Authors

• Finnish Cultural Foundation

Keywords

arts, cinema, cultural events, cultural life, cultural policy, cultural research, culture, dance, literature, museums, music, opera, performing arts, theatre

Abstract

The survey conducted in 2013 by the Finnish Cultural Foundation studied Finnish views on and thoughts about culture and its consumption.

The respondents were first asked which cultural facilities and events they had visited in the previous 6 months, in the previous 24 months, less often and which facilities and events they had never visited (e.g. theatres, museum, opera, cinema). Obstacles for attending cultural events were charted as well as the importance of different suggested purposes of art. The extent to which the respondents agreed with a number of statements relating to art and culture was surveyed (e.g. "High culture should be separated from entertainment in most cases").

Further questions probed what theatre should offer in order for the respondents to visit theatres more often, how impressed the respondents were by the works of different Finnish artists (including writers, songwriters, singers, painters, photographers, composers etc.) and how important it was for the respondents that different forms of art and culture were on offer in their place of residence. Finally, the respondents were asked whether they would have been prepared to travel 200 kilometres to visit a cultural event/facility as well as what they thought was the importance of different information sources in terms of information on culture, and the importance of different kinds of news, interviews and articles about culture and the arts.

Background variables included, among others, the respondent's age, municipality of residence (categorised), industry of employment, region (NUTS3), gender, economic activity and occupational status, major region (NUTS2), education level, household's gross annual income, personal gross annual income, household's financial situation, type of accommodation, housing tenure, self-perceived social class, party choice in 2011 parliamentary elections and if parliamentary elections had been held at the time of survey, self-placement on a left-right axis, membership of a trade union, employment status and employer type.