Cultural participation is important as a factor that defines people’s identity. It helps
youngsters in developing creative skills that may be useful to them later in life, serves as a
source of relaxation in adults while allowing them to hone existing skills, and in the case of
the elderly, cultural participation gives life new meaning through acquired social contacts.
This survey examines different forms of cultural participation in cultural activities: active
participation, passive participation and participation by way of support.

A random sample of Curaçao’s households was used . In total, 3361 respondents
participated in the survey. To obtain a better understanding of the different demographic
groups, the levels of participation in sports were broken down by age, sex and educational
level, and an analysis was made of how the participating and non-participating
populations d iffer on a number of culture-related topics.

The following are some interesting results of the survey:
Active cultural participation: 25.6 percent of the population of Curaçao aged 6 years and
older have participated in some form of cultural activity in the last 12 months. Women, the
6-19 age group and the population with an intermediate level of education are the ones
most actively participating in cultural activities. The most common cultural activity
practiced is singing. The most popular cultural activities vary by gen der and level of
education. People with physical limitations who practice some form of cultural expression
feel less hindered from participating in cultural activities, than those who do not practice
any form of cultural expression.

Passive cultural participation: 75.3 percent of the population of Curaçao aged 12 years and
older attend cultural activities or events as spectators. In relative terms, the 12-34 age
group and the population with a low level of education attend cultural activities the most.
No difference was found by gender. Going to the movies is the cultural activity most
commonly practiced. Those who do attend cultural activities feel safer at and around
cultural events, compared to those who do not attend such activities.

Supportive cultural participation: 16.1 percent of the population of Curaçao aged 12 years
and older have supported a cultural event, organization or association in the last 12
months. The 50-64 age group supports cultural events, organizations and associations the
most. No difference was found by gender or level of education . Financial support is the
most common type of support given. Those who do support cultural activities feel less
hampered in doing so by their financial situation, compared to those who do not support
cultural activities.

Cultuurparticipatie op Curaçao 2016 - resultaten Participatieonderzoek 2016