{"id":325,"date":"2022-12-08T20:03:34","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T01:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rowx\/?p=325"},"modified":"2022-12-13T15:25:15","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T20:25:15","slug":"a-wordle-allegory-we-cant-wait","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/rowx\/2022\/12\/08\/a-wordle-allegory-we-cant-wait\/","title":{"rendered":"A Wordle Allegory: We Can’t Wait"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Row X blog by Hannah Grannemann<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019m not immune to clickbait, and I like to play Wordle, so of course I clicked on an article from Lifehacker that promised valuable Wordle news<\/a>. Lifehacker told me that Wordle\u2019s daily word are no longer randomly generated, but are now chosen by an editor, and may be themed. OK, no big deal, I thought. I enjoy whimsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019m a relaxed Wordle player and I know there are some not-so-laid-back players. So I scrolled down to the comments. Which brings me to the allegory to arts audiences.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The comments followed a predictable pattern. One camp said the game was ruined: \u201c\u2026if \u2018BUNNY\u2019 comes up at Easter or \u2018FRANK\u2019 on July 4, I\u2019m not gonna be happy.\u201d Another: \u201cI think the theme idea is really lame and bad for the game. I was seriously disappointed when it was FEAST [on Nov. 24, Thanksgiving Day in the United States]. It reminded me of the cheesy holiday crosswords that I used to get in middle school.\u201d And finally: \u201cBoo! This sucks. Bring back random weird shit and serendipitous juxtaposition.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, comments from the what\u2019s-the-big-deal camp: \u201cIf you\u2019re checking your word against a list before entering it, you are taking the \u2018game\u2019 too seriously.\u201d And: \u201cI like games that are fun, is that an unpopular opinion now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then the backlash-to-the-backlash comments: \u201cEveryone is free to play the game however makes them happiest. Why are you the arbiter of how seriously it should be taken?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound familiar?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longtime arts audiences want everything to stay the same. Arts-curious audiences want something at least slightly different if they\u2019re going to attend. They tell us (when we ask) that we don\u2019t need to change the art itself to get them to come, but arts organizations need to make some<\/em> changes in how the art is presented (venue, time of day, online versions) or changes in the experience of the art (more relaxed atmosphere, more guidance on what to do, more context to help them understand the art) to get them to come, enjoy, and return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is an arts staffer to do? Make changes to attract new audiences knowing they will turn off the current audience? Or keep everything the same and allow the slow decline of audiences to continue without replacing them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I were in leadership of a traditional arts organization right now, I\u2019d be pretty confident about making changes to attract new audiences.<\/strong> I\u2019d have enough information by now to move on from the idea that we could keep everything in amber waiting for the 15-25% of audiences that haven\u2019t returned since the pandemic began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s time to get brave, try new things, and be ready for a bit of complaining. How many people would really stop attending if some changes were made to become more welcoming? Probably not many. Now, will every single one of them <\/em>send you (and maybe your Board chair) an email complaining, making it seem like a bigger number? Also probably. Fewer, if the organization explains the changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also time for a reality check<\/strong>. Wordle is not fundamentally different because there will be the occasional themed word. A concert is not fundamentally different because there are notes in the program that don\u2019t mention music theory. A theater performance is not fundamentally different because it\u2019s at 7:30pm on weeknights instead of 8pm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s go a step further. Here are a few other experience changes that also don\u2019t impact someone\u2019s traditional experience, but can make the experience more attractive to those arts-curious audiences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n