There’s a lot of information, evidence, opinion, speculation out there about the arts and COVID-19. The following sources of information are some that we at The Audience Agency think are useful and informative (including some we’ve produced, to show how they fit into that wider picture). We’ll continue to add to them over the coming weeks.
Contents
- Audience
- Sales
- Digital
- Original research from The Audience Agency
- Countries and regions of the UK
- Artforms
- Before COVID-19
- The impact of COVID-19 on Arts and Heritage
- The national impact of COVID-19
- Reopening
- Looking to the future
1. Audience
- An article on how young people have been coping with lockdown.
- The Creative Industry Policy & Research Centre have published insights from their study into cultural consumption habits during lockdown.
- An opinion piece from the British Medical Journal: Pandemic Fatigue? How adherence to Covid-19 regulations has been misrepresented and why it matters.
- Examples of 50 case studies of creative activities organised during the pandemic from the Culture Health and Wellbeing Alliance.
- The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) report on helping household who are in debt due to coronavirus.
- Evidence from the USA that news about the COVID vaccine is already changing people's plans to visit cultural attractions.
- Public Health England Report – Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups
- Family Arts Campaign report on Indigo's After the Interval and Act Two reports - looking at the impacts, attitudes and behaviours for this key group among regular performing arts attenders.
- The Audience Agency’s Back Light report.
- A Creative People & Places blog on audiences and resilience.
- Dave O’Brien’s submission to DCMS highlighted that, in terms of inequality, there is already a crisis in the sector, which risks getting far worse.
- Andrew Miller highlights how this is true in terms of inclusion of D/deaf and disabled people.
- Andrew Miller's important interpretation of Indigo's Act Two report about the impact on disabled audiences.
- Citizens Advice data report – 3 Months of a Pandemic.
- Research comparing international attitudes throughout the crisis - including some information on holiday/spending plans.
- ONS data on rates of COVID-related deaths of disabled people
- ONS Social Impacts of the Pandemic, June 2020
- Creative Scotland share data on how people north of the border are feeling about a return to live events and venues - here and here.
- Article by Indigo on how family audiences may be the first to return to live events
- Survey from Visit Britain on attitudes to taking short breaks and overnight trips within the UK
- Are People Ready to Visit Attractions Again? - a report from A Different View
- The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) Recovery Tracker, offering insights into how people are feeling about returning to attractions.
- Take The Temperature: Report on Coronavirus and Young People by Beetfreaks.
- Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC) from Nesta, on Cultural Consumption During Lockdown.
- Colleen Dilenschneider: When do people plan to visit cultural entities again?
- Scotinform Cultural Survey – inc. splits for Museums, Galleries, Gardens, Theatres & Wildlife Attractions.
- WolfBrown’s Audience Outlook Monitor, across various countries (e.g. Australia results now released).
- Indigo’s After the Interval.
- National Youth Agency – a rather extraordinary list of research relating to young people and COVID -19.
- King’s College London – The Trusting, the Dissenting and the Frustrated: how the UK is dividing as lockdown is eased.
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Evidence from Wolf Brown's Audience Outlook re. interest in Digital Content.
2. Sales
- The Audience Agency’s Back Light report.
- The Audience Agency's Ghost Light report.
3. Digital
- Exeter University's report into Creation Theatre's experiences of shifting to digital delivery
- Evidence from Wolf Brown's Audience Outlook about interest in Digital Content
- The Audience Agency's analysis of Indigo's Act Two survey on how audiences are engaging with digital arts and culture content.
- Creative People and Places' case study on the role of digital engagement in place-based projects.
4. Original research from The Audience Agency
- The Audience Agency’s Back Light report.
- The Audience Agency's Ghost Light report.
- A brief overview of Audience Finder sales data over the last five financial years (2015/16 to 2019/20).
- Digital Audience Survey - The latest findings from our survey of how audiences have responded to arts, culture and heritage online during lockdown.
- Audience Spectrum through COVID-19 - Insights into Audience Spectrum segments' changed behaviour and attitudes to arts, culture and heritage engagement through the crisis.
