The impact of the arts experience on audiences

Contemporary arts audiences expect to satisfy their intrinsic needs through the consumption experience and to match their values with those of their chosen art form, arts company or arts performance. They are increasingly articulate about their experience, choosing a new vocabulary to express the impact that the arts experience has on their repeat attendance. Customer satisfaction surveys fail to reveal this behaviour, nor do they serve the arts company well in market planning. The impact of the pandemic in 2020–2022 tested these intrinsic needs of audiences and, in many cases, redefined their values and behaviour, highlighting that the personal, subjective response of the individual audience member is a more reliable indicator of audience engagement and potential re-attendance.