Scottish Government

STATISTICS ON CULTURAL PARTICIPATION AND ACCESS - FINDINGS FROM RECENT SCOTTISH SURVEYS - APRIL 2009

The Scottish Household Survey, Sports and Culture Module provides the Scottish Government's most detailed statistics on cultural attendance and participation. Statistics from this are used below to illustrate how cultural engagement varies with socio-demographic factors (for example - highest qualification, deprivation, disability).

Scottish Household Survey Culture and Sport Module - People and Culture in Scotland (published Nov 2009 using data from 2007 and 2008 combined - sample of c6,800 adults in Scotland)

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/11/24085939/0

Participation

• 78% of adults had participated in cultural activities in last 12 months.
• Reading for pleasure (64%) was the most popular activity. The most popular activity not associated with reading was performance - which includes any kind, e.g. theatrical or playing music (21%).
• Women were more likely than men to have participated in any cultural activity (82% v 72%).
• Participation was highest among 16-24 year olds and lowest among 75+ years (83% v 71%).
• Participation rates increase from those in the most deprived SIMD quintile group (67%) to those in the least deprived (87%). The differential is greater for particular activities listed which involve purchases e.g. buying a book - most deprived (26%) and least deprived (53%). Participation in some activities is similar across SIMD groups e.g. writing poetry - most deprived (3%) v least deprived (3%).
• Although overall participation is similar across urban-rural groups, some specific cultural activities do show a marked difference with rurality. For instance, wood crafts were done by a greater proportion of people in remote rural areas (8%) compared to those in large urban areas (3%); and photography was undertaken by 12% in remote rural areas compared to 7% in large urban areas.
• Participation is lower in those with a disability (72%) compared to those without (80%). Some activities e.g. textile crafts show higher participation in the group with illness or disability (15% v 13%).
• Cultural participation is greater in groups with higher levels of academic attainment - those with a degree or professional qualifications (91%) compared with those with no qualifications (59%). For some specific activities, those with a degree were two or more times as likely to have participated e.g. play a musical instrument (for own pleasure) - those with degree or professional qualifications (19%) v those with no qualifications (3%). More costly activities such as 'bought original craft objects for yourself' show an even more marked difference (24% v 5%)

Attendance

• 75% of the population had attended cultural events in last 12 months.
• Attendance is slightly higher for women (77%) compared to men (72%).
• Attendance is highest amongst the 16-24 age group (88%) and lowest in the 75 years and older age group (49%).
• Attendance rates increase from those in the most deprived SIMD quintile group (62%) to those in the least deprived (87%). Their were very clear differences for attendance at classical music - most deprived (2%) v least deprived (13%).
• Attendance at cultural events was lowest in small remote towns (69%) and highest in large urban areas (78%). Those in remote rural areas were less likely to go to the cinema (45%) than those in large urban areas (61%). Conversely, those in remote rural areas were more likely to have attended a craft exhibition (21%) compared to those in large urban areas (11%).
• Attendance is lower amongst those with a disability (57%) than those without (81%). Those with a disability were less than half as likely to have attended some types of live music event (12%) than those with no disability (27%). Disability appears to be more of a barrier to attendance than to participation. As poor access to buildings was rarely given as a reason for not attending cultural events, the barrier might relate to undertaking the excursion (transport difficulties or not feeling up to it - poor health).
• There is a trend for cultural attendance to be greater in groups with higher levels of academic attainment - those with a degree or professional qualifications (91%) compared with those with no qualifications (48%). Visiting art or sculpture exhibitions reveals very clear differences - those with degree or professional qualifications (45%) v those with no qualifications (9%).
• Seeing a film was most common kind of event attended (55%). Cinema was also one of the more frequently attended types of event with one quarter of film goers attending at least once per month.
• Going to the library was measured separately - 49% of the population had gone to the library in last 12 months, with 13% of library goers having visited at least once a week, and a further 34% at least once a month.
• Visits to historical sites were measured separately - 53% of the population had attended some historical site in the last 12 months:

· Those in the age groups 25-34 years (63%) and 35-44 years (61%) where most likely to attend.

· Those in the oldest age group of 75+ years (33%) where least likely to attend.

· Those from SIMD 1 (most deprived areas) were less likely to attend (37%) than those from SIMD 5 (least deprived areas) (65%).

· Access to a car appears to be associated with attendance; those with no car (37%) compared with those with access to one (56%). This might help to explain why those on low incomes - up to £5,199 (47%) - were less likely to attend than those on high incomes - £36,400 - and above (74%). This mirrored the pattern with qualifications - those with no qualifications (32%) v those with degree or professional qualifications (76%).

