PAST INITIATIVE
The Audience Outlook Monitor helped artists and cultural organisations connect with audiences during the pandemic.
From 2020 to 2023, Patternmakers led the Australian Audience Outlook Monitor, as part of an international effort to track audience sentiment.
The way people engaged with arts, culture and creativity changed dramatically during the pandemic. Artists and cultural organisations needed to continually innovate the events they programmed, their marketing and their policies.
In partnership with US research agency Wolf Brown, the Australian version was designed as a public tracking study of audience sentiments during the pandemic years where rapid change made planning complex.
For four years the research brought timely and essential data to the sector’s decision making about planning and programming live events.
Archive of results:
Tips and tactics
Access 100s of evidence-backed tips and tactics for sustaining audience engagement during the ongoing pandemic. From communication to COVID-safety, this resource presents the facts along with practical advice from arts professionals at the ‘coalface’ of audience engagement.
Webinars
Visions for culture
We asked audiences, 'What role can arts and culture organisations play in your community, to assist with recovery from the pandemic?' They were asked to share examples, great or small, and their answers illuminate new visions for culture.
From installing street libraries to calling for the end of capitalism, audiences see many and varied roles for the arts in future.
Click the button below to explore key quotes, illustrating the themes in the data: heal, connect, place, escape, transform and remodel.
You can also explore the qualitative data according to artform and community segment, with thanks to City of Sydney.
Other resources
Book a briefing
Arrange a virtual research briefing for your organisation, or book a speaking engagement.
Questionnaire
Access a copy of the questions contained in the Survey for each Phase, free for use in your own surveying.
Methodology
Find out more about the method, including the event types included and participating organisations.
About the study
Study partners
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