From the Field

Untapped Opportunity: Older Americans & the Arts

Culture Track, in partnership with E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, has just published a new report, Untapped Opportunity: Older Americans & the Arts. It provides data on people aged 55 and over, detailing their experiences with the arts. The report offers a national portrait of demographic data, comparing people aged 55+ with those under 55 in their socioeconomic status, social attitudes, and how well they coped mentally and emotionally with the pandemic. Responses suggest that older adults want to stay culturally engaged, enjoy many of the same arts activities as their younger counterparts and place a higher priority on social connection. The data also reveals that as people age, creativity is more important for their sense of accomplishment. Likewise, participating in person tends to be more desirable for those aged 55-84 than for younger adults.

2022 Orchestra Repertoire Report

The 2022 Orchestra Repertoire Report, from the Institute for Composer Diversity (ICD) and the League of American Orchestras, assesses the repertoire programming of women, composers of color, and living composers by professional orchestras in the United States for the 2021-2022 season. Examining trends in programming since 2015, performance of works by the identified composers have increased by 400%, from 4.5% in 2015 to 22.5% in 2022. To get the data, season announcements and the websites of medium- and large-budget orchestras were mined for real-time information. Future reports will be published on the ICD website.

EDI Case Studies from American Orchestras

The League of American Orchestras also has published a series of EDI Case Studies from American Orchestras. The seven “Catalyst Snapshots” offer insight into how major American orchestras promote and engage in activities related to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Interviews with board members and leadership highlight how they managed successes and challenges, from increasing board diversity to sustaining equitable changes. Each case study ends with a short section of additional resources and contact information for the interviewees.

2022 National Census of History Organizations

The American Association of State and Local History released The 2022 National Census of History Organizations, the first census of its kind. The “History Census,” conducted by researchers from George Mason and Drexel Universities and funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, provides a high-quality, up-to-date, comprehensive list of and descriptions of 21,588 history organizations in the United States. Organizations include history museums, historical societies and related organizations. The report includes history, figures, maps and analyses of the data collected. The History Census initiative will help organizations, researchers and advocates to better understand the field, seek grants and enable partnerships.