- A report profiling audiences that returned to cultural organisations for in-person visits or performances between the first and second lockdowns.
- COVID-19 Cultural Participation Monitor - Our nationwide longitudinal panel survey of changing views about participating in creative and cultural activities through the pandemic.
- A 'temperature taking' survey, conducted with Creative Scotland, of organisations across the nation and their audiences' attitudes to returning to culture post-COVID.
5. Countries and regions of the UK
Scotland
- The Scottish Government have published their report on culture and heritage data from the 2019 Scottish Household Survey.
- A report on how Edinburgh arts organisations are supporting communities: Art in and Out of Lockdown.
- Creative Scotland share data on how people north of the border are feeling about a return to live events and venues - here and here.
- Scotinform Cultural Survey – including splits for Museums, Galleries, Gardens, Theatres & Wildlife Attractions.
6. Artforms
Visual Arts, Museums & Galleries
- The Art Fund's report about the impact on museums.
- International Council of Museums advice on reopening.
- American Alliance of Museums reopening guidance and example plans.
- Association of Children’s Museums resources and advice re reopening.
- Are People Ready to Visit Attractions Again? - a report from A Different View
- The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) Recovery Tracker, offering insights into how people are feeling about returning to attractions.
- Museums are making the most of social distancing signage!
- The National Museum Directors' Council guidelines on reopening museums
- UK Government guidance on how to keep your workplace safe during coronavirus for heritage sites and the visitor economy.
- Thoughts and tips on museum reopening from Christina Lister Comms, Part One and Part Two.
- Global Museum Reopening Tracker.
- A reopening video from the RAF Museum
Performing Arts
- The IETM report on the trends the COVID-19 pandemic has generated and accelerated in the performing arts
- The Audience Agency’s Back Light report.
- The Audience Agency's Ghost Light report.
- WolfBrown’s Audience Outlook Monitor, across various countries (e.g. Australia results now released).
- A couple of useful Guardian summaries, re: orchestras and theatre.
- Indigo’s After the Interval and Act Two surveys
- TRG and Purple Seven Comparison between the UK and US.
- BBC World Business Report discusses the challenges of reopening theatres.
- Initial results of a Coronavirus crowd study in Leipzig, suggesting that ventilation is key for indoor events.
- Sam Freeman has some useful (if sweary) thoughts on his blog, e.g. re: seating plans and changes to marketing
- Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's experience of reopening
- Berliner Ensemble seating for reopening
Outdoor Arts
- Outdoor Arts UK / Indigo report on outdoor arts audiences.
Libraries & Literature
- Info from Libraries Connected on how library services are being delivered during the pandemic.
- The Carnegie UK Trust report, Making A Difference: Libraries, Lockdown and Looking Ahead
- A guide from Libraries Connected on how to reopen libraries.
7. Before COVID-19
Before we start talking about the ‘new normal’ – let’s understand the ‘old normal’…
8. The Impact of COVID-19 on Arts and Heritage
Sources to understand the immediate impact of the crisis…
- A report from the USA on when and whether cultural organisations should relax their mask-wearing rules.
- The IETM report on the trends the COVID-19 pandemic has generated and accelerated in the performing arts
- "Report on the Status and Working Conditions of Artists and Cultural and Creative Professionals" - created for the European Commission
- OECD - Culture Shock and the Creative and Cultural Sectors
- Creative People & Places write about working with artists through lockdown.
- Common Vision's Creativity, Culture and Connection paper reports extensively on responses from arts and culture organisations in the COVID-19 crisis.
- Common Vision's Creativity, Culture and Connection paper reports extensively on responses from arts and culture organisations in the COVID-19 crisis.
- A Creative People & Places blog on audiences and resilience.
- Resource and research platform from Creatives EU
- The Art Fund's report about the impact on museums.
- The Audience Agency’s Ghost Light reports .
- A couple of useful Guardian summaries, re: orchestras and theatre.
- Creative Industries Federation's The Projected Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the UK Creative Industries report.
