FEATURE ARTICLE 1: HOW CULTURED IS OUR CULTURE?


INTRODUCTION

This article highlights results from the 2005-06 ABS Survey of Attendance at Cultural Venues and Events.

During the 12 months before interview, approximately 90% (227,600 people) of the Australian Capital Territories' (ACT) resident population aged 15 years and over (253,500 people) attended at least one cultural venue or event asked about in the survey. This was the highest attendance rate of all the states and territories and was five percentage points higher than Australia (85%).


CULTURAL VENUES AND EVENTS

The ACT, compared with all other states and territories, had the highest attendance rate for nine of the twelve venues and events:

ATTENDANCE AT CULTURAL VENUES AND EVENTS, By ACT and Aust.
	Australian Capital Territory		Australia
	Number	Attendance rate	Number	Attendance rate
	'000	%	'000	%
Art galleries	100.6	39.7	3 630.7	22.7
Museums	120.0	47.3	3 611.9	22.6
Zoological parks and aquariums	104.8	41.4	5 699.8	35.6
Botanic gardens	112.4	44.4	5 390.9	33.7
Libraries	88.4	34.9	5 454.5	34.1
Classical music concerts	33.7	13.3	1 508.1	9.4
Popular music concerts	86.3	34.1	4 035.9	25.2
Theatre performances	64.8	25.5	2 723.2	17.0
Dance performances	42.1	16.6	1 625.0	10.2
Musicals and operas	48.4	19.1	2 613.9	16.3
Other performing arts	50.0	19.7	2 655.0	16.6
Cinemas	180.7	71.3	10 431.4	65.2
At least one venue or event	227.6	89.8	13 574.1	84.8
Source: Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4114.0).

South Australia had the highest attendance rates for Libraries (40%) and Other performing arts (21%), while Western Australia had the highest attendance rate for Zoological parks and aquariums (43%). The ACT had the second highest attendance rates for Zoological parks and aquariums (41%) and Other performing arts (20%). The two most popular cultural venues for ACT residents were Cinemas (71%) and Museums (47%). For the rest of Australia, Cinemas were the most popular cultural venue.

Overall, attendance rates for ACT females (92%) were higher than for ACT males (88%). ACT resident females account for higher attendance rates than ACT resident males in all cultural venues and events, except for Popular music concerts, where males had a higher attendance rate (37%) compared with females (32%).

ATTENDANCE BY AGE GROUPS

In the ACT, people aged 15-34 years were more likely to attend at least one cultural venue or event, with an attendance rate of 93%. Attendance rates decreased for older age groups with people aged 35-54 years recording an overall attendance rate of 91%, and people aged 55 years and over recording an attendance rate of 84%.

ACT residents aged 15-34 years and 35-54 years had the highest attendance rate at Cinemas (83% and 72% respectively). Whereas ACT residents aged 55 years and over recorded an attendance rate at Cinemas of 53%, but had the highest attendance rates for Art galleries (42%), Museums (49%), Botanic gardens (55%), Classical music concerts (20%) and Theatre performances (28%). Those aged 35-54 years had the highest attendance rate for Libraries (37%), Dance performances (20%), Musicals and operas (23%) and Other performing arts (21%).

ATTENDANCE BY EQUIVALENT GROSS HOUSEHOLD INCOME

For the ACT, as equivalent gross household income increased, so too did attendance rates for each of the cultural venues and events in this survey. ACT residents who attended at least one venue or event with household income in the fourth and highest quintiles had an attendance rate of 97%, with those in the third quintile reporting 87% attendance, and those in the lowest and second quintiles reporting 76% attendance.


FREQUENCY OF ATTENDANCE

The cultural venues and events which were frequented four or more times by ACT usual residents and had the highest rates of attendance were Libraries (75%), Cinemas (68%), Popular music concerts (36%) and Art galleries (35%).


ATTENDANCE BY COUNTRY OF BIRTH

For the ACT, the attendance rate for people born in Australia who attended at least one venue or event was 92%. For those ACT residents born overseas in main English speaking countries who attended at least one venue or event it was 89%, and for those born in other countries it was 79%. ACT residents who were born in Australia had the highest attendance rate for Cinemas (76%), whereas those who were born overseas in main English speaking countries had the highest attendance rates for Botanic gardens (67%), Museums (62%), Art galleries (53%), Zoological parks and aquariums (50%), Libraries (41%) and Theatre performances (33%).

ATTENDANCE BY SELECTED CULTURAL VENUE

The ACT, as the nation's capital, attracts visitors to a number of its national institutions, not only from ACT usual residents, but from interstate visitors and international visitors.

The venue with the highest number of visitors in the financial year 2007-08 was the National Museum of Australia with 1,007,856. This was an increase of 7% from the previous 12 months. The venue with the second highest number of visitors was the Australian War Memorial with 873,547, up by 3% from the previous 12 months.

Between 2005-06 and 2007-08, attendance rates increased for the National Museum of Australia by 31% (237,255 visitors), Australian War Memorial by 10% (80,214 visitors), Australian National Botanic Gardens by 8% (36,609 visitors) and Questacon decreased by 0.4% (1,441 visitors).

Of the five venues, Questacon is the only one to charge an admittance fee.