... especially the line about "the mushroom-growth of cultural institutions in late seventeenth-century and early eighteenth-century provincial towns", and "by [the early nineteenth century] the opportunities for institutional participation had expanded markedly". (p.9-10)

It made me realize that a member of the gentry was not reduced to dreaming about going to London or Bath once a year to get out of her tedious country "prison" - there were things going on at home too - not on the same scale, of course, but still...

I don't know about charitable institutions, but we know that JA and her family made full use of local lending libraries, and didn't JA host a book club of her own for a while? Then, in "Emma", there is Mrs. Elton's musical society, as you mentioned.