Word of Mouth - A survey of West End theatregoers has highlighted trends among the ticket-buying public, with word of mouth, celebrity casting and familiar source material among top draws for audiences coming to see shows.
The survey found that word of mouth was the most common reason for booking a show, with some 83.4% of respondents to the Inside the Mind of the London Theatregoer poll stating that hearing rave reviews about a production from their friends and family members inspired them to purchase tickets. But 62.6% also cited the draw of a celebrity or actor, and 68.1% of those surveyed said they were often inspired to snap up theatre seats when they were familiar with a show’s source material.
The research, conducted by live entertainment digital marketing agency Situation UK in partnership with Society of London Theatre, elicited more than 21,000 responses between March 11 and 23.
In The Ring - Circus professionals are pushing for the art form to be declared an official part of British heritage, after making appeals to the government about how circus is valued. The Association of Circus Proprietors (ACP) has welcomed news that communities from across the UK are to be invited to nominate their favourite traditions to be included within authorised inventories of the country’s living heritage. It follows ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) last year.
The ACP has expressed hope that the inclusion of performing arts as a nomination category means it will be able to secure ICH status for circus, which the organisation has “long campaigned” for. ACP chair Martin ‘Zippo’ Burton said: “Circus as we know it today was invented a little over 250 years ago here in the UK by an Englishman. The circus community is distinct from other travellers, moving from town to town to entertain, with its own distinct community. This is the unique cultural heritage of all circuses today, championed by the Association of Circus Proprietors.”
Funding Benefits - Organisations funded by Arts Council England contributed £1.35bn to the economy in 2023, topping pre-pandemic levels. Theatres, museums, libraries and other ACE beneficiaries boosted the economy at levels 17% above 2019 figures. Analysis by the Centre for Economic and Business Research found that the wider arts and culture sector injected £19.1bn in GVA into the UK economy in 2023 and supported the employment of 251,500 people – a 0.6% increase in jobs within the creative industries from 2019.
Cynthia Erivo and Kenneth Branagh lent their support to the research and to public investment in the arts, with RADA vice-president and actor Erivo saying: “I am a direct example of what Arts Council funding can result in. I started in places of training that required funding [that] helped me to get to where I am.”
Branagh added: “Public investment in the arts, through organisations such as Arts Council England, has long been essential in nurturing creativity and opportunity. Subsidised theatre, training and support for emerging artists help sustain a rich cultural landscape where talent can flourish, regardless of background.”
The full report, commissioned by ACE is titled Spillover impacts in the publicly funded arts and culture sector. It examines the indirect benefits of public investment in the arts, from skills development and the support of entrepreneurship to enhanced population health and well-being.
Farewell - Clodagh Rodgers, who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971, has died at the age of 78. Rodgers, from Warrenpoint, County Down, came fourth with the song Jack In The Box. She was chosen to represent the UK at the contest being held in Dublin, during the Troubles. Her son, Sam Sorbie, shared her death on social media: "Mum has lived an incredible life, full of love and happiness." RIP.
(Jim Evans)
