Press Release20 August 2014

Major survey to discover what arts and culturemeans to people in the West Midlands

24 Hour Cultural Survey to take place from noon 24th to noon 25th October People to be asked what arts and culture means in their everyday life Survey will find breadth of activity that takes place in one single day

A major survey will take place this October to discover how people experience arts and culture in their everyday lives in the West Midlands. Repondents will be asked what cultural activities they have taken part in during one 24 hour period, from noon 24th to noon 25th October.

Residents across the region, from cities to rural areas, will be encouraged to fill in the short questionnaire at www.24hourculture.co.uk, which will go live in October 2014.

The survey has been commissioned by 22 of the West Midlands’ arts organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Compton Verney, mac birmingham, the Belgrade Theatre Coventry, DanceXchange, Ironbridge Gorge Museums and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. It is hoped that the findings will be used to inform arts policy in forthcoming years, both by the organisations themselves but also by local authorities and government.

Joanna Reid, Director, Belgrade Theatre Coventry explained: “We want to encourage people to realise what arts and culture means to them in their normal everyday life. They may not think that they take part in arts and culture but my hunch is that most people do some kind of cultural activity as part of their weekly routine – from being part of a book club to playing a musical instrument for pleasure, to take part in a dance class. It all counts.”

She continued, “We have an amazing diversity of cultural life here in the West Midlands. Our hope is that the 24 Hour Cultural Survey will help people to value the part that arts and culture already plays in their life, rather like how the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Survey has made many people appreciate the bird life in their gardens. We hope that by valuing arts and culture, they will want to protect it and participate more in it.”

Findings from the 24 Hour Cultural Survey will be analysed by experts at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Audience Insight team, and will be released before the end of 2014.ENDS.

For more information contact:Helen Stallard, Co-ordinator, 24 Hour Cultural SurveyT: 0774 033 9604 E: helen@helenstallard.co.uk

1. The 24 Hour Cultural Survey will be live from noon on Friday 24 October to noon on Saturday 25 October 2014 at www.24hourculture.co.uk . Further information will be posted online prior to the survey.

2. The 24 Hour Cultural Survey has been commissioned by the West Midlands’ What Next? group and will be promoted by many arts organsations in the region. The main partners are:

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry Birmingham Hippodrome Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Royal Ballet Compton Verney Culture Coventry Dancefest DanceXchange DASH Eastside Projects Fierce Festival Ikon Ironbridge Gorge Museums Live & Local mac birmingham New Vic Theatre Phizzical Royal Shakespeare Company Talking Birds Warwick Arts Centre Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Worcester University