WHERE ARE WE, AND WHERE IS EU: You wouldn't believe how many books Serbs read per year and how often they go to theater!

Citizens of Serbia read books and go to theater as much as the average residents of European Union, which is a data from the research about cultural needs and habits of Serbian citizens, and the research was conducted by Bojana Subasic and Bogdana Opacic from the Institute for the Study of Cultural Development.

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Bojana Subasis said that the research she did with her colleague relates to 2015, and that this is third time in the past five years that the research is conducted.

- We have stable audience in the culture. Those who love and visit cultural events did so in 2010 and in 2015. That is a total of 17% of total number of citizens - said Subasic.

She said that passive audience makes around 30 % of Serbian citizens, so all animation should be focused on them.

- When you compare our research with those of Eurobarometer, it shows that our citizens behave like the average people of the EU, which applies going to visit theaters, going to the library - said Subasic.

Foto: Promo/Melos Estrada

There are far worse impressions when it comes to visiting the ballet and opera performances.

- The main reason there is not disinterest of the citizens, but the lack of infrastructure, especially in the rural areas - said Subasic.

Bogdana Opacic said that almost 40% of people in Serbia doesn't have desire to visit cultural events, nor they visit them.

That is why, she is certain, we should work harder to interest people for cultural events and before all, educational institutes should do that, tourist agencies and associations of citizens, of course, together with the cultural institutions.

Interesting data for her is that Serbian people read as much as the average residents of European Union.

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia/Corbis

- Even 60% of Serbian citizens have read at least one book in the past year, and a quarter has read up to three books. Women are more interested in the content of culture, and then young and highly educated people. The oldest have the desire and the will, but they do not visit libraries enough - said Opacic.

However, television is seen by almost 93 per cent of Serbian citizens, and they mostly see movies, political and informative shows and game shows. 45% of citizens watch some culture shows.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Tanjug)