So what do audiences want? Cheaper tickets, for sure. Or at least the opportunity to pay what they want. One theatre converted its season to pay-as-you-want and saw a 50% increase in audience. But perhaps it's frustrating that people don't see more people like themselves on stages. "One of my frustrations with what happens on the stage a lot of the time … [Read more...]
Engagement Is a Means, Not an End
So much interesting stuff has been written recently about engagement and related topics, I barely know where to begin. The Irvine Foundation has published a series of mini-essays responding questions about engagement. [Part 1, Part 2, Part 3] Diane Ragsdale posted an extended response to Irvine’s question “Is there an issue in the arts field that is more urgent than … [Read more...]
This Week in Audience, Audience, Who’s Got The Audience
There are so many ways that people watch TV shows these days that the television industry has no idea how to measure whether a show is a hit. “Nielsen, the 93-year-old company that has long operated an effective monopoly over television ratings in the United States, is facing blistering criticism from TV and advertising executives who see it as a relic of television’s … [Read more...]
Irvine asks: Is there an issue in the arts field more urgent than engagement?
Diane Ragsdale: What purpose do “engagement events” serve if people don’t start showing up at the museum? and Are culturally and racially-specific organizations negatively affected when mainstream arts organizations offer diverse programming? READ MORE … [Read more...]
This Week in “What Do Audiences Want”?
Audience tastes are always changing. Artists are always changing. So how do you determine popularity? The data's in: For the first time, old recordings outsold new releases in 2015. This despite the massive popularity of Adele’s new album late in the year. When all of recorded music is available on demand anywhere, it’s not surprising that the back catalogue becomes more … [Read more...]