Visitors
Introduction
The visitor evaluation in 2024, as for 2023, focused strongly on establishing details relating to visitor profile.
The opportunity for comparison with previous years' evaluations is therefore limited.
The sample base of visitors in 2024 was 173 completed interviews, with 113 being completed on Saturday 21 September and 60 interviews completed on Sunday 22 September.
The vast majority of interviews were conducted between 11am-2pm (89 interviews) and 2pm - 6pm (77 interviews). 6 interviews were conducted 6am - 11am and 1 interview was conducted 6pm-11pm.
Engagement
Visitor sex and gender identity
Chart 1: Sex of visitors
Sample bases = single response for each year, all visitors who provided a response; 2015 = 125 visitors, 2016 = 359 visitors, 2018 =337 visitors, 2021 = 149 visitors, 2022 = 166 visitors, 2023 = 199 visitors, 2024 = 170 visitors; 2021, 2022, 2023Analysis:Arts Council England;NB - Question pre-2023 was asked regarding "What is your Gender Identity" in 2023 and 2024, the question was "What is your sex"
In 2024, 68% of visitors interviewed describe themselves as female, 32% describe themselves as male and 0% describe themselves in another way.
The move after 2022 away from the increase in the balancing of the sex of visitors interviewed has remained in 2024.
Chart 2: Whether visitor gender is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth
Sample base = single response, all visitors who provided a response, 2024 = 170
The increase in the proportion of visitors describing themselves as female in 2023 at 73% had followed a previous increase in the proportion of visitors identifying themselves as male, from 32% in 2018 to 47% in 2022.
99% of the 170 visitors who provided a response in 2024 stated that their gender is the same sex as that which had been assigned to them at birth and 1% stated their gender is not the same as the sex they were assigned at birth. This is not significantly different to the 100% of visitors in 2023 who stated that their gender is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.
In 2024, 95% of visitors interviewed described their sexual orientation as Heterosexual/Straight. 2% of visitors described their sexual orientation as Bisexual, 1% as Gay Man, 1% of visitors described their sexual orientation as Queer and 1% as Other.
Chart 3: Sexual orientation of visitors
Sample bases = single response for each year, all visitors who provided a response; 2023 = 192 visitors, 2024 = 169 visitors; 2023 Analysis: Arts Council England
Chart 4: Way in which visitor would describe their gender identity
Two thirds of visitors surveyed in 2024 (66%) describe their gender identity as woman, 33% describe their gender identity as man and 1% of visitors describe their gender identity as non binary.
Sample base = single response, all visitors who provided a response, 2024 = 171
Over one quarter of visitors surveyed in 2024 (28%) were aged 16-24 years of age. Virtually half of visitors (49%) were aged 35-54 years old and just under one quarter of visitors (23%) were aged over 54 years of age.
Chart 5: Age of visitors
Sample base = single response, all visitors who provided a response, 2024 = 172
Chart 6: Age group of visitors, comparison over the years
Sample bases = single response for each year, all visitors who provided a response; Data for 2022, 2023 and 2024 have been based on combined percentages to match groupings for analysis purposes; 2015 = 127 visitors, 2022 = 166 visitors, 2023 = 201 visitors, 2024 = 172 visitors; 2022, 2023 Analysis: Arts Council England.
Year on year analysis, as detailed in Chart 6, illustrates the move to a higher inclusion of visitors aged 35 years and older. From 57% in 2015 and 61% in 2022, in comparison both 2023 (71%) and 2024 (72%) have experienced a higher proportion of visitors aged 35+ years old.
Ethnicity
Chart 7: Ethnic identity of visitors
Samples base = single response, all visitors, 2023 = 202 visitors, 2024 = 173 visitors; 2023 Analysis: Arts Council England
In 2024, visitors interviewed represented 16 of the 17 ethnic identities which compares to 2023 when visitors represented 11 of the 17 ethnic identities. There has been a decline in the proportion of visitors surveyed of a White/White British - White British ethnicity, from 86% in 2023 to 75% in 2024.
