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

What is engagement like for different people in Scotland in 2022?^[16]

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

For space reasons, this report focuses on breakdowns where there is a large difference and / or measures that are reported on in the National Performance Framework. All breakdowns are however contained in the accompanying excel workbook.

Attendance at cultural events or places of culture

Figure 7 and Figure 8 shows that in 2022 attendance at cultural events or places of culture is higher for:

• Adults with a degree or professional qualification
• Younger adults
• Adults with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more
• Adults in employment
• Adults living in the 20% least deprived areas
• Adults with no disability
• Adults who are gay, lesbian or bisexual
• Adults not living in rural Scotland

Highest level of qualification

As shown in Figure 7, 2022 data shows attendance at cultural events or places declined with the level of qualifications. Adults with a degree or professional qualification were more likely to attend cultural events or visit places of culture than those with no qualifications (88% compared to 40%). The pattern holds when cinema attendance was excluded (83% compared to 31%).

Whilst there is a gap in participation between adults with a degree or professional qualification and adults with no qualifications the gap in attendance was a lot bigger.

As with the overall figure, attendance at individual events or places was consistently higher for adults with a degree or professional qualification (Table 9.4 in the supporting excel workbook). The most marked differences between those with a degree or professional qualification and those with no qualifications could be seen for:

• Cinema (60% compared to 19%) and
• Historic places (47% compared to 9%).

Age

In 2022, younger age groups were noticeably more likely to have attended a cultural event or visited places of culture in the last 12 months than older age groups (Figure 7). Eighty-five percent of 16 to 24 year olds had attended or visited a cultural event or place in 2022 compared to 44% of those aged 75 and over. The pattern holds when cinema attendance is excluded although the difference was smaller (71% and 41%).

Table 9.4 in the supporting excel workbook shows that patterns of attendance varied across most individual events and places between age groups in 2022:

• Seventy-one percent of adults aged 16 to 24 reported having been to the cinema in the previous 12 months, compared with 14% of those aged 75 or over.
• Over four in ten of 16 to 24 year olds (43%) attended a live music event, compared with 8% of those aged 75 or over.

However, attendance at certain events and places, such as the opera, classical music performances, archives and records office, book festivals and dance show events, was similar for both the youngest and oldest age groups.

Net annual household income

In 2022, as shown in Figure 7, cultural attendance increased as net annual household income increased in 2022. Attendance was highest for those with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more and lowest for adults with a net annual household income of up to £10,000 (87% compared to 54%). The pattern holds when cinema attendance was excluded (78% compared to 44%).

These patterns are consistent with the differences observed for cultural participation although the gap in attendance between adults with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more and those with a net annual household income of up to £10,000 is larger than for participation.

With the exception of visits to the archive or records office attendance at individual events or places was consistently higher for adults with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more (Table 9.7 in the supporting excel workbook). The biggest differences in attendance between those with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more and those with a net annual household income of between £0 and £10,000 was seen for:

• Cinema (61% compared to 34%),
• Live music events (41% compared to 20%) and
• Historic places (38% compared to 18%).

Economic status

In 2022, adults in employment were far more likely to attend cultural events or places than adults permanently retired from work (84% compared to 56%) (Figure 7). The difference in attendance was smaller when cinema was excluded: 74% of adults in employment compared to 52% of adults permanently retired from work.

Attendance in individual cultural events or places varied by economic status (see Table 9.13 in the accompanying workbook). The biggest differences betweend adults who were employed and adults who were permanently retired from work were seen for:

• Cinema (61% compared to 25%),
• Live music events (40% compared to 18%),
• Historic places (35% compared to 23%) and
• Museum (30% compared to 19%).

Deprivation (measured by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)

As shown in Figure 8, levels of cultural attendance in 2022 increased as deprivation, measured by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD 2020), decreased. Attendance was lowest for adults living in the 20% most deprived areas and highest in the 20% least deprived areas (61% compared with 86%). When cinema attendance was excluded, the difference was even greater (51% compared to 80%).

The gap in attendance between adults in the 20% least deprived areas and adults in the 20% most deprived areas was larger for attendance in cultural events or places than for participation in cultural activities.

Those living in the 20% most deprived areas were less likely than those living in the 20% least deprived areas to attend and visit all individual cultural events and places listed in the question apart from archives or record offices (Table 9.6 in the supporting excel workbook). The most noticeable differences between those living in the 20% most and 20% least deprived areas was seen for:

• Historic places (16% compared to 43%) and
• Museums (17% compared to 39%).

