Music becoming a more popular artform for Aussies, Australia Council study finds

Music remains the most popular of all artforms in Australia, with 97% of the population listening to recorded music, and 72% attending live music shows.

The latest Connecting Australians report from the Australia Council has found that 98% of Australians – across all demographics and cultural backgrounds – participated and engaged with the arts in some way or another in 2016.

Australians aged 15-24 years created and experienced the arts at the highest rates, with this age group also being the big consumers of the arts online, festivals and First Nations arts. Over a half of this age group engaged with the arts as part of their cultural background.

The report also found that one in four Australians give time or money to the arts, reflecting their value in our lives. While fewerpeopleare learning to play instruments, 81% engage in all arts forms online, 79% read books, 72% attend live arts shows and 46% participate creatively.

Online consumption of music jumped from 40% to 76%, while 87% of Australians listen to the music that they have bought or downloaded, three per cent more than three years ago. We’re listening to more music on radio and TV too, up from 87% in 2013 to 90% in 2016.

In terms of festivals, 45% of Australians make the effort to attend for any kind of arts-themed events. We attended less live music than we did in 2013, but attendance at dance or theatre events jumped from 42% in 2013 to 53% in 2016.

One other noticeable trend is that more people are drawn to First Nations arts. Last year 7 million Australians experienced it – double the number in 2009.

Engagement with the arts online is also increasing at an impressive rate, sitting at a high of 81% (up from 73% in 2013 and 49% in 2009), and rising to 97% with the 15—24 age group. One in four Australians follows an artist or organisation via the internet, and 14% create, aim to create and sell online.

Australia Council Chief Executive Tony Grybowski said that this research shows more clearly than ever what an essential role the arts play not only in daily life, but also in building social cohesion which promotes a healthy and inclusive public life for all Australians.

“The research demonstrates that the arts have a unique capacity to connect Australians from diverse backgrounds, and that two in three of us believe the arts help us to understand other people and cultures, and allow us to connect to others,” he said.

”We are highly connected digitally and yet we live in a global era of growing social, cultural and political division that is being evidenced through major social threats.”

Grybowski explained that the findings confirm that Australians undoubtedly believe the arts contribute to addressing these issues through breaking down barriers, promoting inclusion and creating understanding.

“There is also a high public scepticism about arts funding, and who define the arts as highbrow and elitist,” he continued.

So the question is, given the rate of participating, shouldn’t so much arts funding be directed to the opera and the ballet, with relatively little participation, and be moved to something more pop and street culture?

In other words, it needs to be more inclusive and diverse.

The report is at http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/research/connecting-australians/.