PRESS RELEASE

Today’s Athenians declare themselves bookworms, they love the theater, they listen to Greek music, but they are divided as to whether cultural expression is influenced more by the Greek Orthodox tradition or by European culture. Two out of three residents of the capital declare themselves interested in the production of a cultural product and participate in its consumption.

An original survey, presented at the City Hall, highlights the cultural behavior of Athenians, along with their preferences, their habits and their perception of the cultural movement within the capital. The survey was conducted by Public Issue, on behalf of the Athens Culture Net, which was founded through an exclusive grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

According to the survey results, approximately 8 out of 10 city residents stated that they read books, 56% of them have attended a theatrical performance within the last year, 50% have gone to the cinema, 48% have attended musical events, while 38% prefer watching movies online.

“I am very happy that the research confirms our choice to aim for culture as a strategic asset of Athens, and to utilize it as a driver for growth, providing a platform of expression to everyone,” said the Mayor of Athens, Mr Giorgos Kaminis, during the survey’s presentation, noting that “culture is one of the reasons to visit Athens and it leaves a large economic footprint in the life of the capital.”

The Mayor of Athens mentioned the positive impact of documenta14 with its 340,000 visitors, and the significant distinction of Athens being named the Emerging Cultural City of the Year for 2017. He also referred to the unique opportunity of Athens being named UNESCO World Book Capital for 2018.

It is worth mentioning that 65% of Athenians stated that they have visited at least one of the 44 organizations that make up the Athens Culture Net, while 73% of them have attended a cultural event. Six out of ten citizens are interested in culture and its manifestations while 42% are informed about them online (via social media, email, newsletters) and 29% from television.

In terms of artistic preferences, 24% of Athenians prefer the Theater, 17% prefer music, 14% prefer painting, 10% prefer the cinema, while 8% prefer dancing. With regard to the cost, one out of three people responded that cultural events are neither cheap nor expensive, 28% consider them expensive and 12% cheap.

With regard to the number of visits to cultural sites, the most popular destination is the , as 39% stated that they have visited in at least once in the last year. It is followed at second place by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, which has been visited by 26% of people, while Technopolis-Gazi of the Municipality of Athens is at the third place with 24%, followed by the Athens Concert Hall with 22% and the , which has been visited by 19% of people in the last 12 months.

“Athens residents generally believe that Athens today, is a city that offers a wide range of cultural choices,” mentioned the President and Managing Director of Public Issue, Giannis Mavris, while presenting the survey results, noting that “the rise in cultural activity in Athens is perceived by the majority of the city’s inhabitants.”

In terms of musical preferences, 14% stated that they listen to Greek “enthechno” music, 12% Greek traditional music and 10% Greek folk music, while among those who prefer the foreign repertoire, 16% declared themselves lovers of classical music, 11% of rock music and 5% of jazz music.

In a question about the influences of cultural expression in , 42% responded that they are part of the Greek Orthodox tradition, while 40% felt they belonged to the European way of life. On a scale from 1 to 10, Athenians feel mostly Mediterranean (7.6), followed by European (6.5), Balkan (4.3), and, to a lesser degree, Easterners (3.5).

In other research questions, concerning travel and the knowledge of a foreign language, 71% stated that they know English, 26% French, 10% Italian, 9% German and 4% Spanish. One in two Athenians has not traveled abroad in the last three years, 28% have traveled one to three times, while 17% have visited a foreign country more than four times in the last three years. 66% of Athens citizens stated that they have not lived abroad for more than six months, for studies or work.

Public Issue carried out the survey from October 24 to November 1, on a sample of 1,004 people, from the seven communities of the Municipality of Athens.