85% of visitors in 2024 identify their ethnicity as being of a White ethnicity, 6% of an Asian ethnicity, 4% of a Mixed ethnicity, 3% of a Black ethnicity, and 1% of an Other ethnicity.
Chart 8: Ethnic identity grouping of visitors, comparison over the years
Sample bases = single response for each year, all visitors who provided a response; Data for 2018 and 2023 have been based on combined percentages to match groupings for analysis purposes; 2016 = 363 visitors, 2018 = 337 visitors, 2021 = 150 visitors, 2022 = 165 visitors, 2023 = 202 visitors, 2024 = 173 visitors; 2021, 2022, 2023 Analysis: Arts Council England
Disability identity
Visitors were asked whether they identify themselves as a D/deaf and/or Disabled person, or as having a long term health condition. 10% of visitors in 2024 and 14% of visitors in 2023 identified themselves as a D/deaf and/or disabled person. These proportions are both significantly higher than the proportion of visitors identifying themselves in this way in 2022 (5%).
Chart 9: Whether visitors identify with having a disability
Sample bases = single response for each year, all visitors who provided a response; 2018 = 331 visitors, 2021 = 151 visitors, 2022 = 166 visitors, 2023 = 195 visitors, 2024 = 171 visitors; 2021, 2022, 2023 Analysis: Arts Council England; Data for 2018 has been based on combined percentages to match groupings for analysis purposes (wording was: Are your day to day activities limited because of a health problem or disability - yes limited a lot, yes limited a little and no not limited)
6% of visitors in 2024 identify as neurodivergent, with 94% of visitors not identifying as neurodivergent.
Chart 10: Whether visitor identifies as neurodivergent
Sample base=singleresponse,allvisitorswhoprovidedaresponse,2024=171visitors
Economic activity
67% of visitors interviewed are employed, 12% are unemployed/not working, 11% are retired and 9% are in full-time education. 162 visitors provided further detail of their occupation or most recent occupation, with a total of 101 different activities and occupations specified (detailed in Annex 1).
Chart 11: Economic activity of visitor
Sample base = single response, all visitors who provided a response for coding, 2024 = 163 visitors
Chart 12: Best description of current or most recent occupation of visitor
Sample base = single response, all visitors who provided a response for coding, 2024 = 163 visitors
Visitors from outside the UK
All (100%) of visitors to Encounter Festival in 2024 reside within the UK and 0% reside outside of the UK. This representation of visitors from outside of the UK to Encounter Festival is in line with the overall representation of previous years' visitors.
Chart 13: Residency of visitors within and outside of the UK
Sample bases = single response for each year, all visitors who provided a response; 2016 = 335 visitors, 2018 = 340 visitors, 2021 = 151 visitors, 2022 = 180 visitors, 2023 = 192 visitors; 2024 = 173 visitors; 2021, 2022, 2023 Analysis: Arts Council England
Place of residency
Just over half of visitors in 2024 (54%) live in Preston (defined as living in the postcodes of PR1, PR2 or PR3) with 35% living in PR1, 13% living in PR2 and 5% living in PR3.
Just under half of visitors (46%) are from outside of Preston in 2024, with 28% from another PR postcode and 18% from a postcode other than PR.
There has been a significant increase in the proportion of visitors to Encounter Festival from outside of Preston. In 2024, 46% of visitors were from outside the postcodes of PR1, PR2 and PR3 which compares to 35% of visitors in 2023.
This increase in the main is represented by the increase in the proportion of visitors from a PR postcode other than PR1, PR2 or PR3, which has increased from 17% in 2023 to 28% in 2024. The proportion of visitors from a postcode other than PR has remained the same at 18% of visitors in 2024 and 18% of visitors in 2023. Further postcode details are provided in Annex 2.
Chart 14: First part of home postcode of visitor