Comparability

Comparability - geographical

There has been no comparison of these statistics with corresponding international or foreign accounts.

Comparability over time

From the 2015/2016 season onwards, there is a data break in the statistics due to a change in the population definition. From this season, the definition of state-funded theaters also includes theaters approved under the scheme for reimbursement of municipal expenses for children’s theater and outreach theater, as well as theaters approved under the scheme for reduced ticket prices. The non-state-funded population for this season includes theaters that do not meet the Danish Arts Foundation’s criteria for professional theaters but are nevertheless professionally operated and employ professional performing artists. The population in 2015/2016 corresponds to the population of non-state-funded theaters in the 2014/2015 season, except for those theaters approved under the reimbursement and promotion schemes.

From the 2015/2016 season, a revised questionnaire has also been used in the statistics. The total number of productions, audiences, and performances can be compared to previous seasons, but not when broken down into categories such as theater types, country distributions, genres, etc.

The population has undergone gradual development over time. From the 1980/1981 season through the 2002/2003 season, the statistics only included state-funded theaters. From the 2003/2004 season, the population was expanded to include non-state-funded theaters (under the Theater Act). From the 2004/2005 season through the 2010/2011 season, coverage of non-state-funded theater activities was further improved through the review of various theater listings. From the 2004/2005 season, the statistics were also expanded to include international guest performances.

Changes in legislation regulating support for theaters may lead to changes in the population, which can make comparisons over time difficult. The statistics were renamed from Theater Statistics to Performing Arts starting with the 2009/2010 season.

In the 2020/2021 season, another data break occurred. Theater categories, genres, and audience groups were expanded, making this season not fully comparable with previous ones. To ensure a longer time series, two tables, SCENE08A and SCENE10A, were created. These tables remain consistent over time and trace back to the 2015/2016 season.

Coherence - cross domain

Many of the major theaters publishes an annual report, which includes a summary of the theater's audience numbers. These reports do not always match the figures published by Statistics Denmark. This is often because Statistics Denmark's performing arts statistics count the audience numbers for the producing theater. That is, if a theater is on tour and performs a show at a different theater than its own, the audience for this performance is counted under the touring theater’s audience total. Many theaters will count these audience members in their own activity reports. In this statistics, this will result in the same audience being counted twice. Some theaters may also have other activities, such as concerts, on their stage, and if the audience numbers for these are included in the theater's own activity report, they should not be included in the performing arts statistics.

The 2018 Cultural Habits Survey asks about Danes' cultural consumption, including performing arts. Since the performing arts statistics are based on business reporting, while the Cultural Habits Survey is personal statistics, caution should be taken if one wishes to compare the numbers. In the Cultural Habits Survey, performing arts is more broadly defined, for example, in terms of genre and where people have experienced performing arts, etc. The Cultural Habits Survey defines performing arts more broadly and includes both live and non-live performing arts, such as those on television or via the internet. Additionally, it should be noted that the Cultural Habits Survey is quarterly, while the Performing Arts statistics are reported annually. The Cultural Habits Survey measures cultural consumption over the past three months. With these considerations in mind, the two statistics can complement each other well. The Cultural Habits Survey can shed light on the population's activity level and link it to background variables, providing a picture of who consumes performing arts and what characterizes these consumers. The lack of performing arts consumption can also be described using the Cultural Habits Survey.

Coherence - internal

From the 2017/2018 season onwards, Statistics Denmark, in collaboration with Tereba, has formed the population list. Data received from Tereba is compared with the seven spreadsheets that Statistics Denmark receives from the Agency for Culture and Palaces. These spreadsheets contain a summary of which theaters or individuals have received state funding. A theater or individual may receive different types of support; for example, a theater can receive both project funding and funding for the dissemination scheme. If a theater or individual receives multiple types of support, the theater or individual is assigned the largest support amount.