NOVEMBER 2021 - New South Wales Snapshot - Audience Outlook Monitor

We know nothing about how this virus will behave in future.’ Confidence in the success of the vaccination program tends to be higher in outbreak- affected states like NSW, VIC (45% very confident), and the ACT (45% very confident) – where vaccine rates are higher and audiences are seemingly acclimatising to the idea of a ‘COVID-normal’ world. [...] NSW audiences are wary of the risk of transmitting the virus or being a close contact and needing to isolate When asked what would prevent them from attending arts and cultural events in the next year, NSW audiences were most likely to name risks arising from virus circulation – such as the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus (54%, up from 48% in July 2021) or the risk of being a close c. [...] Online participation Half of NSW audiences are participating in arts and culture online – and they are more likely to be paying for their experiences In the first half of 2021, participation in online arts and cultural activities trended downwards after an early pandemic ‘boom’ in 2020 – with many audience members reporting ‘screen fatigue’ and an eagerness to return to regular, in-person attendan. [...] They do so much for us.’ 4 in 10 NSW audiences would be happy to attend a digital alternative to a cancelled event In November 2021, audiences were asked ‘In the case of a future live event being cancelled due to COVID-19, how likely would you be to attend a digital program featuring elements of the planned event?’ Nationally, half say they are unlikely to attend a digital program (50%), though a. [...] This means I can still get most of the experience of the event plus the organisation hosting it can still get the revenue.’ The viability of digital alternatives may depend on the type of event – and in some cases, hybrid options are appealing Some audiences qualified that their interest in a digital alternative to a cancelled event depended on the nature of the event, saying that some translate t.