The #GettingBackOutdoors Survey was commissioned from Indigo by OutdoorArtsUK, as a free national online survey to capture audience views on returning to Outdoor Arts events post-lockdown.
Posted: 10/03/2022
The survey sought to expand on the data collected by Indigo in After the Interval: Act 2 and gather audiences views on their desire to attend street, rural and countryside festivals, carnivals, melas and community events in the future and what some of the barriers to attendance might be.
The survey ran from 6 July 21 August during a time which saw UK lockdown rules ease, more of the economy opening up and warmer weather encouraging people to venture outdoors again. This also coincided with the announcement on 9 July from the Culture Secretary that outdoor performances could begin taking place from as early as 11 July as part of the governments Roadmap to Recovery.
There was an initial rush of events and festivals moving online The Festival of Thrift was upcycled for the internet, Hull Freedom Festival was presented At Home and Murmuration Arts social dances became a virtual series of events. But there was a variety of responsive and adaptable shows and festivals which took place live early examples included Matt Pangs mobile Happy Heart Bike, The Bristol Coddywomple which brought street performance to doorsteps across Bristol and Markmark Productions socially distanced walkabout.
All of these artists adapted their work in some way to respond to the pandemic and worked with festivals, local authorities and producers to bring these works safely back to our streets and public spaces, with careful consideration for artists, staff, volunteers and audiences.
It is worth noting that the gathering of this data and completion of this report was written before 14 September, the date that The Rule of Six came into law. At time of writing it is not yet understood how this law will affect Outdoor Arts events.
For more information, and to read the full report, visit the website.
