Cost of living outweighs covid

Relative Impact of Covid and the Cost of Living

• The cost-of-living crisis is a much greater driver of changes to engagement behaviour than Covid-19 at this stage.
• Only 24% say they agree/strongly agree that Covid-19 puts them off attending cultural events; at 61% it's more than twice that for the cost of living.
• Focusing just on those who attended less than 12 months ago (31% of the population), 36% said it was due to Covid-19, 79% due to the cost of living.

• The perceived long-term impact is lower for Covid than cost-of-living as well, with 33% thinking it was very or quite likely that Covid would impact their behaviour in 6 months and 20% in two years, compared to 77% and 58% respectively for the cost of living.
• Similarly, the cost of living is also far more important as a driver of reductions in membership and volunteering than Covid.

Attitudes to Covid

Over half of respondents now consider the risk of day-to-day Covid infection to be minimal, though 1/4 still say that concerns about transmission put them off attending cultural events - albeit far less so than the cost-of-living (c.60%)

• Covid has receded as a perceived risk, with a majority (51%) now saying that the risk of contracting or passing on Covid in day to day situations is ‘low’ or ‘very low’.

• Nonetheless, it remains a key factor for between a fifth and a quarter of people across a range of measures (e.g. ‘I wear a mask at indoor events, 22%; ‘I am nervous about using public transport because of Covid’, 27%). 24% say that the risk of Covid is putting them off attending cultural events (cf, 61% for the cost of living).
• Conversely, around a third agreed or strongly agreed that ‘in the UK at least, the pandemic is effectively over’ (34%).

Attitudes to the Cost-of-Living

1/2 of respondents are feeling financially worse off than last year, which is starkly mirrored in the 50% of respondents who say they are now attending fewer arts and culture events, mostly citing money as the primary reason.

• People are feeling worse off than before the pandemic (47% feeling worse off cf. 12% better off) and compared to last year (48% and 12%).
• This is clearly linked to attendance: those who are feeling better off than 12 months ago are as likely to say they are attending more as attending less (25% for each).

• For those who feel worse off, there is a 42% difference (8% attending more, 50% attending less).
• 56% of those attending less said that it was because of money, much more than any other reason.