Are the spectators of performing arts and the spectators of movies the same?

5Are the spectators of performing arts and the spectators of movies the same?

5.1Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to study performing arts consumption and movies at the cinema consumption using the ISSP 2007 survey data. The question is relevant since often these are considered as substitutes in consumption (Lévy-Garboua and Montmarquette 2003, 201). A number of different socioeconomic variables are used to explain cultural consumption. The bivariate probit approach to studying performing arts and movies at the cinema consumption together is useful because it reveals substantially new evidence on the average profile of culture consumption. It is expected that females go more often to art exhibitions, opera or theatrical performances and this was supported. The results of the bivariate probit analysis also reveal that gender is important also in explaining movie attendance. Females go more often to see movies at the cinema. There is a significantly positive correlation between the error term of the explanatory relations of these two audiences indicating that there is a common background between both groups. The approach also allows finding the other relevant socioeconomic characteristics explaining cultural consumption. However, bivariate probit approach classifies consumption into two categories: yes or no. Roughly 5 percent of the consumers in the sample could be classified as heavy users, and another approach must be used to study three groups: heavy, occasional and not at all. A multivariate logit analysis is one approach to classify these groups. Using both bivariate probit analysis and multivariate logit analysis results in new evidence in cultural consumption. It is widely known that gender, age and educational level are significant variables to explain cultural consumption. It is shown with the Finnish ISSP 2007 data that besides these variables, also educational level of the spouse and the number of children significantly classify cultural consumption. Naturally the place of residence matters since in Southern and Western Finland the residential density is higher and there are more cultural institutions than elsewhere in Finland. There is only one permanent opera in Helsinki but also some opera associations that are more provisory and have performances outside Helsinki. The theatre institutions are located mostly in bigger cities, but the number of traveling theatre groups makes is possible for citizens in the countryside to go and see performing arts.

Studies related to the spectators of performing arts are rather common: females go more often and the audience is composed of middle-aged people with high educational and income levels (Baumol and Bowen 1966, Liikkanen 1996, Kracman 1996, Bihagen and Katz-Gerro 2000, Borgonovi 2004, Seaman 2005, Montgomery and Robinson 2006, Vander Stichele and Laermans 2006). Spectators of movies in cinemas are usually young students but there are no gender differences (Austin 1986 or F & L Research 1999). Recently Redondo and Holbrook (2010) showed that the family-audience profile (i.e. middle-aged with children) and the family-movie profile (various genres) are strongly associated, while young men seem to favour action, mystery, thriller and violence genres. It is also known that young males prefer action and excitement on the screen and women tend to favour emotional dramas (Kramer 1998). Typically the ticket price is substantially higher for performing arts than for movies, and this may explain the difference between age-groups: e.g. in 2009 the average movie ticket price was € 8.3in Finland and the ticket revenue per spectator was € 32.62 in the Finnish national opera. In 2009 the average ticket price in Finnish big- and medium-size theatres was €16.21 in top 30 theatres²³. The performing arts are heavily subsidized by the state (ministry of education: state aid) and municipalities since the share of the ticket revenues was only 15 % for the Finnish national opera and 20 % for the top 30 theatres²⁴.

In 2007 there were 316 cinema screens in Finland²⁵. The number of films in spreading was 410 and there were 163 premieres. The total number of spectators was 6.5 Million (i.e. 1.2 per capita). Correspondingly, there were 46 drama theatres subsidized by law with 12,361 performances and 2,446,500 spectators, 16 summer theatres with 821 performances and 35,1473 spectators, and 51 theatre groups outsize the law subsidies with 4,139 performances and 465997 spectators. Overall this means 103 theatres and 16,695 performances and 3,066,530 spectators, i.e. 184 spectators per performance or 0.57 per capita. Moreover, the Finnish national opera²⁶ and other operas (13 local operas with only few performances) had 285 performances with 182,728 spectators (641 per performance). Furthermore, 39 dance theatres (including the National Ballet) gave 2,377 performances with 523,620 spectators (220 per performance).²⁷ The total number of different plays performed in the drama theatres during the season 2006 – 2007 was 357 and there were 118 premieres. A large majority (203/357) of the plays were written by a Finnish writer (e.g. Saisio, Nopola, Wuolijoki, Krogerus.). English (e.g. Shakespeare, Pownall, Russell), American (e.g. Woolverton, Quilter, Williams), Swedish (e.g. Nordqvist, Lindgren), French (e.g. Duras, Molière) and Russian (e.g. Gogol, Tshehov) plays were the most performed foreign ones. Practically all dance theatre performances except The Finnish National Ballet were of domestic origin, whereas the ballet and opera plays were mostly of foreign origin. In top 10 towns according to the movie spectator number, the admissions per capita for movies and drama theatre performances²⁸ are highly correlated (0.81), hence the supply conditions for both cultural events are fairly equal. Urban citizens have better access both to the cinema and to the theatres and concerts than people living in the rural areas.
However, it is not known whether the spectators of movies and performing arts are the same. Especially middle-aged high-income highly educated women seem to favour performing arts. Are they also movie lovers? A bivariate probit model is a nice method to study this question since the model enables to evaluate the marginal effects, both direct and indirect. In the table 1 four recent surveys have been compared. The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP 2007) study is most useful since the variables in that study are suitable.