A new Ontario Arts Council (OAC) study conducted by Nanos Research has found that the arts maintain a high level of support among Ontarians. According to the report, Ontario residents recognize the important contribution of the arts—music included—to vibrant, liveable communities. This report is a follow up to OAC’s 2010 provincial survey, and offers an important perspective on arts in the public eye.

The survey, based on a random sample of 1,004 individuals, found that a majority of Ontarians recognize the positive impact that the arts have on quality of life, community well-being, identity and belonging, and government investment.

“The results of the Quality of Life report confirm what we heard as we developed the province’s first Culture Strategy, and show that Ontarians intuitively understand that culture is a fundamentally important part of our lives and communities,” said Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “I’m proud that our government is taking steps to strengthen the arts and culture sector as we implement the initiatives outlined in the Culture Strategy, and the Ontario Arts Council is an important part of that work.”

“This study clearly demonstrates that people across Ontario believe that the arts make an important contribution to their quality of life and social well-being and that arts activities are key factors in increasing the attractiveness of their communities as places to live and work,” said Rita Davies, Chair, Ontario Arts Council.

Highlights of the survey are as follows:

Arts and quality of life

• 93% of Ontarians agree that arts activities help enrich the quality of our lives.
• 90% of Ontarians say that the arts are important to improving the quality of life in their communities.
• 85% say that the arts are important to improving the quality of their own lives.

Arts and identity and belonging

• 91% of Ontarians agree that the arts help us to understand other cultures better.
• 88% agree that participating in arts activities builds a shared sense of community identity.

Arts and community well-being

• 90% agree that an active local arts scene helps make a community a better place to live.
• 97% agree that engaging children in the arts is important to their overall development.
• 80% of Ontarians agree that an active local arts scene helps communities attract businesses.

Government investment in the arts

• 82% of Ontarians agree that helping make the arts available to people in Ontario is an important government investment.
• 79% agree that government should spend public dollars to invest in the arts.

You can read the report’s executive summary on the OAC website.