- International Council of Museums; Museums, Museum Professionals and COVID-19 survey.
- TRG and Purple Seven Comparison between the UK and US.
- Andrew Miller's important interpretation of Indigo's Act Two report about the impact on disabled audiences.
9. The National Impact of COVID-19
Understanding the social and economic impacts more broadly…
- This article from the BBC looks at which pandemic behaviours are more likely to continue after lockdown ends.
- An opinion piece from the British Medical Journal: Pandemic Fatigue? How adherence to Covid-19 regulations has been misrepresented and why it matters.
- The Centre For Towns looks at the impact of COVID-19 on British towns.
- January 2021 insights on the pandemic from the Office of National Statistics
- The Resolution Foundation's Caught in a COVID Trap, about the impact on family finances of the COVID crisis.
- Demos - Renew Normal: Britain Under Lockdown - a wide ranging summary of people's experiences under lockdown.
- Information from NFP Synergy on who's volunteering.
- Public Health England Report – Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups
- ONS data on rates of COVID-related deaths of disabled people
- ONS Social Impacts of the Pandemic, June 2020
- ONS: Furlough Scheme Statistics, June 2020 – inc. local and sector breakdowns.
- Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee minutes, June 17.
- Citizens Advice data report – 3 Months of a Pandemic.
- Research comparing international attitudes throughout the crisis - including some information on holiday/spending plans.
10. Reopening
Ways to respond in the early phases, inc. examples of organisations’ adaptations...
- A look at how theatremakers are planning to move outdoors to create COVID safe venues.
- The Marketing Research Society have published their latest guidelines on how to undertake face-to-face surveys/data collection safely, taking the COVID tier system into account.
- Museums are making the most of social distancing signage!
- Arts Council England's guide to accessible reopening - Seven Principles to Ensure an Inclusive Recovery
- BBC World Business Report discusses the challenges of reopening theatres.
- Thoughts and tips on museum reopening from Christina Lister Comms, Part One and Part Two.
- A overview of reopening dates and measures across Europe.
- Reports from 28 European countries about the implications of lockdown and the measures being taken to limit the spread of infection.
- The National Museum Directors' Council guidelines on reopening museums
- UK Government guidance on how to keep your workplace safe during coronavirus for heritage sites and the visitor economy.
- Arts Professional article; "How To Tell Audiences You're Open For Business Again"
- Global Museum Reopening Tracker.
- International Council of Museums advice re reopening.
- American Alliance of Museums reopening guidance and example plans.
- Association of Children’s Museums resources and advice re reopening.
- ICO Survey on reopening of independent cinemas.
- The first blog from a series by ICO about reopening European cinemas
- Sam Freeman has some useful (if sweary) thoughts on his blog, e.g. re: seating plans and changes to marketing
- A guide from Libraries Connected on how to reopen libraries.
Specific examples...
- Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Berliner Ensemble seating.
- A reopening video from the RAF Museum
11. Looking to the Future
There’s plenty of discussion of ways in which we should work differently in future…
- Evidence from the USA that news about the COVID vaccine is already changing people's plans to visit cultural attractions.
- The American Library Association have looked at possible short and long-term implications of the pandemic.
- Insights from Baker Richards on whether to pass on the VAT reduction.
- The WeWillRecover initiative, of which The Audience Agency is a leading partner, has been convened to help organisations get back on track during these unprecedented times.
- Dave O’Brien’s submission to DCMS highlighted that, in terms of inequality, there is already a crisis in the sector, which risks getting far worse.
- Andrew Miller highlights how this is true in terms of inclusion of D/deaf and disabled people.
- Liz Hill’s article in Arts Professional highlights calls for real action to follow words of support for Black Lives Matter and #TheShowMustBePaused.
- Julie’s Bicycle is asking for A Just and Green Cultural Recovery.
- McKinsey has 15 emerging themes for boards and executive teams.
- Evidence-based forecasts about the future of workplaces.
- 19 Ways of Looking at a Crisis, a valuable collation of links by Mark Robinson.