Share your passion. Develop your audience.
Audience development: a matter of the heart
Hello! It is with great pleasure that I accepted the Canadian Conference of the Arts’ invitation to write a monthly column on audience development and retention. I became interested in the subject several years ago when I was the general director of Théâtre Action, a service organization for francophone theatre in Ontario. Audience development was a concern for the theatres that we served. I chose to specialize in this, driven by my interests in arts and communications. In order to do this I regularly read and did research on the subject and I exchanged ideas with fellow consultants around the world.
Throughout this column I will talk about trends I see in the sector, best practices, and news related to audience development. And I welcome your comments and experiences!
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There are different definitions of audience development, but I subscribe to the one from the Canada Council for the Arts that states that it is “the long-term process of encouraging and assisting people in your community to become engaged in the arts and more deeply involved in the arts.”[1]
I adopted this definition for the following reasons:
- We don’t engage in audience development only to sell tickets, memberships, or products in the short term. It is a long term investment to get results. It’s not necessarily a question of investing more money, but more so time because…
- To bring in audiences people need to “become engaged in the arts and more deeply involved in the arts” therefor you have to establish a relationship with them. And when we say “relationship” that means the creation of reciprocal ties built over time which are profitable to the artists and the public.
This relationship is based on the following elements:
- First, the perception of the public as an ally rather than a source of additional income;
- A shared mutual passion for the arts comprising the sharing of information on productions or products that are in development, and the opportunity for exchanges between the public, the artists and the arts and cultural organizations;
- Patience, determination and organization. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just because one development activity doesn’t get the success that was hoped for isn’t reason to completely abandon it. Learn from your attempts, be creative and adjust your sights! And, audience development is a team sport. The responsibility can’t rest on the shoulders of just one person. Everyone has to contribute to the organization, including your board members. If you are an artist, your peers, employers, friends and relatives can help your outreach efforts.
- Recognition. When someone opens their wallet to buy a ticket, a book, an artwork, or a CD they are showing support for the artist, organization, or product. Take the time to thank them.
Over the course of upcoming columns I will discuss these elements further.
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But why invest in audience development? Recent stats from Hill Strategies Research show that in 2010:
- 72.4% of the Canadian population over 15 attended a live performance or cultural festival;
- 97.5% read a newspaper, magazine or book;
- 87.2% watched a film in the theatre or on video;
- 86.7% listened to downloaded music or on CD.
So everything is just great, right? No. According to the Chair in Arts Management at Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) of Montréal, François Colbert, “ The arts sector has not only reached maturity, but it is saturated, the supply is far exceeding the demand.”[2] In effect, new theatre companies, publishers and venues are being developed regularly. Not counting all of the sources of entertainment online, at home and elsewhere (ex.: Sporting or community events, etc.). Like all consumers we only have so much money to spend on entertainment. How can arts organizations and artists access part of the available revenues? By differentiating themselves from their competitors. By developing closer relationships with the public. By actively selling their products or services rather than passively offering them.
We will also talk about modern art consumers and their expectations of the arts in a future column.
À bientôt !
Denis J. Bertrand is a consultant in audience development for the arts with the 50 Carleton marketing firm. He leads workshops on the subject and produces strategies tailored to a variety of arts organizations located throughout the country. He also discusses the topic on his blog www.developpezvotreauditoire.com. Denis is a member of the Arts Consultants Canada Association. He lives in Sudbury ‚ON.
[1] On the Road, Presenters Handbook, Canada Council for the Arts http://www.conseildesarts.ca/development/ontheroad/presentershandbook/finding_an_audience/vp127742886459941831.htm
[2] International Journal of Arts Management, HEC, autumn 2009 ; vol. 12, no. 1