1143.0.55.001 - Directory of Culture and Leisure Statistics, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 13/08/2002   
   Page tools: Print Print Page  
Contents >> Alphabetic index of collections >> Public attitudes to the arts

PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO THE ARTS

PURPOSE

To collect information about public attitudes to the arts. In addition, some information is collected about the exposure of the public both to the arts and to sport.

DESCRIPTION

The Public Attitudes to the Arts collection was conducted as part of the Population Survey Monitor (PSM) collection for November 1997. Interviewers conducted a total of about 3,000 interviews Australia-wide. The PSM covered all usual residents aged 18 years and over in private dwellings in both urban and rural areas of all States and Territories of Australia. However, persons living in remote and sparsely settled areas were excluded from the collection. All persons living in non-private dwellings were also excluded.

GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE

Australia

FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION

Irregular

DATA ITEMS

Number of persons

The total number of persons in Australia aged 18 years and over.

Activities included in the arts

People were asked to indicate, for each category of activity, whether they regarded it as being part of the arts. The activities are:
Plays, ballet and opera
Architecture and design
Painting, drawing and sculpture
Photography
Literature, books and poetry
Sport
Music (concerts, orchestra, singing)
Craft, pottery and weaving
None of the above
Don't know

Perceived importance of cultural venues

Records the level of importance a person places on having a cultural venue in their own community. The levels of importance are:
Very important
Important
Not important
Don't know

Type of cultural venue

Classifies cultural venues into several categories. The categories are:
Cinemas
Museums
Performing arts venues
Art galleries
Libraries

Travel time to nearest cultural venue

Records the range into which falls the time a person takes to travel to the cultural venue nearest to their place of residence. The time ranges are:
Less than 15 minutes
15 but less than 30 minutes
30 but less than 60 minutes
60 minutes and more
Don't know

This data item is used to classify travel to the nearest:
Cinema
Performing arts venue
Art gallery

Attendance

Attendance at venues and activities during the last twelve months is divided into categories. These are:
Attendance at performing arts
Attendance at other cultural venues
Attendance at sporting events

Attendance at performing arts

Attendance at performing arts during the last twelve months is divided into categories. These are:
Attendance at musical theatre
Attendance at dance performances
Attendance at popular music concerts
Attendance at classical music concerts
Attendance at theatre (other than musical)

Attendance at other cultural venues

Attendance at other cultural venues during the last twelve months is divided into categories. These are:
Attendance at museums
Attendance at art galleries
Attendance at libraries

Cultural venue attendance status

Indicates whether a person attended a cultural venue during the last twelve months.

Support for Government funding

People were asked to indicate, for each category of the arts, whether they thought it should receive some Government funding. The categories are:
Live theatre
Libraries
Art galleries
Orchestras
None of the above
Don't know

Information sufficiency status

People were asked to indicate the level of sufficiency of the information they were receiving. The levels are:
Sufficient
Insufficient
No interest

This data item is used to classify:
Information about the arts
Information about sport

Information sources

Records the sources from which people obtain information about the arts, or about sport. The sources are:
Newspaper articles
Magazines
Books
Television
Internet
Radio
Other
Don't know
No interest

Television programs usually watched

The categories of television programs a person usually watches. The categories are:
News
Current affairs
Sport
The arts
None
Don't know

Television programs wanted more often

The categories of television programs a person would like to see more often. The categories are:
News
Current affairs
Sport
The arts
None
Don't know
Don't watch the categories in the survey

Geographic area

Data are available for Australia and States and Territories.


Demographic characteristics

Demographic characteristics for which information is available include:
Age
Sex
Country of birth
Region of residence (metropolitan, other urban or rural)

Socioeconomic characteristics

Socioeconomic characteristics for which information is available include:
Labour force status (employed, unemployed or not in the labour force)
Educational attainment

Other topics of interest

Other topics about which data were collected as part of the Population Survey Monitor in November 1997 were:

Art and craft purchases
Individual donations

HISTORICAL DATA

Similar data were collected for the Australia Council in 1989, 1992 and 1994 by the Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne.

DISSEMINATION

Publications

Australian Bureau of Statistics and Australia Council for the Arts 1998, Public Attitudes to the Arts, Australia, November 1997, Cat. no. 4157.0, ABS, Canberra and Australia Council, Sydney. Price $22.00.

CONTACT

In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.

Manager
National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 2272
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Telephone: Adelaide 08 8237 7326
Facsimile: Adelaide 08 8237 7366
Email: nccrs@abs.gov.au



Previous PageNext Page