In Sustaining Cultural Development, Biljana Mickov and James Doyle argue that substantial investm... more In Sustaining Cultural Development, Biljana Mickov and James Doyle argue that substantial investment in both research and strategic planning is required if programmes to promote greater participation in cultural life are to be effective. Mickov is a cultural manager, researcher and consultant working in Serbia, and Doyle is a cultural manager and practising artist based in Dublin. Both editors thus bring different European perspectives and practitioner backgrounds to bear in assembling a collection of case studies from contributors throughout Europe to evidence their claim that ‘arts and cultural management is increasingly becoming associated with facilitating the mobility and development of society and of urbanisation at a global level’ (p.233).
This chapter reflects on the thematic focus of the book, namely the democratic and moral imperati... more This chapter reflects on the thematic focus of the book, namely the democratic and moral imperative to ensure equality of access to publicly funded culture. To consider audience development is to put oneself at the centre of one of the most important tensions in publicly subsidised culture. The issue is perhaps not about whether culture and democracy are compatible, but rather how to conceive of that compatibility, about the reconciliation or balance between liberal values and elite culture. The chapter reflects on the contemporary resurgence of ideas around cultural democracy and the idea of ‘everyone an artist’. The question arises as to how best adapt and utilise the tools of audience development practice in a context where the notion of cultural participation has been extended beyond the arts and into the arena of everyday creativity and participation.
The development of practice discussed in the previous Chap. 4 was conceived of, and enacted by, a... more The development of practice discussed in the previous Chap. 4 was conceived of, and enacted by, a small number of interdependent consultants, funders and practitioners. This chapter argues that this cohort was a ‘cultural management elite’ and outlines the group’s key characteristics, most specifically their capacity to iteratively deliver and develop audience development practice. The chapter then proceeds to outline and discuss the two traditions of audience development: the ‘Arts Lover tradition’ and the ‘Social Justice tradition’. The two traditions share a similar basis in personal narratives of cultural engagement and consumption, but evidence importantly divergent views on both the transformative power of art and thereby on the ultimate purpose of public subsidy for the arts and cultural sector.
This chapter develops an understanding of the broader rationale for, and thus implications of, th... more This chapter develops an understanding of the broader rationale for, and thus implications of, the inception of the audience development agenda. To consider this question, the chapter starts by defining cultural policy and the terminology of the democratisation of culture/cultural democracy. This section, alongside outlining the key debates within each position, also discusses issues of vested interest, the contested nature of the relationship between the democratisation of culture and cultural democracy, and the sense of a resurgence of the idea of cultural democracy, both in recent literature and discussions within the arts and cultural sector.
This chapter introduces the framework of traditions and dilemmas which are used to discuss the hi... more This chapter introduces the framework of traditions and dilemmas which are used to discuss the history of arts marketing and audience development practice. Two dilemmas are discussed in this chapter: the dilemma of marketisation (managerialism, public sector management) which saw the formal adoption and development of arts marketing practice, and the dilemma of social inclusion, which saw the formal adoption and development of audience development practice. The chapter considers the prevailing ethos of the Arts Council as an institution and the contested nature of the formation of arts marketing/audience development practice within that context. In response to the dilemmas of marketisation of the arts and the rise of the social inclusion agenda the chapter outlines how hostility to marketing created the conditions for audience development’s rise to prominence in the cultural sector.
This chapter outlines the specific characteristics attributable to audience development. This mov... more This chapter outlines the specific characteristics attributable to audience development. This moves discussion beyond the process-driven depiction of audience development identified in Chap. 2 and towards developing a discourse of practice. The chapter explores the issue of the conceptual ambiguity of audience development and argues that audience development remains in its ontological phase. The chapter then discusses how the two traditions gave form to the practice of audience development and how these traditions were able to coexist and indeed collaborate within the practice of audience development because the ‘functional ambiguity’ of the term allowed for a broad church of interpretation. Far from being a purely technical process, audience development was conceived by the cultural management elite as an attempt to fundamentally alter the policy trajectory of the subsidised arts sector.
Oliver Mears is The Royal Opera’s Director of Opera. Mears studied English and history at Oxford ... more Oliver Mears is The Royal Opera’s Director of Opera. Mears studied English and history at Oxford University and began his career assisting playwright Howard Barker. In 2004 he co-founded London-bas...
This chapter focusses on the contemporary context of audience development given the growing body ... more This chapter focusses on the contemporary context of audience development given the growing body of data suggesting little by way of demographic shift in patterns of cultural engagement. The chapter argues that this data has prompted a third dilemma and questions the impact of this dilemma both on the traditions identified in Chap. 5 and its wider implications for cultural policy. The research data discussed in this chapter highlights a significant degree of vested interest in the cultural field and suggests that this simultaneously acts to preserve structures and positions of power and works against the processes of cultural democratisation and audience development in order to preserve the status quo. Whilst the data suggests such stasis may no longer be a viable option, alternative structures have proved elusive. This discussion raises questions about the discursive function of audience development and the wider democratic imperative implicit within public subsidy of the arts.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss findings from an Arts and Humanities Research Coun... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss findings from an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded research project into the heritage culture of British folk tales. The project investigated how such archival source material might be made relevant to contemporary audience via processes of artistic remediation. The research considered artists as “cultural intermediaries”, i.e. as actors occupying the conceptual space between production and consumption in an artistic process.Design/methodology/approachInterview data is drawn from a range of 1‐2‐1 and group interviews with the artists. These interviews took place throughout the duration of the project.FindingsWhen artists are engaged in a process of remediation which has a distinct arts marketing/audience development focus, they begin to intermediate between themselves and the audience/consumer. Artist perceptions of their role as “professionals of qualification” is determined by the subjective disposition required by th...
