Page 93 - AC/E's Digital Culture Annual Report 2015

AC/E Digital Culture Annual Report 201593• Development of a different understanding of private property as a result of new habits, a decline in the status of certain products, etc.• Collapse of supply in relation to demand: not everything that is manufactured is sold.Culture products are not unaffected by these changes in market and consumers. And the perception in general terms and for certainareas of the world of culture is pessimistic: “Itis complex to address the impact of digitisation and its impact on culture. For the time being it is proving disastrous, but if there were intelligent measures it could be beneficial. It is also evident that we are currently at one of the lowest points in institutional assistance for culture and SMEs” (a cultural agent in Corredor, 2013:36).Therefore, before speaking of possible tools or solutions, the following section will outline, without intending to be exhaustive, the state of culture with respect to consumption, audiences and creation.1.1 The cultural consumption and expenditure perspectiveIn 2013 household spending on cultural goods and services amounted to 12.26 billion euros, 2.5% of the total estimated expenditure on goods and services. Average spending per household on culture amounted to 673.30 euros (MECD [Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport], 2014).Average spending per person was 265.70 euros, considerably lower than the average ofnearly 400 euros recorded in 2007 and 2008 (MECD, 2014). A priori, this is a poor result that confirms the downward trend in cultural consumption compared to previous years. The SGAE (Spanish Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers), for example, clearly identifies the possible causes of this continuing downturn: “Factors such as the economic crisis, piracy, the rise in VAT, changes in consumption habits, etc., have affected the different disciplines to some extent. The performing and musical arts began their downturn between 2008 and 2009, reducing their offering, attendance and revenues and having to adapt to the changes progressively brought about by the crisis” (SGAE, 2014:8).In 2013 household spending on cultural goods and services in Spain amounted to 2.5% of total estimated expenditure on goods and services.Sixty percent of those polled by the Obser- vatorio de la Cultura (Culture Observatory, 2013a)7 also seem to agree, with reservations, that the crisis has had a very negative impact on audiences, reducing them or hampering their growth. Nevertheless, the remaining 40% hold that it has had hardly any impact for different reasons, including the existence of numerous free activities.A similar opinion is expressed by the SGAE’s executive summary, which states that a few industries have weathered the crisis staunchly: “Television and radio have experienced the opposite effect, becoming a leisure alternative at a time of crisis, although the statistics for 2013Juan Gasca and Jose Manuel Jarque Muñoz