• Visits to museums and galleries were measured separately - 38% of the population had attended in the last 12 months:

· Those aged 25-34 years (45%) and 35-44 years (43%) were most likely to attend.

· There is a steady increase in attendance from most deprived areas (28%) to least deprived (51%).

· Reflecting location of facilities, those in large urban areas (45%) were more likely to attend than those from small remote towns (29%). Access to a car appears to be less important for visits to museums and galleries than was seen for historical sites - those with no access (29%) v those with access to a car (39%) than was seen for historical sites. This might suggest that people travel to historical sites by car but for museums and galleries (which are often close to city centres) lack of access to a car is less of a barrier to attendance.

· Long term illness or disability (29%) appears to be a barrier to attendance when compared to those without (41%).

· Those with a degree or professional qualifications (62%) were far more likely to attend than those with no qualifications (20%).

· There is a trend for attendance at museums and galleries to increase with increasing income.

Commentary

These statistics show the main characteristics for cultural attendance and participation, including identifying social groups who are under-represented.

· Cultural participation and attendance both sit at 75% or above.

· Reading for pleasure, and performance, are the most popular types of participation (reading being by far the most popular).

· Women tend to participate more than men.

· Attendance and participation rates are lower for those in the highest age range.

· The same is true for those living in deprived areas.

· Participation and attendance show a generally increasing trend with increasing income (except that those in the lowest income band of up to £5,199 do not show the lowest levels of engagement). This might reflect a time factor with pensioners and students (who tend to be on low incomes) also having more spare time.

· Income may have more of an influence participation and especially attendance for those living within a particular SIMD deprivation level.

· Participation and attendance patterns for some specific activities are location-dependent, based on urban/rural classification. One possible explanation might be a difference in the availability and accessibility of facilities, and of activities not reliant on communal cultural facilities, e.g. crafts, photography, which are more popular in the more rural areas.

· Differences were more marked for participation and attendance by those with a disability, who clearly are less engaged with cultural activity than the rest of the population; and

· A very clear difference was also seen between those with and without academic qualifications - those who have qualifications participate in and attend cultural activity markedly more than those who don't.

The effect of some demographic factors is being considered in relation to a further piece of analysis (in progress) that is looking at the effects of exposure to culture at a young age.

Evidence identifying these groups as "under represented in culture" is also provided from the main Scottish Household Survey (SHS) and, the Scottish Arts Council's (SAC) "Taking Part" survey.

The three surveys do have different purposes and provide different information.

· The principal purpose of the main SHS survey and its questions on participation and attendance is that it will allow us to analyse these high level data at local authority level. Local authorities can use these data as their baseline against which to measure cultural participation and attendance in their areas, and progress against the national performance framework.

· The principal purpose of the Culture and Sport Module is to look in detail at participation and attendance including attitudes, barriers, encouragement to participate/visit more, reasons why people do and do not participate etc. However, the Module also provides high level participation rates for a wider range of activities that are not explicitly captured by the main survey, and covers additional areas such as internet use, volunteering and childhood exposure to culture. The sample size is small and may be inadequate for some demographic breakdown.

We use the SHS main survey's participation and attendance findings, at local authority level, while using the Culture and Sport Module to look more deeply into attitudes, barriers, effect of exposure to culture when growing up etc for further policy analysis and development.

For information, the SHS statistics take a broad-based approach and are gathered using random representative sampling.

· The SAC Taking Part survey allows measurement differences year on year. The use of quota sampling allows investigation of cultural participation and attendance amongst ethnic minorities (relatively small numbers live in Scotland). Deeper analysis of the Taking Part data has been conducted which identifies education as the strongest factor in influencing cultural engagement http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/information/publications/1006111.aspx.

A general observation which sometimes is made about cultural statistics is that higher levels of participation might be attributable to the impact of a percentage of people reading only one book in a year.

The SHS main survey statistics show that 81% of those who had read a book in the last year had done so at least once a week, whereas only 1% had only read on a single occasion in the whole year.

Similarly for attendance, attendance at cinema for example is not dominated by those who attend once per year. Reassuringly, the SHS main survey shows that while only 3% of those visiting the cinema in the past year had done so 'at least once a week', a further 25% had done so at least once a month, and 42% at least 3-4 times a year.

This shows that, particularly as regards reading for pleasure, the vast majority of people who read books do so very frequently, and those who have only read one book in the last year only represent a very small proportion of the population.