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Engaging Matters

Doug Borwick on vibrant arts and communities

Arts 1.0

August 30, 2017 by Doug Borwick

Web 1.0 was the internet before “talkback.” It was static one-directional communication. Whether intentional or not, it was inherently self-centered, presenting the view of the owner of the website. Web 2.0 is the interactive internet where people are invited and encouraged to make their views known.

I recently drafted a series of statements in an effort to differentiate among sales, audience development, audience engagement, and community engagement. When I finished the first pass at it, I realized that I had formulated it using a traditionalist mental model of arts marketing–kinda Arts 1.0. Here’s what I came up with:

  • Sales
    • This is what’s happening.
    • Buy a ticket.
  • Audience Development
    • This is what’s happening.
    • This seems like a reason you might be interested.
    • Buy a ticket.
  • Audience Engagement
    • This is what’s happening.
    • This seems like a reason you might be interested.
    • Here’s something we think is worthwhile/relevant to you about it.
    • Buy a ticket.

Clearly this is all one-directional communication. While this may be a not-totally-incorrect view of some “arts marketing,” it’s not fair to what could and should be. Realizing this I decided to apply the same thinking to my field of expertise. A good deal of “community engagement” goes like this:

  • Community Engagement
    • Get a grant
    • Find some poor people
    • Tell them why what’s happening is good for them
    • Be surprised when they don’t show up

A 2.0 version of all of these would emphasize the need for two-way communication. Let’s try this again.

The first three should all be preceded by “Get to know them.” After that, it might look like:

  • Sales
    • This is what’s happening.
    • This is why it’s going to be worth your time and money.*
    • Buy a ticket.
  • Audience Development
    • This is what’s happening.
    • This is why it’s going to be worth your time and money.*
    • This seems like a reason you might be especially interested.*
    • Buy a ticket.
  • Audience Engagement
    • This is what’s happening.
    • This is why it’s going to be worth your time and money.*
    • This seems like a reason you might be especially interested.*
    • Here’s something that might make this even more worthwhile/relevant to you.*
    • Buy a ticket.

*We know this because we listened to what you told us.

And the 2.0 community engagement list would be

  • Community Engagement
    Step 1

    • Pleased to meet you.
    • Tell me about yourself.
    • This is what we do.

    Step 2

    • If we do [this thing*], will you help us make it better/be successful**?

    Step 3***

    • Let’s keep in touch.

*Chosen based on what they told you about themselves.
**Funding, community support, ticket sales
***Post-event

The obvious distinction between the first three and community engagement is the final line–Buy a ticket. That’s of critical importance to arts organizations and is the essence of sales, audience development, and audience engagement. Community engagement, while it has “Buy a ticket” (as well as “Contribute now” and “Support arts-friendly public policy”) as a long-term result, is a seed planting effort. That’s another reason relationship maintenance–”Let’s keep in touch”–is so important.

Too much of our industry is operating with an Arts 1.0 mental model. It gets in the way of selling tickets and it makes effective community engagement impossible.

Engage!

Doug

Photo: AttributionNoncommercial Some rights reserved by presta

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Filed Under: The Practice of Engagement Tagged With: arts, community engagement, marketing

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  1. Top Posts From AJBlogs 08.30.17 - British News Cloud says:
    August 31, 2017 at 5:06 am

    […] Arts 1.0 Web 1.0 was the internet before “talkback.” It was static one-directional communication. Whether intentional or not, it was inherently self-centered, presenting the view of the owner of the website. Web 2.0 is the interactive internet … read more AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2017-08-29 […]

About Doug Borwick

Doug Borwick is a past President of the Board of the Association of Arts Administration Educators and was for nearly 30 years Director of the Arts Management and Not-for-Profit Management Programs at Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC. He is CEO of Outfitters4, Inc., providing management services to nonprofit organizations and ArtsEngaged providing training and consultation to artists and arts organization to help them more effectively engage with their communities. [Read More …]

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About Engaging Matters

The arts began as collective activity around the campfire, expressions of community. In a very real sense, the community owned that expression. Over time, with increasing specialization of labor, the arts– especially Western “high arts”– became … [Read More...]

Books

Community Engagement: Why and How

Building Communities, Not Audiences: The Future of the Arts in the United States Engage Now! A Guide to Making the Arts Indispensable[Purchase info below] I have to be honest, I haven’t finished it yet because I’m constantly having to digest the ‘YES’ and ‘AMEN’ moments I get from each … [Read More...]

Gard Foundation Calls for Stories

The Robert E. Gard Foundation is dedicated to fostering healthy communities through arts-based development, it is currently seeking stories from communities in which the arts have improved the lives of citizens in remarkable ways. These stories can either be full descriptions (400-900 words) with photos, video, and web links or mini stories (ca. 200 words) […]

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