How to boost arts audiences

Attracting and engaging audiences is a priority for arts organisations and audience development planning requires a strategic approach, integrating different actions and timeframes.

In theory, organisations should constantly monitor all factors that may impact audience attendance but too often the sector forgets that people engage across various institutions, not just with one.

Cultural policy and audience development literature predominantly focus on individual organisations and the characteristics and purchasing behaviour of their customers. The external context of arts engagement – the whole arts programme available in the same area and people's capacities to engage with it – is often neglected.

Arts organisations’ audience development plans often overlap and effectively target and reach the same audiences.

Consequences of competitive approaches

The scarcity of financial resources intensifies competition between arts organisations and creates market pressures that drive a constant search for new ways to attract audiences and differentiate the organisation. In a saturated culture market, organisations are vying for audience attention, time and money.

An increased number of arts offerings and opportunities for engagement creates a larger pool of options for potential audiences. But those audiences may feel overwhelmed by the range of alternatives so the easiest choice may be not to choose.

While healthy competition spurs creativity and excellence, excessive competition in the arts sector strains resources and leads to a hyper-competitive environment. It creates a disparity between organisations with larger budgets and those with limited resources, potentially marginalising some (usually smaller) organisations and limiting their audience development efforts.

When organisations predominantly adopt competitive behaviour, there is a risk of sector fragmentation, with each organisation focusing on its own success rather than collaborating on expanding interest in the arts which, as a consequence, could enlarge the (audience) market.

Empathetic audience-centric approach

At the same time, cultivating long-term relationships with audience members is challenging within one organisation as the diversity of arts attendance, instead of loyalty, is currently the trend. So, it’s important to review some entrenched assumptions and audience-centric approaches.

First, in audience segmentation models there is an assumption that attendance behaviour stems from fundamental and stable properties of the individual, even when psychology challenges such an understanding.

Audience data also suggest a mixed model with many people valuing diversity of opportunities – sometimes seeking novelty, sometimes deep engagement, and at others, active interaction. Sometimes, they want different things simultaneously, sometimes they do not know what they want.

There is no firm boundary between arts attendees and non-attendees and the journey from non-attendance to frequent attendance is not one way. Someone considered a non-visitor or first-timer might be a frequent audience member elsewhere or have a more nomadic participation style, preferring novelty to loyalty.

Moreover, audience needs may evolve over time as individual preferences and expectations are dynamic. What initially attracts someone to an arts organisation or a project may change as their interests and priorities shift.

How to create balance in audience development

Uniqueness and co-creation are the buzzwords in audience development. But… overusing claims of novelty and uniqueness can lead to scepticism and diminished impact, especially if audiences perceive them to be marketing tactics. They can bring quick results but they can also erode trust and credibility, potentially resulting in a loss of audience involvement and interest.

On the other hand, the emphasis on active participation and co-creation may unintentionally exclude or alienate those who do not like social interaction, are unfamiliar with art or lack confidence in their ability to engage in such experiences.

The emphasis on active participation and co-creation requires significant expertise and investment of time and money. Organisations may struggle to sustain these initiatives in the long term. Their adoption by many arts organisations in a local area can lead to resources and audiences being spread thin.

Both organisations and audiences benefit from a balanced approach to audience development, in terms of the programme and its communication.

Embracing reciprocity in audience development

Collaboration and coordination between organisations that embrace a multifaceted perspective which acknowledges local artistic and social context can help optimise resources, minimise duplication of effort and more effectively foster engagement with arts. So, limit the practice of working in silos.

An integrated local arts programme, with collective advocacy, knowledge exchange, collaborative projects, joint programming and cross-promotion can create synergies that amplify impact.

Collaborative rather than individual organisation audience development strategies can be more effective. It is worth exploring whether actions and policies that integrate short-, medium- and long-term planning and stimulate cooperation among local arts organisations can lead to a more diverse and growing pool of audiences and positive changes in arts attendance.

Agnieszka Wlazeł is a post-doctoral fellow at Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute and Vice President of the Impact Foundation, Poland.
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