Culture statistics

Grants

The Department for Economic​ Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture (EDTSC) funds five independent organisations by direct grant.

Revenue g​rants to cultural organisations in 2016

Source: Jersey Cultural Development Office, Education Sport and Culture

Jersey Heritage 

Under agreements with the States, the Société Jersiaise and the National Trust for Jersey, Jersey Heritage is responsible for a number of sites, including:

• the Jersey Museum
• the Maritime Museum
• Jersey Archive
• Elizabeth Castle
• Mont Orgueil Castle
• Hamptonne
• La Hougue Bie

In 2016:

• there were a total of 186,474 visits to sites administered by Jersey Heritage
• 143,265 visits were from from off-Island visitors and 43,209 by Jersey residents
• Jersey Heritage had 11,209 members
• there were 123,734 archive users in total (including online and distance enquiries), which includes 2,901 in-person visits

Jersey Heritage also:

• run the “forts and towers” programme which gives you access to historic buildings for short-term hire
• give advice to the Environment Department on the listing of historic buildings
• provide a grant to the Société Jersiaise to support public-facing aspects of its work

Jersey Heritage website

Jersey Heritage annual reports

Arts

EDTSC supports two arts venues: 

• Jersey Opera House (625 main theatre seats)
• Jersey Arts Centre (250 main theatre seats)

The department also administers the Gloucester Hall as part of the Fort Regent complex.

Jersey Opera House​​

In 2016:

• 222 performances were held in the Jersey Opera House main theatre and 47 in the Studio, attended by 62,438 people
• there were 412 classes held in the studio space (8,234 attendance)
• the Studio space was in use for 224 days in total with 10,370 participants and attenders
• 4,655 competitors took part in the Jersey Eisteddfod during a four-week hiring
• there were 90 corporate bookings of the Studio, upper bar and Berni suite, attended by 2,588 people

Jersey Opera House website

Jersey Arts Centre​

In 2016 The Jersey Arts Centre held:

• 217 ticketed performances, attended by 24,082 people (this doesn't include schools audiences at Channel Islands Music Council concerts)
• 34 theatre-in-education performances in schools with audiences totaling 2,145

The Jersey Arts Centre also holds performances in occasional venues in the Island and presents a programme of exhibitions in the Berni Gallery at Phillips Street. In 2016 there were:

• 14 exhibitions in the Berni Gallery
• 14 exhibitions in the bar gallery
• a programme of courses and workshops
• 150 concerts in care settings (Arts in Health Care Trust).

The Jersey Arts Centre ran six theatre companies in 2016:

• Junior Drama
• Youtheatre
• ACT
• Theatre-in-education
• Brighter Futures
• the Christmas Company

Jersey Arts Centre website

Jersey Arts Trust

The Jersey Arts Trust is the arts development and grant-giving body in Jersey.

In 2016 the Jersey Arts Trust:

• ran five arts development projects with 327 artists participating (including nine artists from other jurisdictions)
• awarded total grants of £46,962 (including underwriting which, though awarded, was not necessarily called upon)
• distributed £24,000 in arts grants on behalf of the One Foundation
• engaged with artists from eight other jurisdictions
• attracted 3,500 visitors to artists’ studios through the Skipton Open Studios programme
• attracted 5,089 visitors to the Paper Dialogues project at the Town Hall (including 600 students)
• provided more than 50 workshops in the community.

Jersey Arts Trust website

Jèrriais

In 2016, the six-week 'Jersey Studies' course was suspended to allow for preparation and training of new teachers. 
At the start of the school year there were 59 student participants in the after-school (Pallions) classes at four primary schools of whom six were secondary pupils. They were joined by six parents.  Classes took place at:

• St Peter
• St Lawrence
• First Tower
• Springfield

In addition some peripatetic classes were offered at Mont Nicolle, St Clement, Plat Douet and Bel Royal primary schools with 31 participants.  Secondary classes were offered at Les Quennevais, Jersey College for Girls and Haute Vallée schools with seven participants.

Between 15 and 22 adults were engaged in classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced (conversation) levels. 

The work of l’Office du Jèrriais also included:

• promotion of Jèrriais in the community
• translation for States Departments, local businesses and voluntary organisations
• participation in community activities including the Jersey Eisteddfod
  development of teaching resources

L'Office du Jèrriais Jersey website

Jersey Library

In 2016: 

• around 400,000 visits were made to the Islands three public libraries (the main Town Library, the Les Quennevais branch and the Mobile library)
• the online catalogue received 44,505 visits
• 19,650 digital loans were made in the form of ebooks and digital magazines  
• library expenditure equated to about £16 per capita in 2016
• expenditure on books and materials was £2 per capita

2016 saw the roll-out of new online resources, including digital comics and market research facilities, as the Library continues to develop its services to support literacy, learning and culture for everyone in Jersey.

Library annual statistics

Numbers are independently rounded to the nearest 10

Source: Jersey Library

Library events and services

Following the introduction of full self-service for stock loans and the creation of public meeting room and gallery space in the Library in 2015, work in 2016 focused on creating a rolling programme of events to promote Library services and resources. 

Jersey Library events held in 2016 included:

• the inaugural Local History Fayre
• the first Health and Well Being Month
• World Book Day and World Book Night
• the Summer Reading Challenge
• Coding Week
• the Festival of Words
• the launch of Book Blast (a reading group for 7 to 11 year olds)

Other services offered by Jersey Library in 2016 included:

• 1,313 online family history sessions in the Open Learning Centre
• 849 supported European Computer Driving License sessions
• 701 visits made by library staff to residential homes and the housebound, to deliver books and other resources

Eagle lab

In December 2016 Jersey Library launched the Eagle Lab, sponsored by Barclays.  The Lab is a makerspace including 3D printers, 3D scanners, a laser cutter, vinyl cutter and hot press.  This equipment can be used by local businesses, designers, enthusiasts, schools and community groups. 

Barclays also provided new computer equipment to support coding training and other activities in the Children’s, Branch and Mobile Libraries.  The Eagle Lab includes co-working space, which will serve as a venue for desk hire, seminars and workshops. 

In 2017 Jersey Library will work in partnership with Barclays and Jersey Business to put together a rolling programme of events, workshops and seminars to help underpin and develop local business and digital skills. 

Children's library

The Children’s Library continues to be a well–used and vital resource in supporting childhood literacy. 

In 2016:

•  2,236 children registered for the Summer Reading Challenge, which 74% completed in full (compared to 58% in the UK)
• over 4,800 children took part in activities in Jersey library, including reading groups, story times, class visits and author events
• library staff made 132 visits to pre-schools, schools and community groups, promoting the library service, books and a life-long love of reading to over 21,640 children

In November work started to redecorate and refurbish the Children’s Library, a task not undertaken for over 25 years.  The old shelving has been replaced with brighter, child-friendly and flexible shelving; building in capacity to stage large events in the Children’s Library. 

Library services