Helen Marriage is Director of Artichoke and was Creative Director of Galway 2020 European Capital... more Helen Marriage is Director of Artichoke and was Creative Director of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture, until April 2020 when Artichoke’s involvement ceased due to the outbreak of COVID-19. A...
In Sustaining Cultural Development, Biljana Mickov and James Doyle argue that substantial investm... more In Sustaining Cultural Development, Biljana Mickov and James Doyle argue that substantial investment in both research and strategic planning is required if programmes to promote greater participation in cultural life are to be effective. Mickov is a cultural manager, researcher and consultant working in Serbia, and Doyle is a cultural manager and practising artist based in Dublin. Both editors thus bring different European perspectives and practitioner backgrounds to bear in assembling a collection of case studies from contributors throughout Europe to evidence their claim that ‘arts and cultural management is increasingly becoming associated with facilitating the mobility and development of society and of urbanisation at a global level’ (p.233).
This chapter reflects on the thematic focus of the book, namely the democratic and moral imperati... more This chapter reflects on the thematic focus of the book, namely the democratic and moral imperative to ensure equality of access to publicly funded culture. To consider audience development is to put oneself at the centre of one of the most important tensions in publicly subsidised culture. The issue is perhaps not about whether culture and democracy are compatible, but rather how to conceive of that compatibility, about the reconciliation or balance between liberal values and elite culture. The chapter reflects on the contemporary resurgence of ideas around cultural democracy and the idea of ‘everyone an artist’. The question arises as to how best adapt and utilise the tools of audience development practice in a context where the notion of cultural participation has been extended beyond the arts and into the arena of everyday creativity and participation.
The development of practice discussed in the previous Chap. 4 was conceived of, and enacted by, a... more The development of practice discussed in the previous Chap. 4 was conceived of, and enacted by, a small number of interdependent consultants, funders and practitioners. This chapter argues that this cohort was a ‘cultural management elite’ and outlines the group’s key characteristics, most specifically their capacity to iteratively deliver and develop audience development practice. The chapter then proceeds to outline and discuss the two traditions of audience development: the ‘Arts Lover tradition’ and the ‘Social Justice tradition’. The two traditions share a similar basis in personal narratives of cultural engagement and consumption, but evidence importantly divergent views on both the transformative power of art and thereby on the ultimate purpose of public subsidy for the arts and cultural sector.
This chapter develops an understanding of the broader rationale for, and thus implications of, th... more This chapter develops an understanding of the broader rationale for, and thus implications of, the inception of the audience development agenda. To consider this question, the chapter starts by defining cultural policy and the terminology of the democratisation of culture/cultural democracy. This section, alongside outlining the key debates within each position, also discusses issues of vested interest, the contested nature of the relationship between the democratisation of culture and cultural democracy, and the sense of a resurgence of the idea of cultural democracy, both in recent literature and discussions within the arts and cultural sector.
This chapter introduces the framework of traditions and dilemmas which are used to discuss the hi... more This chapter introduces the framework of traditions and dilemmas which are used to discuss the history of arts marketing and audience development practice. Two dilemmas are discussed in this chapter: the dilemma of marketisation (managerialism, public sector management) which saw the formal adoption and development of arts marketing practice, and the dilemma of social inclusion, which saw the formal adoption and development of audience development practice. The chapter considers the prevailing ethos of the Arts Council as an institution and the contested nature of the formation of arts marketing/audience development practice within that context. In response to the dilemmas of marketisation of the arts and the rise of the social inclusion agenda the chapter outlines how hostility to marketing created the conditions for audience development’s rise to prominence in the cultural sector.
This chapter outlines the specific characteristics attributable to audience development. This mov... more This chapter outlines the specific characteristics attributable to audience development. This moves discussion beyond the process-driven depiction of audience development identified in Chap. 2 and towards developing a discourse of practice. The chapter explores the issue of the conceptual ambiguity of audience development and argues that audience development remains in its ontological phase. The chapter then discusses how the two traditions gave form to the practice of audience development and how these traditions were able to coexist and indeed collaborate within the practice of audience development because the ‘functional ambiguity’ of the term allowed for a broad church of interpretation. Far from being a purely technical process, audience development was conceived by the cultural management elite as an attempt to fundamentally alter the policy trajectory of the subsidised arts sector.
