Take part in the IMPACT survey

What are we doing?

We are running a post-visit audience survey to evidence the impact of attendance at arts and cultural organisations and spaces across Northern Ireland. We’ve named it the IMPACT Survey - Impact Measurement of People Attending Culture Today.

Why are we doing it?

There is a large amount of research on the impact of cultural participation (including alleviating loneliness, promoting positive aging and inclusion), however, very little research has been done on the impact of cultural attendance. What does going to an art gallery give people, versus attending a concert or seeing a dance performance? How do various factors (like art form, age, or frequency of attendance) affect how people feel after attending something?

What’s the ultimate goal?

To show local government and funders what the impact of cultural attendance is, in hard facts and figures. We know that cultural attendance has a significant impact on people, but we need the data to prove it. But in order to do this, we need your help.

What do you get out of it?

We’ll give you a reporting link, so you can access your data in real-time. You’ll see your audience demographics, behaviours and preferences, and the direct impact you’ve had on them. There will be an open-ended question, so you can quickly lift audience quotes for funding applications.

We’ll be sharing the total NI-wide results every quarter, so you’ll be able to compare your data with others in the sector, in addition to contributing to the sector’s insights. We’ve done a similar data collection project in the North West, and in the last year we’ve worked with 40 arts, culture, and heritage organisations to collect a total of over 3300 survey responses.

How can you take part?

• You can sign up to the project here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/IMPACTthrive
• We will meet with you to discuss the easiest ways you can collect data from your audiences. This can be via newsletter, post-visit email, social media, paper surveys, or signs in your venue. We’ll provide recommended copy and can even create the signs for you.
• We ask that you send out the survey continuously to recent visitors throughout the year. We plan on collecting data from September 2023 until March 2024.

Interested in learning more? You can read our FAQs or sign up now.

The IMPACT Survey is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.