Seppo Suominen Essays on cultural economics

4.8Appendix

The results (A4-1) are equal to the 1999 survey (Kulttuuripuntari): women go more often than men, highly educated are more active and the differences among provinces are substantial.

Based on the statistics above the theatre visitor density did not change essentially during the 1990’s except that the youngest and citizens living in eastern Finland may have increased the visitor density. In 1991 35 per cent of the youngest (10-14 years old) visited theatre while the same figure in 1999 was 40 per cent. In eastern Finland the share of visitors increased from 30 to 35 per cent. The visitor density of the dance performances was roughly half of the theatres and there no substantial changes took place during that decade. The opera and concert performances increased especially among the 25-44 and 45-64 years-old cohorts and in the Uusimaa region (both the Helsinki metropolitan area and eastern Uusimaa province). In comparison the spectator frequency of the sport events and competitions decreased. The majority of the sport spectators are men. The audience survey of two regional and occasional operas at Pori and Tampere (Kivekäs 1991) reveal that the visitors have on average a higher education than those of the theatres but it is to some extent lower than that of the National opera and the Savonlinna opera festival. During the autumn season in 1999 the Pori opera was distinctively opera for local residence while the audience at Tampere opera was more national. The audience of the Savonlinna opera festival has a high education: more than 55 per cent have a university degree. There are more women than men, the 60—69 years-old cohort is the largest if the audience is classified with ten year spaces (Mikkonen and Pasanen 2009). By far the most of the spectators come from other cities during the summer holidays since the opera festival is kept in July and August. The music festival in Kangasniemi which is similar from its music species event has a similar audience than Savonlinna opera festival (Mikkonen, Pasanen and Taskinen 2008).

The figures in the Culture barometer (Kulttuuripuntari in table A4-2) are substantially higher than those presented above. The reason for these higher figures is not known. The leisure activities: culture and sport statistics are based on interviews on the use of leisure time made by the Statistics Finland. The 1999 figures were collected between March 1999 and February 2000, while the Culture barometer data was collected in connection with the labour study. One commercial research institution (Taloustutkimus) has conducted several surveys on the visitor density of theatre, opera or ballet performances on the basis of assignments by the association of Finnish theatres (Suomen teatterit). The sample size has been around 1000 in the surveys in 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007 (table 4-1 in text).