In late 2022, CircuitWest engaged Culture Counts to research performing arts audience attendance in Western Australia and gain insight into arts and culture motivators, barriers and behaviours at a population level.
The CircuitWest Audience Research Project was undertaken in collaboration with a cohort of WA-based performing arts organisations looking to understand how audience behaviour may have changed in recent years. The cohort included FRINGE WORLD Festival, Perth Festival, Black Swan State Theatre Company, Spare Parts Puppet Theatre, The Blue Room Theatre and Barking Gecko Theatre.
In planning the research, considerations were given to other research initiatives, including the Audience Outlook Monitor, the WA Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ Arts & Culture Monitor, Australia Council’s National Arts Participation Survey, and the National Endowment for the Arts General Social Survey.
The individual results for members of the research cohort were shared in January 2023. This public release represents the aggregate and anonymised analysis of the data, along with critical insights that came out of further discussion and analysis, as motivated by the cohort.