The DataArts survey, funded by Houston Endowment and distributed in partnership with Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Museum District, Houston Theater District and Miller Outdoor Theatre, will tell us the status of our arts and culture audiences, establishing a baseline we can use to measure progress over time. Your participation is crucial to ensure the success of this project. It should take you no more than five minutes to complete this survey.
Why this survey is important: Arts, culture and creativity are an important part of our quality of life, and in Houston the arts and culture sector is an important part of the local economy. The sector must be diverse and inclusive in its leadership, workforce, creative talent, patrons and participants to remain relevant and representative of our changing society. Knowing the demographic makeup of our arts audiences is one key tool to help us ensure all residents of Houston have equal access to the profound benefits offered by the arts.
What the survey asks: The survey asks questions about gender, heritage (such as race and ethnicity), age, disability status and LGBTQ identification.
Who should fill out the survey: Individuals who are audience members at arts organizations across Houston will respond anonymously. If you attend performances, exhibitions, and other events at more than one organization, you may receive this email more than once. You only need to respond to the survey one time.
What will happen to your data: The survey is administered by DataArts (formerly the Cultural Data Project). DataArts will analyze the data and report back to us on aggregate findings. Only DataArts will have access to individual responses.
You have until June 8th, 2018 to complete the survey. If you have any questions about this survey or how the data is being used, please email demographics@culturaldata.org.
What is this survey?
The Greater Houston Arts & Culture Audience Demographics Survey is a project that will help the arts and cultural community understand who attends performances, events, exhibitions, and other events, establishing a baseline for measuring progress in the years to come. Your participation is crucial to ensure the success of this project.
Funded by Houston Endowment and distributed in partnership with Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Museum District, Houston Theater District and Miller Outdoor Theatre, this study is administered by DataArts (formerly the Cultural Data Project), a national organization working with over 18,000 arts and cultural organizations.
Why is this survey being undertaken?
Arts, culture and creativity are an important part of our quality of life, and in Houston the arts and culture sector is an important part of the local economy. As Greater Houston is one of the most diverse Metro Areas in the U.S., the sector must be diverse and inclusive in its leadership, workforce, creative talent, patrons and participants in order to be to remain relevant to and representative of a diverse community. Knowing the demographic makeup of our arts audiences is one key element to help us ensure all residents of Houston have equal access to all the opportunities and benefits offered by the arts.
How is the survey being distributed?
A survey link was sent to Houston Endowment, Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Museum District, Houston Theater District and Miller Outdoor Theatre to send to their affiliated organizations. Individual organizations are being asked to send the survey link to their audience members via email to complete the survey. Because of this, you may have received the survey link twice, from different organizations. You only need to take the survey once.
How long does the survey take?
It should take no more than five minutes to complete this survey.
Do I have to give my name?
No. This survey is entirely anonymous.
What will happen to my data?
The survey is administered by DataArts, which has a strong reputation for data security and confidentiality. DataArts will analyze the data and report ONLY the aggregate findings, nothing about individual survey-takers.
I can't find the organization(s) on the list with which I'd like to affiliate.
The survey allows respondents to affiliate with as many of the 700+ participating organizations with which they would like. It’s a long list, so be sure to scroll through it carefully. For a PDF of the list, click here. Check to see if the organization you are looking for is listed under an acronym or other version of its name. For example, if the organization name starts with “Houston” it might be listed under “The Houston…”. If you still can’t find it, send us an email at demographics@culturaldata.org.
I've already completed the survey but I received another email asking me to take the survey, what should I do?
If you’ve already completed the survey, thank you! You do not need to complete it again and you may disregard any follow-up emails asking you to complete it.
It says I’ve already completed the survey but I haven’t. What should I do?
Please try one of the following:
• Open the survey link in a different internet browser.
• Delete the cookies from your browser, then click on the survey link again.
• Or, try to use a different computer or device to access the survey.
If none of those work, please contact us via email.
Am I required to participate in this survey?
No. Your participation is encouraged but it is entirely voluntary.
