural organizations are re-opened and following public guidelines – Asked when they plan to attend, in person, an outdoorarts or cultural performance, outdoor culture-goers say on average, 5 months after businesses,government and cultural organizations are reopened and following public health guidelines. Onethird (33%) say they will do so immediately after businesses, government and culturalorganizations are reopened and following public health guidelines, while 13 per cent say in 1-5months and 11 per cent say in 6 months or more. Nine per cent say they have already attendedan outdoor performance during COVID-19, while 28 per cent are unsure and six per cent saynever.

• Outdoor culture-goers who plan on attending outdoor arts and cultural performancesimmediately after businesses reopen and are following health guidelines say they want masksand social/physical distancing – Asked what are the precautions that need to occur to makethem comfortable to attend an outdoor arts or cultural performance, outdoor culture-goers whoplan to immediately attend after businesses are reopened and following health guidelines mostfrequently say masks (37%) and social/physical distancing (37%; 55% in July), followed by avaccine (27%; six per cent in July), following medical/government guidelines (11%), and handwashing/sanitizer (10%). Seven per cent of outdoor culture-goers who plan to attend outdoorperformances immediately after businesses reopen and are following health guideline say noprecautions are needed.

• Outdoor culture-goers are increasingly likely to say a vaccine is needed for them to feelcomfortable attending outdoor arts and cultural performances – Over six in ten outdoor culture-goers (61%; up from 34% in July) who plan to attend, in person, an outdoor art or culturalperformance 6 months or more after businesses, government and cultural organizations are re-opened and following public guidelines mention a vaccine as a precaution that needs to occur tomake them feel comfortable attending an outdoor arts or cultural performance, compared to 44%of those who plan to wait one to five months (up from 15% in July), and 27% of those who plan toattend immediately (six per cent in July).

• Over one in two culture-goers say they will be comfortable or somewhat comfortable incommitting to making a single-ticket purchase to an arts and culture organization in 2021 –More than half of culture-goers say in 2021 they will be comfortable (29%) or somewhatcomfortable (24%) making a commitment to their favourite arts and culture organization in theform of a single ticket purchase. Three in ten say they will be somewhat not comfortable (13%) ornot comfortable (17%) doing this, and 17 per cent are unsure. British Columbia culture-goers aremore likely to feel comfortable with this (37%) than Ontario culture-goers (25%).

• More than half of culture-goers say they will be uncomfortable or somewhat uncomfortable incommitting to paying for an annual subscription or membership to an arts and cultureorganization in 2021 – Culture-goers more often say in 2021 they will be uncomfortable (41%) orsomewhat uncomfortable (12%) making a commitment to their favourite arts and cultureorganization in the form of paying for an annual subscription or membership. Over one in four saythey will be somewhat comfortable (15%) or comfortable (12%) doing this, and 21 per cent areunsure.

Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land- and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random surveyof 1,096 Canadians, 18 years of age or older, November 26th to 29th, 2020 as part of an omnibussurvey. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a surveyonline. The margin of error for this survey is ±3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. Please notethat for the questions related to precautions the first three mentions of respondents were used forthe analysis.

The research was commissioned by Business / Arts and the National Arts Centre, founding artspartner, and was conducted by Nanos Research.

For the complete report visit www.businessandarts.org.