Help prevent depression in old age by staying culturally active

This research was conducted by Daisy Fancourt and Urszula Tymoszuk at University College London.

Summary

This paper explored whether cultural attendance by older adults is associated with a reduced risk of developing depression. The paper considered attendance to comprise visits to the theatre, concerts or opera, the cinema and art …

What happens to cultural engagement during times of profound social change?

This research was conducted by Mikhail Sokolov at the European University at Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Summary

One of the aims of Soviet public policy was to reduce (even eliminate) the cultural distinctions between classes and professional groups by making the population more professionalised. This did not occur. During Perestrioka, when …

Using theatre to engage people in neuroscience and criminal justice

This research was conducted by Robert Blakey at the University of Oxford

Summary

This paper looked at whether people’s attitude to youth justice can be changed by watching a play about neuroscience. After watching the play, people recommended a slightly higher age of criminal responsibility than is currently the case in …

Effective community engagement during capital development projects

This research was conducted by Joanna Woronkowicz at Indiana university, USA

Summary

This paper tries to understand what happens when an arts organisation undertakes community engagement efforts to support a capital construction programme. The study used survey data from managers of non-profit arts organisations in the US between 1994 and 2008. …

Understanding the relationship between happiness and arts attendance

This research was conducted by Chris Hand at Kingston University.

Summary

This research took data from two years of the Taking Part survey (2012-2013) and compared people’s happiness levels with their arts attendance. The research was therefore based on a data set of more than 7,000 people. Overall there was …

Book-buying habits since the arrival of ebooks

This research was conducted by Paul Crosby at Macquarie University, Australia

Summary

A survey of Australian adults revealed three types of book readers. The largest group, “Technological Adopters”, tend to be younger and are equally happy with traditional printed book formats as newer digital ones. They often ‘rely on critical review …

Lowering the cost of attendance does not necessarily increase accessibility for arts events

This research was conducted by Jessica Sherrod Hale and Joanna Woronkowicz at Indiana University, USA

Summary

This paper looked at the effects of arts programming at a large university campus in the United States. In 2016 Indiana University made a big investment in on-campus arts programming, including festivals with performances, film …

How people understand social exclusion at music concerts

This research was conducted by Stijn Daenekindt at Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Summary

This paper tackles the question of why people feel that some concerts are exclusive and excluding. The data comes from a survey of people in Belgium which included questions about attitudes towards classical and pop/rock concerts. Ultimately …

Three big ideas for diversifying arts audiences

This research was conducted by Birgit Regina Mandel at the University of Hildesheim, Germany.

Summary

This paper charts an initiative called 'Intercultural Audience Development' designed to broaden and diversify the audiences for elite arts institutions in Germany. It found that diversification only happens when changes are made to the programming and …

A vibrant cultural scene helps ensure a more efficient tourism sector

This research was conducted by Calogero Guccio, Domenico Lisi, Marco Martorana and Anna Mignos at the University of Catania, Italy

Summary

This paper looks at the relationship between levels of cultural engagement and the performance of tourist destinations in Italy. It found that the regions with higher levels of cultural activity …