29th April 2026
The Limits of Demographic Data in the Arts: Post-event Reflections from Prefer Not To Say
The Limits of Demographic Data in the Arts: Post-event Reflections from Prefer Not To Say
What’s the point of collecting demographic data? And why don’t people want to provide it?
Our new Head of Sector Development Dr Verity Peet shares three musings inspired by Prefer Not to Say.
1. We contain multitudes
The number of people not answering survey questions about personal matters like religion, sexuality or disability has become a big problem in recent years. Not just for us at thrive but for everyone involved in research. Why?
Are you weary of being asked the same question? Wary of who is asking? Worried about why? Yes, yes, yes, all of that, but there’s something more. We are becoming more aware of the complexities of our identities and the multitudes within.
Take me for example. I’m an atheist but ‘perceived as Protestant’. I was born in England but have spent most of my life in Northern Ireland. I’m bisexual but frequently assumed to be straight. I have dependents but only sometimes. I wear hearing aids but don’t identify as disabled. I like pizza but not more than once a month…
Why are we bothering to ask Section 75 questions if people aren’t answering? Is there a better way of assessing whether our public money is being distributed fairly? Is there a better way of asking the same questions? What might that look like for our IMPACT research programme?
2. Cherry picking
Did you know that, according to the Continuous Household Survey carried out by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, engaging in the Arts is more popular than engaging in Sport or even engaging in Walking? No, I didn’t either before this event. It’s not the story of arts engagement that we’re all familiar with, is it? Thrive’s IMPACT data also tells us that 91% of people attending arts events rated their experience as good or very good. Again, not the narrative we often hear. So, who is cherry picking the data and why?
Cue pondering policy, policymakers and exactly what information they are being presented with. The data on the reality of arts engagement exists. The data on return on investment in the arts sector exists. Shouldn’t that be what informs arts policy?
And if it isn’t, then what is it? What is it the arts are expected to do?
3. Side effects
Depending on how old you are, you might recall a time when the arts didn’t have to reduce social isolation, improve community relations, boost mental health, attract tourists, ‘placemake’, regenerate deprived areas and create a nighttime economy. (Did I forget anything?)
In the desperate scrabble for the meagre scraps those funding streams offer, we’re in danger of forgetting the fundamentals of what art is about: creativity, invention and imagination. Pretty core ingredients for human development, right?
The other stuff is just happy side effects.
So how do we convince the policymakers of that? Do we go full circle and stop measuring the instrumental qualities of the arts in favour of the intrinsic? Do we point to others who champion the arts in their economies? It’s hard not to look south and see a place that seems to value the arts as a fundamental necessity for life. Why don’t our politicians?
Dr Verity Peet Dr Verity Peet email address link Dr Verity Peet Linkedin link
Head of Sector Development
Dr Verity Peet
Head of Sector Development
Verity leads the Sector Development team and is focussed on developing and supporting the arts sector, particularly through engagement with the IMPACT research programme. With over 25 years’ industry experience straddling arts, heritage, media and tourism, including more than ten years transforming an old church into a thriving arts and heritage venue, Verity is well-equipped to understand the trials and tribulations facing the sector and to devise initiatives for its support and development.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently thinking about what how we ensure both the sector and individual organisations get the best use from the IMPACT data. And I’m getting out and about to meet everyone and find out their needs.
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