Disability^[17]

Figure 8 shows cultural attendance was lower amongst adults with a disability compared to adults without a disability (56% compared to 80%) in 2022. When cinema is excluded, the difference was slightly smaller (49% compared to 70%).

The gap in attendance between disabled adults and non-disabled adults was significantly larger than the gap seen for participation.

Attendance at most individual events or places was higher for adults with no disability (Table 9.8 in the supporting excel workbook). The largest difference in attendance between adults with no disability and those with a disability was seen for:

• Cinema (56% compared to 30%).

This is despite going to the cinema being the most frequently attended activity for those with a disability.

Other large differences was seen for:

• Historic places (33% compared to 18%) and
• Live music events (35% compared to 21%).

Attendance at some cultural events was as high for those with disabilities as for those with no disabilities. This can be seen for visits to the archive or record office and opera.

Sexual orientation

In 2022, gay, lesbian, and bisexual adults were more likely to attend cultural events or places compared to heterosexual adults (89% compared to 73%) (Figure 8). When cinema was excluded, difference was even bigger (83% compared to 64%).

Adults who were gay, lesbian and bisexual were more likely to attend a number of individual cultural events or places than adults who were heterosexual (see Table 9.10 in the accompanying workbook). The biggest differences were seen for:

• Theatre (39% compared to 24%),
• Library (32% compared to 17%) and
• Cinema (63% compared to 49%).

Urban rural

As shown in Figure 8, adults in rural Scotland report lower levels of attendance than those in the rest of Scotland (67% compared to 75) in 2022. When cinema was excluded the difference was smaller (66% compared to 61%).

Adults living in rest of Scotland areas were more likely to attend a number of individual cultural events or places than adults who were in rural Scotland areas (see Table 9.14 in the accompanying workbook). The biggest differences were seen for:

• Cinema (52% compared to 40%),
• Museum (27% compared to 21%) and
• Art gallery (19% compared to 15%).

Sex^[18]

Unlike for participation, 2022 data showed that women were just as likely as men to attend or visit a cultural event or place in the last 12 months, both including and excluding cinema.

Table 9.3 in the supporting excel workbook, however, shows that sex differences in attendance were pronounced for particular cultural events and places in 2022. More women than men attended the:

• Theatre (29% compared with 19%)
• Library (21% compared with 14%).

Men were more likely than women, however, to attend:

• Live music events (35% compared to 29%) and
• comedy performances (12% compared to 9%).

For further breakdowns on attendance at cultural events or places of culture see the supporting excel workbook published alongside this report.

Participation in cultural activities

Figure 9 and Figure 10 shows that in 2022 participation in cultural activities is higher for:

• Adults with a degree or professional qualification
• Adults living in the 20% least deprived areas
• Adults who are gay, lesbian or bisexual
• Adults with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more
• Women
• Adults with no disability
• Younger adults (only when reading is excluded)
• Adults in employment (only when reading is excluded)

Highest level of qualification

As shown in Figure 9, participation in cultural activities in 2022 was higher among adults with a degree or professional qualification and lowest for those with no qualifications (88% compared to 54%). When reading was excluded, the difference in was even greater (65% compared to 28%).

Whilst there was also a gap in participation between those with a degree or professional qualification and those with no qualifications it was not a large as it was for attendance.

Those with a degree or professional qualification were more likely than those with no qualifications to participate in all individual cultural activities listed in the question in 2022 (Table 9.22 in the supporting excel workbook). The biggest difference in participation between those with a degree or professional qualification and those with no qualifications were for:

• Reading books, poetry or graphic novels or comics for pleasure (79% compared to 42%) and
• View performances online (28% compared with four percent).

Deprivation (measured by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation)

Figure 9 showed a large difference (18 percentage points) in cultural participation in 2022 between those living in the 20% most deprived areas and the 20% least deprived areas (64% compared to 82%). When reading is excluded, the pattern was similar (41% compared to 57%).

These patterns are consistent with the differences observed for cultural attendance although the gap in participation between adults in the 20% least and 20% most deprived areas was smaller than for attendance.

Unlike with attendance where those living in the 20% least deprived areas were more likely to attend or visit all individual cultural events or places compared to those living in the 20% most deprived areas, for participation the two groups were as likely to participate in certain individual activities (e.g. creative writing, film-making or video making and take part in a play) (Table 9.23 in the supporting excel workbook).

The most marked differences in participation between those living in the 20% least deprived areas and those living in the 20% most deprived areas was for:

• Reading books, poetry or graphic novels or comics for pleasure (74% compared to 52%) and
• Viewing performances online (24% compared to 15%).

