More Edmontonians attending arts events, but participation barriers affect many, survey suggests

The number of Edmontonians attending arts events appears to be rising, but most are encountering barriers to participation, according to results from a survey conducted for the Edmonton Arts Council.

The Edmonton Arts Council presented results from its annual survey research project at the Prince of Wales Armouries on Wednesday morning, sharing insights from three separate arts-related surveys with artists and arts organizations. 

The non-profit's survey of members of the public found that 87 per cent of Edmontonians had attended at least one type of live performance or arts event in Edmonton in the past year — up from 64 per cent in 2022 — but 77 per cent of respondents said they encountered some barriers to taking part in arts opportunities. 

Tickets being too expensive, not knowing how to find out about events and having difficulty finding time to participate with the most frequently mentioned barriers — each cited by nearly 40 per cent of respondents. 

The market research company Advanis conducted the public survey for the Edmonton Arts Council last year. Some 1,521 Edmontonians participated in the survey, which had a response rate of 23 per cent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 per cent. The company randomly selected people on the phone from its general population sample and asked them to fill out online surveys.

"Barriers to participating in Edmonton cultural activities can be complex, but there are still areas where we have control over how we respond to those barriers," said Abby Burbank, a research analyst for the Edmonton Arts Council, during Wednesday's presentation.

When asked how to remove participation barriers, respondents most often suggested offering discounts for specific groups, allowing affordable or flexible payments and making locations more accessible, among other measures.

Results from the Edmonton Arts Council's survey echoed those in one conducted in 2023 by Stone-Olafson for arts funding organizations in Alberta.

Seventy-seven per cent of the 166 Edmontonians surveyed in the fall of 2023 said finances kept them from attending more arts events. 

Executive director Renee Williams said the Edmonton Arts Council will be helping organizations understand the research and ways of addressing participation barriers.

"Maybe it's strategies like pay-what-what-you-will, maybe it's reduction nights, maybe there's a reduced price for students," she said.

One Edmonton theatre company, in a bid to rebuild audiences and address residents' cost barriers, launched a pay-what-you-will pilot for its 2024-2025 season — and the results are already paying off. 

Jake Tkaczyk, general manager of Workshop West Playwrights' Theatre, said the theatre company was inspired by a similar initiative at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria, B.C.

Since bringing in the new system, the theatre company has seen a 45 per cent increase in ticket revenue compared to the previous year, subscribers have increased by 90 per cent, and ticket sales have already surpassed the previous year's total.

"We've seen a lot of engagement and especially people who haven't been to our shows before or who were ten years ago but haven't been able to afford it," he said.