Arts broken by the pandemic

Covid & costs blamed for drop-off in young

- GRAINNE NI AODHA

YOUNG people are shunning plays, art exhibitions and other cultural performances because they never formed the habit of attending them during the pandemic, the Arts Council has warned.

Head of the council Maureen Kennelly said the fall of 16 to 24-year-olds is "worrying" and could lead to them "losing a generation of audiences".

She said although attendance across all age groups was lower in 2022 when compared to 2019, the largest decline was among young adults.

The numbers of 24-year-olds attending Arts Council-supported events fell from 64% in 2019 to 52% in 2022.

Their research also found young people who are attending them are doing so less frequently.

REVERSE

The same age group is also the least likely to have attended these events for the first time - a reverse trend of what would have been expected.