4147.4.55.001 - Culture and Recreation News, Sep 2009  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/09/2009   
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UPCOMING SPORT AND CULTURE HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS

There is much activity happening in relation to our core culture and sports collections at the moment. Some have been completed, some are currently in the field and one is currently under development. The surveys that have recently been completed are the survey of Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities and the survey of Cultural Funding by Government. For further details on these two surveys and their associated publications, please refer to the relevant sections of this newsletter.


PARTICIPATION IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL RECREATION

Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation is currently being surveyed as a module of the 2009-10 Multi-Purpose Household Survey (MPHS). The survey collects information about people's involvement in sports and related activities in the 12 months prior to interview, including the type of activities undertaken; the frequency and regularity of participation; and whether participation was organised or informal.

The survey questionnaire for this topic has remained mostly unchanged from the last survey conducted in 2005-06, with one additional question being asked. This question is asked of respondents who participated in sport and physical recreation regarding the facilities used when participating.

The results of this survey will be published in Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation (cat. no. 4177.0) in late 2010.


ATTENDANCE AT SPORTING AND CULTURAL EVENTS

Attendance at sporting events and at selected cultural venues and events are also currently being surveyed as separate topics as part of the 2009-10 MPHS.

The Sports Attendance survey obtains information about the characteristics of persons aged 15 years and over who attended sporting events as spectators (excluding junior and school sport) in the 12 months prior to interview, as well as the type of sport attended and the frequency of attendance.

The Cultural Attendance survey requests information regarding attendance at art galleries; museums; zoological parks and aquariums; botanical gardens; libraries; archives; classical and popular music concerts; theatre performances; dance performances; musicals and operas; other performing arts; and cinemas.

The results of these two surveys will be published in Sports Attendance (cat. no. 4114.0) and Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events (cat. no. 4174.0) respectively in late 2010.


CULTURAL PARTICIPATION

A new survey about adult participation in selected cultural activities is currently under development. In the last edition of Culture and Recreation News, we advised that the survey was anticipated to go into the field in April 2010. Due to the nature of the survey requiring a personal interview methodology, a decision was made earlier this year to swap to a survey vehicle which allowed a personal interview approach. Information will now be collected over 12 months for the period 2010-11 and will go into the field in June 2010, with the results released in late 2011.

Although still subject to testing, it is intended that the survey will collect information about adult participation in selected arts activities for three main activities and will seek more information about the characteristics of that participation, such as the reasons for participation, frequency, whether ever completed a course or qualifications in that activity and whether paid for that activity. This survey replaces a previous culture survey 'Work in Selected Culture and Leisure Activities'.