Connecting with Audiences on Their Own Terms

Connecting with Audiences on Their Terms

Maryland Performing Arts Presenters Annapolis , MD

November 18, 2013

Christy Farnbauch

Community Engagement Strategist

Strategic Links

Personally Meaningful Arts Experience

Describe a personally meaningful performing arts experience. One where you were an audience member and not a presenting artist.

o When was it?

o Where did the experience take place?

o Who, if anyone, was with you?

o Can you recall any sensory memories?

o What was the impact/value of that experience for you?

o Describe the experience with a word, phrase, or metaphor

Maryland Statewide Survey on the Arts OpinionWorks – May 2013

Q.11“I’d like you to think back for a minute to an artistic expression that you experienced recently – one that

made an impact on you. Using just a word or a short phrase, how did it make you feel?”

Workshop Goals:

Highlight key findings from audience research that can be used to engage audiences on their terms

Explore ways this information can be useful for you

More research at: www.jazzartsgroup.org/jai

Salzburg Global Seminar The Performing Arts in Lean Times: Opportunities for Reinvention

"To engage with audiences, organizations and artists must now not just do things for people, but instead do things with people. It is not that artists and organizations must plan to cede power to the public, but that the power is already ceded; organizations must now recognize that change and build on it to connect and engage with society."

Adrian Ellis, February 2010

What Arts Participation Research Tells Us

Changing patterns of demand

Shorter and more intense experiences (time starved; shorter attention spans)

Demand for more interpretive assistance, craving the arts education experiences they had as children

Expectation that leisure experiences can be customized

Shift towards more active forms of participation

Audiences today have lower levels of context and knowledge

People make last minute decisions to attend events, and subscription buyers have declined drastically.

As more people look to create a work-life balance, they are interested in modest ‘perfect moments’ as a result of experiences that are authentic, community-based and unforgettable.

Alan Brown: www.wolfbrown.com - “A Confluence of Many Forces”

http://www.wolfbrown.com/

Maryland Statewide Survey on the Arts Reasons Not Attending More Arts Events

Q.14 “Besides cost, what are the biggest reasons you do not attend more arts-related activities

in your local area?” (open-ended)

Source: OpinionWorks, 2013

Who is the “Audience?”

Who are they? How do you find them?

What do they value?

What do you need to know about them?

How do you develop meaningful relationships with them?

What do we want them to do?

In what ways do you currently segment your audiences?

Audience Engagement Is…

A unifying philosophy that brings together marketing, education,

and artistic programming to maximize impact on audiences.

“Making Sense of Audience Engagement,” Alan Brown. 2011

In short…

Audience engagement is a philosophy to maximize impact.

Arc of Engagement


Things We Know from

Audience Research:

Musical Taste is Socially Transmitted

Musical Taste is Socially Transmitted

People will try new music/arts experiences if they:

Are invited by someone they know, like or trust.

Are introduced to new music through a “guide” or “mentor.”

Can sample the new music/art before purchasing a ticket.

Jazz Arts Group’s Jazz Audiences Initiative - 2011

Research tells us…

Musical taste is socially transmitted

86%

65%

64%

48%

44%

37%

33%

31%

29%

21%

17%

80%

50%

74%

46%

50%

34%

33%

19%

30%

22%

24%

76%

44%

77%

39%

57%

41%

41%

15%

21%

23%

24%

73%

38%

78%

34%

61%

38%

41%

12%

18%

22%

25%

67%

29%

80%

31%

61%

35%

31%

8%

11%

18%

18%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Recom

mendati

ons

from

fri

ends

or

fam

ily

Suggest

ions

from

people

you k

now

Lis

tenin

g t

o t

he

radio

Movie

soundtr

acks

or

TV s

how

s

Pri

nt

media

Local clu

bs/

pro

mote

rs

CD

revie

ws

YouTu

be

Musi

c s

ubsc

ripto

ns

Bro

wsi

ng in r

ecord

store

s

Sate

llit

e r

adio

PERCENT REPORTING EACH SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT UNFAMILIAR ARTISTS, BY AGE COHORT

18 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65+

24%

44%

21%

16%

25%

8%

27%

24%

21%

21%

30%

17%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

50%

Knowledgeable

Musicians

Jazz-Centered

Omnivores

Urban Culture

Dabblers

Standard Fare

Partners

Social

Butterflies

Comfort

Seekers

INCIDENCE OF INITIATORS AND RESPONDERS, BY SEGMENT

Ini ators (Agreement ra ng of 6 or 7)

