Arts audiences: insight [PDF 6.5 MB] - Arts Council England

Retired arts and crafts 3% of English adultsHome-loving and practical, Retired artsand crafts favour a regular routine anda slower pace of life. They are sociallyconscious and ethically responsible.Good health is of utmost importanceto this group, so they are watchful oftheir diet. They are prudent with theirmoney, budget carefully and look outfor special offers. That said, they willnot hesitate to pay for quality and forwell-established brands.Their leisureRetired arts and crafts spend a lot of theirfree time at home. They like to watch TV,read, cook and do DIY. They also really enjoyspending time outdoors gardening.If they venture from home, it might be toattend a garden show or to play a gameof bingo. Holidays involving little physicalexertion, such as cruises or coach tours,are preferred, and they tend to visit Englishregions or Wales rather than going overseas.When shopping, they look out for offersand tend to stick with ‘tried and tested’products, typically shopping at Wilkinsons,Holland & Barrett, Bonmarché, Somerfieldand Bhs.Their arts• in their leisure time Retired arts and craftsengage in home-based arts and craftsactivities• by far the most popular activities aretextile crafts, such as knitting, embroideryor crocheting, but some in this segmentalso enjoy other types of crafts, playingan instrument and photography• they are currently unlikely to attend anyarts events, most often citing poor healthand lack of interest as their main reasonsfor not goingEngaging with Retired arts and craftsWhile this group is already engaged witharts and crafts as part of their home-basedleisure, attending arts events does not fitinto their current lifestyles. Organisedgroup trips to events, includingtransportation to and from the venues,might be effective in appealing to thisgroup, echoing their holiday preferencesfor low-exertion, collective activities.Recognising the barriers to engagement isalso important for this group, particularlythe impact of poor health. Therefore,supporting home-based crafts activities andensuring there are opportunities to continueor expand these interests through localgroups and networks might prove effectivefor engaging this group.Their demographics• aged 60 or over• a higher than average proportion of thisgroup – two thirds – are women• almost entirely from a white ethnicbackground• live without children in the household;just over a half are married and live withtheir spouse, a third are widowed• a higher than average proportion – aquarter – live in rural areas• a higher than average proportion –around a half – report fair or poor healthand have a limiting long-term disability,illness or infirmity• most are not currently working• skew to lower levels of education andintermediate and lower occupations43 Arts audiences: insight