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Regional Comparison

The Big Cities Project

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Leisure & Recreation:

Participation in cultural and arts activities

Definition

The proportion of the population aged 15 years and over who had experienced one or more of the cultural activities included in the 2002 Cultural Experiences Survey.
Respondents were asked to report on activities they experienced over either a 12-month period (for goods and services accessed or experienced relatively infrequently) or a four-week recall period (for activities experienced on a more regular basis).

Relevance

Cultural activities are an integral part of leisure and recreation. People participate in cultural activities for a wide variety of reasons: for enjoyment and entertainment, for personal growth and development, as a means of expression, to learn new skills, to meet new people and to pass on cultural traditions.

Current level

Ninety-three percent or 2.6 million people aged 15 years and over experienced one or more of the cultural activities included in the 2002 Cultural Experiences Survey. The most popular activities (those undertaken in the four weeks before the survey) were purchasing books (43 percent) and visiting a public library (39 percent). Of the less popular activities (those experienced over the past year) the most preferred were visiting an art gallery or museum (48 percent) and attending a popular live music performance (37 percent). A lack of time and cost were the main barriers to experiencing cultural activities more often, or at all.

Figure L3.1 Proportion of the population aged 15 years and over who experienced cultural activities, by activity type and sex, 2002

Graph showing proportion of the population aged 15 and over who experienced cultural activities, by activity type and sex, 2001/2002.

Source: Statistics New Zealand (2002a)

Age differences

Younger people were more likely to experience at least one of the cultural activities than people in older age groups. In 2002, 98 percent of 15–24 year olds and 96 percent of 25–44 year olds took part in one or more of the surveyed activities. Participation was lowest among people aged 65 years and over (81 percent). Popular activities among younger people included hiring a video or DVD (53 percent) and purchasing music (49 percent). Older people (65 years and over) were more likely to visit a public library than other age groups, with 46 percent reporting this activity.

Sex differences

Women were slightly more likely to experience one or more of the cultural activities included in the survey than men (95 percent compared with 92 percent). More women than men purchased a book, visited a library and went to a theatrical performance. There was no difference in the proportion of men and women who had purchased music.

Ethnic differences

Māori were more likely to have participated in at least one of the cultural activities included in the survey than European or Pacific peoples (Māori 97 percent; European 93 percent; Pacific peoples 92 percent). Popular activities experienced by Māori included visiting a marae (69 percent) and attending a popular live music performance (40 percent). European New Zealanders were more likely to report visiting an art gallery or museum than other groups (51 percent), while Pacific peoples had the highest rate of participation in community-based ethnic or cultural activities (39 percent).

Table L3.1 Proportion (%) of population aged 15 years and over who had participated in cultural activities, by activity type and ethnic group, 2002

  Māori Pacific European
In the previous 12 months      
Art gallery/museum 42 27 51
Popular live music performance 40 27 39
Theatrical performance 18 19 30
Visited a marae 69 22 14
Ethnic/cultural activities 20 39 14
In the previous four weeks      
Book purchase 40 29 45
Visited public library 34 31 39
Music purchase 32 33 34
Video/DVD hire 39 26 31
Going to movies 23 21 30
Any cultural activity 97 92 93

Source: Statistics New Zealand (2002a)

Regional differences

In 2002, 94 percent of people living in urban areas experienced one or more of the cultural activities included in the survey, compared to 93 percent of people living in secondary urban areas and 91 percent of those living in minor urban and rural areas. The Wellington Regional Council area had the highest proportion of people who experienced at least one of the surveyed activities (97 percent), while Taranaki had the lowest level of participation (87 percent).