Understanding Audiences and the Impact of Arts and Culture: Experience as the Focus of Audience Research

Authors

• Saara Moisio Helsingin Yliopisto Filosofian, historia, kulttuurin ja taiteiden tutkimuksen laitos Filosofian, taiteiden ja yhteiskunnan tutkimuksen tohtoriohjelma

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17409/kpt.60110

Abstract

Understanding Audiences and the Impact of Arts and Culture: Experience as the Focus of Audience Research

What are the meanings that people give to justify their attendance or non-attendance in culture and arts? What kind of experiences lie behind these justifications? Although there is a vast amount of knowledge on attendance and participation in culture and art, it is usually produced from the perspective of the goals of cultural administration. Therefore, in this article I suggest addressing the questions on attendance and non-attendance, participation and impact of arts and culture by focusing on the experiences of audiences. Instead of trying to develop quantitative measurements for the impact of arts and culture, the experiences of people should be understood more thoroughly. I reflect on what qualitative audience research with creative methods could provide for research as well as the development of cultural policy and public funding.

Key words: qualitative audience research, audience experience, impact of culture and art, creative methods