Geographies of Engagement: Spatial Understanding of Arts Attendance

How can we explain geographical differences in arts audiences? Do arts lovers move so they're closer to performances, or to each other? Do venues set up in locations where an audience is already there? Or is it all three? And how do these factors vary across the country? This project will use data from Audience Finder - a very large database of transactions at cultural venues - to explore these questions and advance our understanding of the spatial dynamics of arts audiences. The project will also have a particular focus on visualisation: how geographic patterns of audience membership can be communicated with the cultural sector. The project offers a suberb opportunity to make a distinctive contribution to cultural policy as well as sector impact.