1.4.1 Cultural events

The Gallup questionnaire in East Iceland starts every autumn for Alcoa Fjardaal. Questions are asked about the availability of cultural events, and their results are published here. In 2020, 537 persons responded to the survey.

Figure 3. The average on a scale of 1-7 is based on participants' responses. Totally satisfied (7), Very satisfied (6), Rather satisfied (5), Neither (4), Rather dissatisfied (3), Very dissatisfied (2), and Completely dissatisfied (1).

Figure 4. Distribution of answers in 2016-2021 for the question: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with a range of cultural events in East Iceland?

Updated: March 23, 2023
Source: Capacent Gallup opinion poll 2022

What is measured?

Satisfied population with the availability of cultural events (project effect: derivative).

Monitoring Protocol

A sample survey among residents in East Iceland.

Target

Not applicable, monitoring only.

Possible countermeasures

Not applicable, monitoring only.

At the annual meeting of the initiative, May 8, 2018, the following change was approved:

The rationale for changes: The argument for the change indicator was discussed in group work at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The following were stated.

Problem: Measurement of inaccurate and subjective assessment of information gathering based on the outcome. The definition of "cultural events" is not clearly defined in the monitoring plan.

The working group concluded that this indicator was significant for the project, and it was necessary to measure development somehow. Problems concerning the definition of "cultural events" were discussed, and satisfaction was a better measurement method than counting advertised events. Instead of a stiff definition of what a cultural event is, it was proposed to allow respondents to decide what a cultural event is without defining it further.

The question may sound as follows: "How satisfied are you with cultural events in the area?" The respondents were then allowed to express their satisfaction measurably with a subjective judgment that does not require definitions of the word "cultural event."

Comment on this measure is that participation in cultural events could be explored in addition to the availability of cultural events.

The steering group entrusted this method of measurement in practice. No decision was made on a survey of participation in cultural events.

This indicator was originally number 10.1. It was then named Cultural Opportunities and can be found under that number in the project documents from 2005 and 2006.

The indicator number has been changed twice.

At the beginning of the project, the aim was to look at the number of cultural events per year. Today, the development of the population's satisfaction with the availability of cultural events is being monitored, and the original baseline is not relevant for this indicator.

The baseline for current indicator monitoring.

Original baseline

Access to cultural opportunities contributes significantly to a resident’s quality of life. Being able to take advantage of cultural opportunities will encourage employees and their families to build an attachment to the area. This is important for the social well-being of current residents and new residents that move into the area.

From phase I/II report on indicators and baseline from April 2005

The following figures and information published here are not according to the monitoring plan and are only intended for information.

However, the figures are of such a nature that they indicate the availability of cultural events in East Iceland. All figures are gathered from Statistics Iceland.

Figure 5. The number of amateur theaters in East Iceland and guests at their productions 2000-2014.

Theater groups can be of various sizes, from small amateur theater groups to large professional theater groups. From 2002-2017 were 4-6 amateur theater groups in East Iceland, but in the 2016/2017 season, 3 amateur theater groups were active.

Here you can see the number of visitors to amateur theater productions. In 2002/2003 was the largest with almost 5.000 theatergoers when seven theater groups were active. In the 2016/2017 theater year, the number of theatergoers was 1.488, split amongst 3 amateur theater groups.

Museums

Mynd 3. The number of museums, centers, exhibitions, and parks in East Iceland and visitors from 2000-2018.

Museums of various kinds can attract visitors and reflect a flourishing cultural life. Locals and tourists can visit museums that can range from local museums to art museums. Statistics Iceland manages the number of exhibition spaces and the number of exhibition guests. Museums and exhibition sites include museums and exhibits, monuments and museums, local museums, historical museums, art museums, and nature museums.

The number of visitors to museums and exhibitions was 60,948 in 2010. It is safe to say that there has been a great increase in exhibition spaces and visitors since the turn of the century. In 2000, about 30,000 people attended museums and exhibitions, but there were more than 70,000 visitors six years later. In 2014, there were almost 50,000 visitors.

Updated: December 7, 2020
Source: Statistics Iceland

• Amateur theater companies by region 1980-2017 - Groups
• Amateur theater companies by region 1980-2017 - Guests
• Museums and related activities by type and region 1996-2018
• Visitors in museums and related activities by type and region 1995-2018

Source: Ívar Jónsson (2007)

Ívar Jónsson (2007) Árangursmat á samningi ríkisins og sveitarfélaganna á Austurlandi frá 14. maí 2001 og 15.mars 2005 um menningarmál. (Icelandic)