Responders (Agreement ra ng of 6 or 7)

Create Incentives for Initiators Identify those who regularly bring friends

Strategies for current subscribers to bring newbies

Transmit taste through mutual endorsement and artist associations

South Coast Repertory – Blogger Nights

University of Michigan – UMS Lobby

Implications for the Field

Peer to Peer Reviews

Center Theatre Group – Los Angeles


Clarice Smith Center – Univ. of Maryland

Create Pathways into New Art Forms

Create Pathways

Music labels (genres) are confusing and often not relevant

Often, participation is artist-driven, and audiences want to know the “back story”

Engage people via art forms they already like



Jazz-Centered Omnivores and Urban Culture Dabblers are most “democratic” in their arts attendance

79%

86%

67%

70%

42%

27%

45%

71%

68%

51%

47%

45%

39%

40%

21%

16%

33%

8%

36%

35%

30%

18%

20%

33%

22%

45%

45%

35%

31%

46%

20%

28%

13%

4%

11%

8%

10%

21%

16%

13%

14%

19%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Knowledgeable

Musicians

Jazz-Centered

Omnivores

Urban Culture

Dabblers

Standard Fare

Partners

Social Butterflies Comfort Seekers

HIGH FREQUENCY ATTENDANCE (THREE OR MORE TIMES IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS), BY SEGMENT

Jazz shows Art museums or galleries Rock or R&B shows

Classical music concerts Stage plays World Music Concerts

Broadway musicals

Maryland Statewide Survey on the Arts Attendance by the General Public

Q.8“Thinking back over the past year, have you attended, visited, or seen any of these things in Maryland, outside of

Maryland, or not at all?”

In

Maryland

Outside

Maryland Total

Movie 75% 4% 79%

Live musical performance 50% 11% 61%

Live theater or dance performance 40% 10% 50%

Outdoor sculpture/Public art displays 39% 11% 50%

Art museum 30% 19% 49%

Street musicians or performers 32% 14% 45%

Art festivals or art fairs 34% 7% 41%

Art gallery or artists coop 27% 14% 42%

Stand-up comedy 18% 8% 26%

Poetry reading or open mic night 12% 5% 17%

Online art experiences or crowd

sourcing 13% 3% 16%

Determine what other art forms current and potential audiences already enjoy

Genre-bending collaborations

Opening Acts

Co-headliners

Cross-genre artists

Build a new home on the web for exploring music/performers

Provide newcomers a place to start, a low-risk opportunity to hear new sounds

Create resource for presenters to offer audiences guidance


Younger Buyers Have More

Eclectic Tastes

Younger Buyers Have More Eclectic Tastes

Music labels (genres) are confusing and often not relevant

A multi-pronged engagement approach is required – before, during and after the show.



Younger buyers are more involved in a range of music activities

39% 27% 25% 23% 18% 26% 22% 25% 21% 13%

22%

15% 16% 14% 11%

25% 22% 24% 23% 18%

32%

15% 16% 14% 13%

19% 16%

19% 17%

14%

25%

11% 10% 8%

15% 11%

10% 7%

24%

13% 13% 13%

13%

16%

7% 12%

12%

10%

23%

15% 6%

31%

20% 10%

81%

79%

62%

52%

30%

78%

67% 54%

37%

14%

64%

60%

48%

37%

23%

61%

47%

37%

27%

10%

18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Ticket Buyer Sample Prospect Sample

CURRENT INVOLVEMENT IN MUSIC ACTIVITIES, BY SAMPLE AND BY AGE COHORT

Play a musical instrument Sing

Perform music in front of an audience Compose, edit or arrange music

Study music history or appreciation Play musical video games

Download and organize music DJ, or mix CDs or playlists

Younger buyers have more eclectic musical tastes

77% 68%

53% 47% 46%

8%

7%

13%

12% 10%

15%

25% 34%

41% 44%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

18 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65+

PERCENTAGE OF JAZZ AS PART OF MUSIC COLLECTION, BY AGE COHORT

Less than 50% 50% 50% or more

SFJAZZ Focus Group Research on Young Jazz Buyers (2008)

Young adults are resolutely unwilling to categorize their taste in music.

