People who frequently attend cultural events tend to live longer

. However, after controlling for all those factors the authors were able to say that 'our results show that people attending cultural events seem to live longer than those who attend rarely'.
The study looked at adults in Sweden over a 10 year period
The researchers used data from a national survey that took a representative sample of the population and interviewed them about a range of cultural activities, their health, lifestyle and other demographic details. They then followed up with 12,675 of
By | 9 December 2013 |

Live jazz: the importance of the audience-performer relationship

post-1960s jazz. The research describes the ‘bittersweet struggle’ between performers and their audiences to ‘keep at bay the aspects of the relationship which are unhelpful whilst drawing on those that make live performance a worthwhile activity for them’. To be successful, the expectations of all involved must be balanced, for example in relation to the choice of repertoire or use of stylistic innovation.
From passive to active audiences: a new area of interest for research and practice
The
By | 12 January 2017 |

Your arts engagement is partly shaped by where you live

This research was conducted by Hei Wan Mak, Rory Coulter and Daisy Fancourt at University College LondonSummaryThis paper looked at the relationship between people’s arts engagement and the characteristics of where they live. The study uncovered geographical differences in the levels and types of arts engagement. For example, active arts participation was lower in the North of England (and not just because people there tended to be poorer than average). When it came to arts attendance, the

Mobile technology will not widen the audience for live classical music

. Focus groups held with concert-goers who used the app suggested it wasn’t an appropriate way to deepen the live experience or expand the audience, although it was an efficient way of selling tickets.The research was based on seven focus groupsAll but one of the groups took place immediately after the concerts. In total 81 students took part in the research. Short questionnaires were also completed by 68 of the focus group participants. The profile of the students was generally more affluent and
By | 5 May 2015 |

Engagement with contemporary visual art can improve the lives of older people

cultural, health and voluntary sectors. However, engagement in the arts decreases significantly in people over the age of 64.  Gender, disability, ethnic background and socio-economic group can impact upon participation, and education will often play a determining role in the level and frequency of engagement. How can galleries ensure that a diverse range of older people are able to benefit from engaging with contemporary visual art?
Arts activities should involve a social element
The feedback from the
By | 5 May 2015 |

Men tend to be perceived as creative more often than women

This research was conducted by Devon Proudfoot, Aaron C. Kay and Christy Z. Koval at Duke University, USA.
Summary
Even when producing identical outputs, men are perceived as more creative than women, and ‘outside-the-box’ creative thinking is associated with stereotypically masculine characteristics. The study provides a statistical analysis of reactions to online TED Talks showing that ingenuity is heavily more associated with men than women. When it comes to evaluations at work, women are
By | 31 July 2017 |

The factors that make local museums more vulnerable to funding cuts

This research was conducted by Bethany Rex at Newcastle UniversitySummaryThis paper examined why – in the face of government cutbacks – some museums ‘retain funding and status as part of direct public provision while others are identified to be transferred to community groups via the asset transfer process’. It discovered that ‘certain types of museum’ are more vulnerable to being treated in this way. In general, local authorities are motivated to ‘renounce responsibility for museums that

Arts engagement is associated with increased wellbeing and connectedness, and less intense loneliness

. However, the study also discovered a ‘positive association between more arts engagement and depression and intense emotional loneliness for the most highly engaged’.The study was based on a new online survey of more than 5,000 people in the UKThe ‘health, economic, and social impacts of the arts’ survey looked at a wider range of arts activities than most surveys of this type. It also asked about the nature of the engagement – specifically, whether it was done together or alone. This enriched

Taking a work online may increase audiences but not diversify them

operetta and ballet). In essence, they found that ‘the profiles of live and online cultural consumers differ’ but that socio-demographic factors like age and income ‘are much more important for explaining the likelihood’ of attending in person. ‘Whereas age, gender, educational achievements and labour status are really helpful in explaining who the live attendees are, these variables are less relevant for characterising online consumers’. Taking a performance online will widen its audience but

Singing and dancing in groups is associated with increased wellbeing

details including satisfaction with standard of living, health, life achievements, community, safety and relationships. The survey did not ask about how frequently people engaged with music or their level of musical talent.
Wellbeing was higher amongst people who danced and sang
People who sang with others had higher scores in all areas of wellbeing compared to those that did not sing. Similarly those who danced with others had higher scores on satisfaction with health, achieving in life, and
By | 22 June 2017 |