Pop Art
Wed, 31 July 2002, 01:18 pmcrgwllms12 posts in thread
Pop Art
Wed, 31 July 2002, 01:18 pmAn article in the New York Times today claims that the number of arts festivals happening nationwide over there has reached a record high of about 3000, drawing audiences of around 130 million.
I roughly estimate those attendances as being about 45% of the USA's population, although it doesn't account for the fact that obviously a much smaller arts-going population must be attending multiple events to give that sort of box office estimate.
And also, that's still only 1 festival every 96,000 head of population.
I wonder what percentage of our population attends arts events? How many festivals do we have in Australia, compared to our population?
And I wonder what sort of similar comparison could be made with the people who attend our traditional form of culture - sporting events?
Is it possible to increase the general status of arts events in Australia? Are we hindered or helped by our smaller population?
Food for thought.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/30/arts/30SUMM.html?pagewanted=1&todaysheadlines
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
I roughly estimate those attendances as being about 45% of the USA's population, although it doesn't account for the fact that obviously a much smaller arts-going population must be attending multiple events to give that sort of box office estimate.
And also, that's still only 1 festival every 96,000 head of population.
I wonder what percentage of our population attends arts events? How many festivals do we have in Australia, compared to our population?
And I wonder what sort of similar comparison could be made with the people who attend our traditional form of culture - sporting events?
Is it possible to increase the general status of arts events in Australia? Are we hindered or helped by our smaller population?
Food for thought.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/30/arts/30SUMM.html?pagewanted=1&todaysheadlines
Cheers,
Craig
[%sig%]
Re: Pop Art
Wed, 31 July 2002, 02:09 pmWalter Plinge
crgwllms wrote:
"Is it possible to increase the general status of arts events in Australia? Are we hindered or helped by our smaller population?"
I've always maintained that the small (relatively speaking) population of our nation, coupled with a national characteristic toward the apathetic, does make any artistic endeavour difiicult to garner interest in. How do we change it? I don't know, but as a comparatively young nation with a broad and diverse palette of cultural influences to draw on, it shouldn't be too hard to define ourselves and our culture. Or is it that the palette is TOO broad for us? Surely not....
El
"Is it possible to increase the general status of arts events in Australia? Are we hindered or helped by our smaller population?"
I've always maintained that the small (relatively speaking) population of our nation, coupled with a national characteristic toward the apathetic, does make any artistic endeavour difiicult to garner interest in. How do we change it? I don't know, but as a comparatively young nation with a broad and diverse palette of cultural influences to draw on, it shouldn't be too hard to define ourselves and our culture. Or is it that the palette is TOO broad for us? Surely not....
El
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