Derbyshire Arts Development Group – study of barriers to arts engagement

This joint study by Cultural Consortium and Nottingham Trent University set out to provide a clear, robust and multi-layered analysis of arts attendance/participation and non-attendance in Derbyshire.  The Derbyshire Arts Development Group required specific, detailed and quality information about arts audiences (and non-attenders) in the county in order to improve the arts marketing practice of its members and enable more people to take part in the arts.

The report was presented to the 2010 nalgao conference, and to the 2010 British Psychology Conference.

“This is fascinating.  I’m not aware of any study of this scale that has looked in such detail at where people engage with the arts, what types of volunteering they do and their engagement with amateur arts as opposed to professional arts.  Really important and timely stuff……a shining example of what local authorities could and should be doing to get a better understanding of what are the issues in their area that simplistic measures like NI11 will never shed light on.”

David Brownlee, Chief Executive, Audiences UK.