Arts Audiences
Uncovering What Drives Arts Attendance and Community Participation
What motivates people to participate in the arts? At SMU DataArts, we analyze audience behavior, uncovering trends that shape arts participation and cultural engagement. By integrating community data and millions of ticketing transactions from our partners at TRG Arts/Purple Seven, we provide arts leaders with the insights they need to deepen connections, expand access, and strengthen audience engagement.
Our research is shared through academic studies, field reports, and practical tools, offering organizations actionable data to better understand their communities and encourage participation in the arts.
The Market Intelligence Dashboard (MID) is an interactive tool that provides neighborhood-specific insights into ticket purchasing habits and demographics. With this data, arts organizations can refine marketing strategies, optimize budgets, and meet audience development goals. If you are interested in piloting the MID in your community contact us to learn more.
Notable Publications
People are Opting to Stay Home and the Effect on Arts Ticket Sales is Clear
FEB 11, 2022
Enduring COVID-related behavioral patterns have shifted ticket demand 20-25%, partly due to abstainers who are not ready to return to performing arts venues and lower participation rates among those who have returned.
Advancing Audience Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as Performing Arts Re-open
APR 29, 2021
By prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, organizations may better adapt programming to new realities with meaningful and strategic consideration of whom they will serve upon reopening.
Understanding How Distance Influences the Decision to Attend Arts Events
OCT 18, 2017
Even if perceived benefits are sufficient to entice attendance, audiences will weigh those benefits against the price of admission and non-monetary costs such as time, not knowing where to go, the hassle of parking, etc.
Linda Williams
Director, KC Melting Pot Theatre
“With the MID we've gained the ability to analyze zip code demographics, identify similar neighborhoods, assess potential ticket sales, gauge income levels, gauge how far people are likely to travel and pinpoint effective advertising outlets. This has allowed us to craft a targeted marketing strategy.”