The musical tastes of most of the young adults we interviewed encompass all genres and periods.

Whether or not it’s jazz, classical, world, ‘noise’ or electronic dance music does not matter as much as whether they like how it sounds.

“There are only two kinds of music: good music, and bad music.”

Provide ways for younger buyers to sample before buying

Links to downloading sites

Gather reviews from people like them

Student Bloggers – Clarice Smith, Univ. of Maryland


Informal Settings Are Most Appealing

Informal Settings are Most Appealing

Audiences prefer spaces that are “intimate” and informal, and those that allow them to feel close to the artist.

Some audience members expect “customizable” experiences within one venue.



Informal settings are most appealing, even for older buyers

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

18-3

4

35-4

4

45-5

4

55-6

4

65+

18-3

4

35-4

4

45-5

4

55-6

4

65+

Ticket Buyer Sample Prospect Sample

Avg.

Rati

ng

(1=N

ot

At

All;

7=A G

reat

Deal)

VENUE PREFERENCES, BY SAMPLE AND AGE COHORT "How much would you like to see jazz in..."

Clubs or lounges with

small tables

Park or outdoor pavilion

with food booths

Restaurants with full

menu service

Formal concert halls with

chandeliers in the lobby

Grungy dive bars with

sticky floors

Private homes

SFJAZZ Focus Group Research on Young Jazz Buyers (2008)

All prefer venues that are small, intimate and hip.

They are drawn to the casual interactions that a venue can encourage.

They prefer to have the option of “dropping in” to a venue without having to pay an entrance fee or appear at a particular time.

They want to make choices as to how to experience the music, and their choices will vary from night to night.

In general, young adults seek connection to other audience members and musicians, and also to place.


Develop new business models for presenting in more intimate spaces

Use “found” community spaces

Design temporary or mobile spaces

Transform community spaces into music clubs

Re-contextualize spaces within traditional venues

38

Garden Theatre – Columbus, Ohio

39


Garden Theatre Green Room – Columbus, Ohio

Audiences Have Unfulfilled Desires

to Actively Participate in Art Making

Audiences Have Unfulfilled Desires to Participate

Audience members often have an “unfulfilled interest” in direct participation. (i.e., playing a musical instrument)



Maryland Statewide Survey on the Arts Areas of Interest in the Arts

Q.4 (self-described artists): “What is your specific area of interest in the arts?”

Q.10 (non-artists):“Is there a type of artistic or creative expression that personally interests you the most?”

Artists Non-Artists

Instrumental Music 31% (1) 16% (1)

Writing 15% (2) 2% (7)

Dance 13% (3) 7% (3)

Theater/Acting 9% (4) 13% (2)

Fine art/Painting/Drawing 7% (5) 5% (5)

Poetry/Storytelling 6% (6) 2% (7)

Vocal Music 5% (7) 4% (6)

Photography 4% (8) 6% (4)

Cartooning 4% (8) 2% (7)

Fashion Design 3% (10) *% (19)

Source: OpinionWorks, 2013

Create Ways for Adults to Actively Participate

“Rusty Musicians” Programs

Fantasy Camps

Offstage at the Jazz Academy


Closing Thoughts

What information/ideas have you heard today that you could put into use tomorrow?

Additional Questions?

Thank You!

For More Information:

Christy Farnbauch

Community Engagement Strategist

614-657-4406

[email protected]

www.strategiclinks.info

http://www.strategiclinks.info

Connecting with Audiences on Their Own Terms

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