Accessing the cultural conversation: investigating participation and non-participation of young people as audiences of live theatrical performances in Australia

为了促进澳大利亚年轻人的健康发展，儿童中晚期的健康至关重要（国家研究优先事项2），蓬勃发展的艺术部门至关重要。要使青年人将自己视为公民参与社会的真实的参与者，而不是被边缘化的群体，而是社会的合法亚群体，他们就需要有机会积极参与文化对话，包括现场戏剧表演。 为此，艺术界、政策制定者和艺术教育者需要更好地了解年轻人与主要戏剧提供者的接触，以及哪些因素抑制或排斥他们。

In order to promote the healthy development of young Australians, where health in middle and late childhood is crucial (National Research Priority 2) a thriving arts sector is essential. For young people to see themselves as real participants in civic engagement with their society not as a marginalised group but as a legitimate sub-group of society, they need access to active participation in the cultural conversation, including live theatrical performance. For this, the arts community, policy makers and arts educators need to better understand young people's engagement with the major providers of theatre, and what factors inhibit or exclude them.