* Photograph: Ministry of Culture and Tourism official website
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The Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) has shared statistics on opera, ballet, orchestra, choir and societies for the year 2018.
According to these figures, while six cities of Turkey, namely Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Antalya, Samsun and Mersin, hosted opera and ballet shows performed by groups affiliated with the Directorate General of Opera and Ballet in 2018, six orchestras, 13 choirs and nine societies affiliated with the Directorate General of Fine Arts performed in Turkey in this period.
The number of opera and ballet audience increased by 4.2 percent in 2017-2018 season in comparison with the previous season and become 293 thousand 2 people. The number of works performed in opera and ballet halls across Turkey was also measured as 202 in 2017-2018, which marks a 2-percent increase in comparison with 2016-2017 season.
The number of people who attended opera and ballet performances in 2013-2014 seasons was 400 thousand.
Number of opera and ballet audience according to seasons
5.2-percent decrease in number of performances
The figures have also shown that the number of performances put on opera and ballet halls across Turkey in 2017-2018 was 648, which marks a 5.3-percent decrease in comparison with the previous season.
When the figures on orchestra, choir and similar societies are considered, the number of their audience was 343 thousand 979 in 2017-2018, marking a decrease of 16.3 percent in comparison with 2016-2017 season.
According to the figures shared by the TurkStat, the number of performances given by orchestras in 2017-2018 increased by 14.9 percent and became 224. While the number of choir performances fell by 7.8 percent and was measured as 165 by the Institute, the number of performances put on by societies also decreased by 18.2 percent and became 157.
Number of workers on the decrease
The workforce statistics in these field have shown that the number of people working in operas and ballets in the season of 2017-2018 decreased by 0.3 percent in comparison with the previous season.
In operas and ballets affiliated with the Directorate General of Opera and Ballet, 2 thousand 490 people, including guest artists, worked in 2017-2018 season. 43.8 percent of these workers were women. (AÖ/SD)
