“Recent figures from Taking Part, the continuous survey compiled by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), show that record levels of the public are engaging with heritage, museums and galleries in England. The latest survey, which covers the four quarters from October 2010 to September 2011, reveals that 72% of adults reported visiting a heritage site in the last year – an ongoing upward trend since Taking Part began in 2005/06. The North East region has seen the biggest rise in heritage attendance, from 69% in 2005/06 to 76% today. In addition, between 2005 and 2011 the proportion of people visiting a museum or gallery in the last year increased from 42% to 47% and July to September 2011 was the first quarter on record where more than half of adults reported attending museums or galleries.” (blog post by Geraldine Kendall, Museums Association, 6 January 2012, archived here)
