Cinema, music and other arts: changes in the cultural consumption of Peruvians | TRENDS

A few weeks after turning 200 years as a nation, it is worth asking again how the consumption of the various cultural manifestations is going in Peru. The Ministry of Culture, through the General Directorate of Cultural Industries and Arts, has presented different reports on how much the cultural consumption of video games, theater, music, cinema and audiovisual has changed in recent years.

Santiago Alfaro Rotondo, general director of Cultural Industries and Arts, details some findings, trends and data to take into account.

1. Movies and the Agony of DVD

Research shows that there has been a decline in access to movies and other audiovisual content through optimal drives (CDs, DVDs). It is known that this was the main consumer good, to the point that 150 million of these goods were imported per year.

This figure, however, has fallen as Internet access has expanded. Thus, for example, it is known that Peruvians access movies through Internet downloads and users went from 21.6% in 2016 to 41.3% in 2019. With the pandemic, it is estimated that this trend has continued. However, until 2019, 88% of those who accessed movies made a payment.

Likewise, Alfaro maintains that Internet access in the country occurs mainly through cell phones. “We have done studies on the consumption of shows offered by national artistic casts through the Grand National Theater and 86% connect through a cell phone,” says the official.

2. Music: migration without monetization

The migration to digital platforms also includes music. “36% of Peruvians consumed music in Peru through the Internet in 2016, but that rose to 50% in 2019,” says Alfaro. At the same time, the number of people who consumed music through CDs has dropped by half and has gone from 31% to 15% in recent years.

However, the problem is that, whatever the medium, Peruvians access music content through piracy. “97% indicated that they had not paid to listen to music online. This places us in a serious business sustainability problem. Migration to the Internet occurs without monetization ”, he explains.

3. Traditional festivals and inequality

According to Alfaro, the main reason why a Peruvian does not attend a cultural event or buy a product of this type is not due to economic reasons, but to a lack of interest. “That is why artistic education in schools is necessary and important. Past consumption explains future consumption ”, says the director.

The study confirms indicators of great inequality, especially by SES or educational level. “If in 2018 53% of sector A attended a movie, in the case of sector E it was only 27%,” he reveals.

Other figures, for example, show that another trend is that in Peru there is a high consumption of traditional expressions, something that does not happen in other countries. “The most consumed cultural service, after the cinema (see En Corto) are traditional festivals. Almost 5 out of 10 Peruvians indicate having attended one of these in recent years. It is followed by artisan fairs and dance shows, mostly traditional, ”he says.

IN SHORT: Santiago Alfaro, general director of Cultural Industries and Arts of the Ministry of Culture.

Cinema and theater. As for movie theaters, it is the cultural activity with the highest attendance in Peru (prepandemic). Out of every 10 Peruvians, at least 3 go to the movies and repeatedly. On theater, there was only a 2% decrease in 2020.

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