What kinds of questions are in the survey?
The survey asks questions about gender, race and ethnicity, age, disability status and LGBTQ identification. All questions have a “I prefer not to answer” option. For a full list of survey questions, click here.
Why those questions?
The five question areas were developed during an extensive, eighteen month period of pilot testing and in consultation with arts and cultural leaders representative of many constituents within the sector. Initially, questions about LGBTQ identification were not part of the survey but were added after an outpouring of comments from survey-takers asking for this topic area to be included. We also ask for some pieces of information (e.g. Zip code) which can be helpful because additional relevant data can be accessed from other sources (e.g. U.S. Census) that can be useful. We have considered adding other types of questions and appreciate feedback on the survey. Please send feedback to demographics@culturaldata.org.
Wasn't there a Houston Arts & Cultural Demographics survey last year (in 2017)?
This Audience Demographics Survey is part of a larger, multi-phase pilot study by DataArts funded by the Houston Endowment. The overall study looks at Audience Demographics, Workforce Demographics, and U.S. Census data to develop an overall picture of the nonprofit arts and cultural community in Greater Houston. In fall of 2017, DataArts conducted a Workforce Demographics survey, and more than 1,700 persons responded, representing staff, board, independent contractors, and volunteers from more than 130 organizations in Greater Houston. As with this Audience Demographic Survey, any public findings will be on aggregated data and will not specify individuals or organizations. A public report on the overall study will be issued later in 2018.
Will data about myself or my affiliated organizations be made public?
No. Any public findings will be on aggregated data and will not specify individuals or organizations. Organizations receiving a significant number of survey responses (100 or more responses from audience members affiliating with organizations with annual budgets of more than $1million, 50 or more responses from organizations with annual budgets of less than $1million) will receive a summary report that aggregates data from those responses. As this survey is part of a 3-year pilot study funded by the Houston Endowment, the summary reports will be shared with that funder, as part of the Endowment’s and DataArts assessment of the overall pilot study.
If you have any further questions, please email demographics@culturaldata.org.
About DataArts: DataArts is a nonprofit organization that empowers the arts and cultural sector with high-quality data and resources in order to strengthen its vitality, performance, and public impact. The Cultural Data Profile (CDP) is DataArts’ flagship service, which thousands of cultural nonprofits use annually to report their financial and programmatic information. DataArts is committed to advancing policies and practices that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization and across the arts, culture, and humanities sector. Having reliable information on arts and cultural audiences will help the sector reflect and respond by identifying trends, opportunities, and gaps in ways that inspire action and change when needed. The DataArts workforce and audience surveys is the result of robust collaboration with organizations from across the nonprofit and public sector, including dozens of public and private grantmaking entities, which are conducting complementary demographic data studies. Learn more at www.culturaldata.org.
DISCLAIMER: Collecting and sharing this optional demographic information is strongly encouraged as a best practice that can make your work more effective; however, this survey is voluntary. You may complete some, all, or none of the questions. It is entirely up to you, and your choice will have no bearing on the status of your organization's Cultural Data Profile. All information will be aggregated anonymously and reported back to your organization's primary contact. Only DataArts will have access to individual responses. DataArts uses demographic information to tailor our services to the nonprofit arts, cultural, and humanities sector, and to further our mission to empower the sector with high-quality data and resources in order to strengthen its vitality, performance, and public impact. Grantmakers will have access to aggregated survey data for your organization, as well as a complete aggregated roll-up of the survey data for all organizations in their applicant pool. DataArts may allow third-parties, such as researchers, advocates, educational organizations or service providers, to use aggregated data from the survey for the purposes of serving or informing the nonprofit arts, cultural, and humanities sector and its stakeholders. On occasion, DataArts may also share aggregated survey information with other partners, researchers, and service providers in order to create, test, and market new services and tools for the nonprofit arts, cultural, and humanities sector. By taking this survey, you agree to the uses of your data described here and acknowledge that any interpretation or view expressed in any work product created using any aggregated survey dataset will be solely that of the researcher or other user.