Cultural engagement in Scotland: what is it and why does it matter?

What is engagement like for different Local Authorities in Scotland in 2022?^[12]

Trends at the national level are useful for summarising what is happening overall in Scotland. However, they mask differences Local Authorities and subgroups of the population. This section of the report looks at how cultural engagement, attendance and participation varied across different Local Authorities in Scotland.

Cultural engagement

Whilst 88% of adults in Scotland were engaged with culture in the last 12 months in 2022 levels of engagement varied by Local Authority (Figure 4).

The Local Authorities with the highest percentage of adults engaged in culture were Perth and Kinross (97%), Aberdeen City (94%), East Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, East Dunbartonshire, Scottish Borders and Argyll and Bute (all 93%) (Figure 4).

The Local Authorities with the lowest percentage of adults engaged in culture were Na h-Eileanan Siar (79%), Glasgow City and West Dunbartonshire (82%) (Figure 4).

Percentage of adults culturally engaged in the last 12 months, 2022, Local Authority areas in Scotland

Attendance at cultural events or places of culture

Seventy-four percent of adults in Scotland attended a cultural event or place in 2022, when cinema was included, although levels of cultural attendance varied between Local Authorities (Figure 5).

East Renfrewshire had the highest percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place of culture in 2022 (87%) followed by Perth and Kinross (84%), Stirling and East Dunbartonshire (both 82%). The percentage of adults who attended a cultural event or place in 2022 was lowest in Na h-Eileanan Siar (47%) followed by Orkney Islands and Dumfries and Galloway (both 66%) (Figure 5).

When cinema was excluded, attendance was highest in East Renfrewshire and Perth and Kinross (both 79%) and lowest in Na h-Eileanan Siar (40%), Highland and North Lanarkshire (both 56%) (Figure 5).

Percentage of adults who attended any cultural event or visited a place of culture in the last 12 months, 2022, Local Authority areas in Scotland

Participation in cultural activities

In 2022, three-quarters (75%) of adults in Scotland participated in some form of cultural activity in Scotland in the last 12 months when reading was included. However, levels of cultural participation varied between Local Authority (Figure 6).

The Local Authority with the highest percentage of adults who participated in cultural activities in 2022, when reading was included, was Perth and Kinross (92%) followed by Shetland Islands (88%) (Figure 6).The percentage of adults who participated in a cultural activity in 2022 was lowest in Angus (58%) and Glasgow (64%) (Figure 6).

When reading was excluded, participation was highest in Shetland Island (74%), Dundee City (70%) and Perth and Kinross (66%) and lowest in Angus (33%), West Dunbartonshire and Midlothian (both 36%) (Figure 6).

Percentage of adults who participated in any cultural activities in the last 12 months, 2022, Local Authorities in Scotland