Beyond the “substitution effect”: the impact of digital experience quality on future cultural participation

The “pivot” to digital that many arts and culture organisations faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, revealed a complex nexus of effects that includes significant accessibility improvements (for example, for D/deaf and disabled audiences) but also a replication of many pre-existing exclusions. We argue that understanding the experiences of online audiences can help inform arts and culture organisations’ next steps in adapting to the current period of uncertainty, particularly with a cost-of-living crisis reducing leisure spending. Drawing on data from the Digital Experience survey carried out in the UK by Indigo Ltd. (2020–21), this article explores how diverse online audiences judged online theatre experiences and their potential impact on future behaviour. By analysing respondents’ quality of experience in tandem with demographic information and how participants accessed the online experience, we provide evidence showing that online participation, particularly if the experience is high quality, has the potential to increase future in-person participation.