Sexual orientation

In 2022. gay, lesbian, and bisexual respondents were more likely to have participated in cultural activities compared to heterosexual adults (87% compared to 74%) (Figure 9). When reading was excluded, the difference in participation was double (76% compared to 50%).

Table 9.27 in the accompanying workbook shows there are differences in participation across a number of cultural activities. The most pronounced differences between gay, lesbian and bisexual adults and heterosexual adults can be seen for:

• Painting, drawing, printmaking or sculpture (35% compared to 11%) and
• Viewing performances online (42% compared to 19%).

Net annual household income

As shown in Figure 9, participation in cultural activities in 2022 was highest for adults with a net annual household income £30,001 or more and lowest for adults with a net annual household income of up to £10,000 (80% compared to 69%). A similar pattern was seen when reading was excluded (56% compared to 41%).

There was also a general pattern of attendance increasing as net annual household income increased. This gap in attendance, however, was more pronounced than for participation.

Participation was higher for many individual cultural activities for adults with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more (Table 9.24 in the supporting excel workbook). The most marked differences between those with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more and up to £10,000 was seen for:

• Reading books, poetry or graphic novels or comics for pleasure (69% compared to 55%) and
• Viewing performances online (25% compared to 11%).

However, those with a net annual household income of between £0 and £10,000, and those with a net annual household income of £30,001 or more, were as likely to participate in certain individual activities (e.g. singing, painting, using a computer to produce artwork or animation, crafts, creative writing).

Sex^[19]

Figure 10 showed, unlike for attendance, more women than men reported having participated in a cultural activity in the last 12 months (80% compared to 70%) in 2022. When reading was excluded, the difference between women and men was similar (55% and 47% respectively).

Whilst levels of participation overall were higher for women, participation did vary by cultural activity. Table 9.20 in the supporting excel workbook shows more women than men participated in a number of cultural activities including:

• Crafts (28% compared with eight percent),
• Reading books, poetry or graphic novels or comics for pleasure (70% compared with 57%) and
• Dance (16% compared with seven percent).

Men, however, had higher participation rates than women in other cultural activities including:

• Playing a musical instrument or writing music (16% of men and eight percent of women) and
• Using a computer to produce artwork or animation (seven percent compared with five percent).

Disability^[20]

As we can see in Figure 10, cultural participation in 2022 was slightly lower amongst those with a disability than those without (72% compared to 76%). A similar pattern was seen when reading was excluded (48% compared to 52%).

Whilst there was differences in participation between disabled adults and non-disabled adults the gap in participation was less stark than for attendance at cultural events or places.

Participation in individual cultural activities was lower for most activities for adults with a disability compared to those without a disability (Table 9.25 in the supporting excel workbook). The most marked differences was seen for:

• Reading books, poetry or graphic novels or comics for pleasure (58% compared to 65%)

However, reading was the activity with the highest participation rates amongst adults that were disabled.

Unlike the overall participation figure, those with a disability were actually more likely to participate in the following activities:

• Crafts than adults with no disability (22% compared to 17%) and
• Painting, drawing, printmaking or sculpture (13% compared to 11%).

Age

As Figure 10 shows, cultural participation was similar across age groups when reading was included in 2022. However, participation decreased with age when reading was excluded (65% of 16-24 year olds compared to 38% of those aged 75 and over) reflecting the high level of reading amongst older age groups.

For most individual cultural activities, younger adults, particularly those aged 16 to 24 were more likely than older age groups to participate (Table 9.21 in the supporting excel workbook). The biggest difference could be seen for:

• Viewing performances online (33% of 16 to 24 year olds and six percent of over 75 year olds).

Compared to the 16 to 24 age group, those in the 75 and over age group were, however, more likely to:

• Read books, poetry or graphic novels or comics for pleasure (68% of adults aged 75 and over compared to 55% of adults aged between 16 and 24).

Economic status

Figure 10 shows, when reading was included there was no difference in participation in 2022 between adults in employment and adults permanently retired from work. However, adults in employment more likely to participate in cultural activities than adults permanently retired from work, when reading was excluded (54% compared to 45%).

Participation in individual cultural activities did however vary by employment status (see Table 9.30 in the supporting excel workbook). The biggest differences were seen for:

• Viewing performances online (23% in employment compared to 11% permanently retired from work),
• Playing a musical instrument or writing music (14% in employment compared to 7% permanently retired from work) and
• Crafts (17% in employment compared to 23% permanently retired from work)

For further breakdowns on participation in cultural activities see the supporting excel workbooks to this report.