Oliver Mears is The Royal Opera’s Director of Opera. Mears studied English and history at Oxford ... more Oliver Mears is The Royal Opera’s Director of Opera. Mears studied English and history at Oxford University and began his career assisting playwright Howard Barker. In 2004 he co-founded London-bas...
This chapter focusses on the contemporary context of audience development given the growing body ... more This chapter focusses on the contemporary context of audience development given the growing body of data suggesting little by way of demographic shift in patterns of cultural engagement. The chapter argues that this data has prompted a third dilemma and questions the impact of this dilemma both on the traditions identified in Chap. 5 and its wider implications for cultural policy. The research data discussed in this chapter highlights a significant degree of vested interest in the cultural field and suggests that this simultaneously acts to preserve structures and positions of power and works against the processes of cultural democratisation and audience development in order to preserve the status quo. Whilst the data suggests such stasis may no longer be a viable option, alternative structures have proved elusive. This discussion raises questions about the discursive function of audience development and the wider democratic imperative implicit within public subsidy of the arts.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss findings from an Arts and Humanities Research Coun... more PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss findings from an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)-funded research project into the heritage culture of British folk tales. The project investigated how such archival source material might be made relevant to contemporary audience via processes of artistic remediation. The research considered artists as “cultural intermediaries”, i.e. as actors occupying the conceptual space between production and consumption in an artistic process.Design/methodology/approachInterview data is drawn from a range of 1‐2‐1 and group interviews with the artists. These interviews took place throughout the duration of the project.FindingsWhen artists are engaged in a process of remediation which has a distinct arts marketing/audience development focus, they begin to intermediate between themselves and the audience/consumer. Artist perceptions of their role as “professionals of qualification” is determined by the subjective disposition required by th...
Helen Marriage is Director of Artichoke and was Creative Director of Galway 2020 European Capital... more Helen Marriage is Director of Artichoke and was Creative Director of Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture, until April 2020 when Artichoke’s involvement ceased due to the outbreak of COVID-19. A...
It was in 1946 that George VI granted a charter of incorporation to the Arts Council of Great Bri... more It was in 1946 that George VI granted a charter of incorporation to the Arts Council of Great Britain for the twin purposes of " developing a greater knowledge, understanding and practice of the fine arts exclusively " and " in particular to increase the accessibility of the fine arts to the public ". So from the vantage point of 2016 we are able to reflect on a history of 70 years of public subsidy for the arts.
Encouraging more – and different – people to attend the arts remains a vital issue for the cultur... more Encouraging more – and different – people to attend the arts remains a vital issue for the cultural sector. The question of who consumes culture, and why, is key to our understanding of the arts. This book examines the relationship of audience development to cultural policy and offers a ground-breaking perspective on how the practice of audience development is connected to ideas of democratic access to culture. Providing a detailed overview of arts marketing, audience development and cultural democracy, the book argues that the work of audience development has been profoundly misunderstood by the field of arts management. Drawing from a rich range of interviews with key individuals in the audience development field, the book argues for a re-conceptualisation of audience development as an ideological function of cultural policy. Of importance for students, academics and researchers working in arts management and cultural policy, the book is also vital reading for anyone working in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors with an interest in understanding how our relationship with the audience has been constructed.
• Provides a new understanding of the relationship between audiences and the arts • Fundamentally changes the idea of audience development and its relationship to cultural policy • Argues that arts management has misunderstood arts marketing and audience development
“This is a wonderful book, situating the goal of audience development into the centre of cultural policy discourse, with a deeply researched history, and new perspectives on contemporary challenges.” —Michael Rushton, Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, USA
“Everyone who cares about audiences should read this book. It clarifies some very important ideas about audience development and the place and value of organised culture in society. An eye-opening walk through the history of audience engagement, it is as accessible and wry as it is intelligent and timely.” —Anne Torreggiani, Chief Executive, The Audience Agency
“This meticulously researched monograph offers a nuanced, behind-the-scenes perspective of the evolution of cultural policies related to audience development. A must read for any serious arts management or cultural policy scholar. Given the importance of democratic access to culture, it is both timely and important.” —Ben Walmsley, Professor of Cultural Engagement, University of Leeds
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• Provides a new understanding of the relationship between audiences and the arts
• Fundamentally changes the idea of audience development and its relationship to cultural policy
• Argues that arts management has misunderstood arts marketing and audience development
“This is a wonderful book, situating the goal of audience development into the centre of cultural policy discourse, with a deeply researched history, and new perspectives on contemporary challenges.”
—Michael Rushton, Professor of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, USA
“Everyone who cares about audiences should read this book. It clarifies some very important ideas about audience development and the place and value of organised culture in society. An eye-opening walk through the history of audience engagement, it is as accessible and wry as it is intelligent and timely.”
—Anne Torreggiani, Chief Executive, The Audience Agency
“This meticulously researched monograph offers a nuanced, behind-the-scenes perspective of the evolution of cultural policies related to audience development. A must read for any serious arts management or cultural policy scholar. Given the importance of democratic access to culture, it is both timely and important.”
—Ben Walmsley, Professor of Cultural Engagement, University of Leeds