- School of Performance & Cultural Industries
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT
- Cultural Policy, Theatre Anthropology, Arts and Heritage Marketing, Performance ethnography (Theatre Studies), Audience, Management (Performing Arts), and 14 morePerforming Arts, Arts Management, Theatre Studies, Theatre Arts and Events Management, Critical Management Studies, Arts Marketing, Strategic Managment/Marketing of Nonprofit Arts Organizations, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, Arts and Cultural Management and Administration, Audience Studies, Audience and Reception Studies, Audience Research, Audience Engagement, and Digital Marketingedit
- The main focus of my research is related to qualitative analysis of the value and impact of theatre on audiences. I ... moreThe main focus of my research is related to qualitative analysis of the value and impact of theatre on audiences. I am also interested in creative management and critical management studies (as applied to the arts) and to many aspects of arts marketing. Related work includes rural touring, cultural leadership, organizational change and cultural policy.
Please get in touch if you have a similar research interest.
More info at www.benwalmsley.net or follow me on twitter @benwalmsley
All the best,
Benedit
Co-creative activities have now become an integral part of artistic experiences, as audience engage and are engaged in cognitive, emotional, and imaginal practices to appropriate and make sense of cultural products and experiences. This... more
Co-creative activities have now become an integral part of artistic experiences, as audience engage and are engaged in cognitive, emotional, and imaginal practices to appropriate and make sense of cultural products and experiences. This chapter investigates why and how audience expectations and behaviours are changing, and explores emerging theories, concepts and practices of co-creation, including active spectatorship, co-production, participation, play, interpretation, and facilitation. The chapter reviews the drivers behind co-creation and argues that artists and arts organisations have a strategic, artistic and social responsibility to develop their audiences’ co-creative skills. It investigates how co-creation can be used to generate and extract meaning in a collaborative way, and illustrates how this collaboration can have a positive impact on audience engagement.
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This chapter provides a critical summary of the existing debates about cultural value and critically explores the diverse and contested notions of value that are relevant to the performing arts. It achieves this by interrogating a series... more
This chapter provides a critical summary of the existing debates about cultural value and critically explores the diverse and contested notions of value that are relevant to the performing arts. It achieves this by interrogating a series of core questions: What do we know about cultural value and what is the purpose of asking questions about it? Who wants to know what about cultural value? Why and how do they want to know? In what sense are experiences of the performing arts significant to audiences? What are the most effective ways to evaluate these experiences? What are the implications of this for arts organisations and for cultural policy? In response to these questions, the chapter contends that only interdisciplinary and multi-perspectival approaches will ever be nuanced enough to capture the multidimensional value of audiences’ experiences.
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Co-creative activities have now become an integral part of artistic experiences, as audience engage and are engaged in cognitive, emotional, and imaginal practices to appropriate and make sense of cultural products and experiences. This... more
Co-creative activities have now become an integral part of artistic experiences, as audience engage and are engaged in cognitive, emotional, and imaginal practices to appropriate and make sense of cultural products and experiences. This chapter investigates why and how audience expectations and behaviours are changing, and explores emerging theories, concepts and practices of co-creation, including active spectatorship, co-production, participation, play, interpretation, and facilitation. The chapter reviews the drivers behind co-creation and argues that artists and arts organisations have a strategic, artistic and social responsibility to develop their audiences’ co-creative skills. It investigates how co-creation can be used to generate and extract meaning in a collaborative way, and illustrates how this collaboration can have a positive impact on audience engagement.
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This chapter presents a critical analysis of the main questions and issues regarding the marketing of the performing arts to audiences. It advocates for a fundamental reconfiguration of the arts marketing concept in order to reflect the... more
This chapter presents a critical analysis of the main questions and issues regarding the marketing of the performing arts to audiences. It advocates for a fundamental reconfiguration of the arts marketing concept in order to reflect the conceptual evolution of the field towards notions and processes of audience engagement and enrichment. The underlying thesis behind this chapter is that it is time to reassert the primal role that arts and humanities research can play in tailoring arts marketing back to its creative and not-for-profit origins. The chapter therefore exposes the limitations of the traditional marketing mix for contemporary philosophies, modes, and techniques of audience engagement, and suggests an alternative, audience-centred paradigm fit for contemporary arts marketing scholarship and for twenty-first-century performing arts organisations.
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1. The entertainment industry: a re-introduction 2. The entertainment environment 3. Marketing entertainment 4. Public relations 5. Media principles 6. Managing live entertainment events 7. Management in entertainment organisations 8. HR... more
1. The entertainment industry: a re-introduction 2. The entertainment environment 3. Marketing entertainment 4. Public relations 5. Media principles 6. Managing live entertainment events 7. Management in entertainment organisations 8. HR & artist management 9. Arts & cultural management 10. Responsible entertainment management 11. Enterprise, creativity & business 12. Entertainment law 13. Performance management 14. Consultancy 15. Visitor attractions management 16. The future.
Research Interests: Business, Management, Marketing, Finance, Law, and 15 morePerforming Arts, Museum Studies, Event Management, Public Relations, Events management, Arts, Arts Management, Human Resources, Entertainment, Arts and Cultural Management and Administration, Entertainment Industry, Theatre Arts and Events Management, Personnel Management, Media and Entertainment Management, and Best Management Practices
This chapter explores the integration of audience feedback via a digitally mediated platform during the creative process of three new pieces of dance. It considers how attempts to forge empathetic relationships between artists and... more
This chapter explores the integration of audience feedback via a digitally mediated platform during the creative process of three new pieces of dance. It considers how attempts to forge empathetic relationships between artists and audiences through digitally mediated interactions intersect with the dance-making process. These themes are explored through analysis of data gathered during the development of Respond (February 2014–15), a digital adaptation of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process (2002). The Respond platform mediates interaction between audience and artist, taking them on a structured journey of critical enquiry to deepen their insights into the development of creative and artistic projects. The chapter articulates Respond’s role in innovating digitally-mediated modes of audience engagement and empathy towards the dance work, whilst also benefitting the creative process.
This chapter grapples with some of the most fundamental questions of audiencing: What is going on when audiences engage or are engaged with performance? How important is the live element of audiences’ experiences? What kinds of... more
This chapter grapples with some of the most fundamental questions of audiencing: What is going on when audiences engage or are engaged with performance? How important is the live element of audiences’ experiences? What kinds of experiences do audiences have when they engage with the performing arts? Which elements and phenomena characterise and differentiate these experiences from other kinds of experiences? Can audiences’ experiences be truly restorative or even transformative? The chapter offers a theoretical discussion of the nature of performing arts experiences before moving on to explore the relative agency that audiences have in engaging with performance. It then explores the phenomenology of audiency, including the roles that empathy, immersion, arousal, catharsis, intersubjectivity, and embodied and enactive spectatorship play in shaping audiences’ experiences.
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This chapter provides a critical overview of the existing literature on audience research and audience engagement. It surveys the seminal contributions to the rapidly emerging field of audience studies and classifies its recurrent themes... more
This chapter provides a critical overview of the existing literature on audience research and audience engagement. It surveys the seminal contributions to the rapidly emerging field of audience studies and classifies its recurrent themes into the following categories: the pacification of audiences; power, elitism and class; cultural policy, participation and co-creation; immersive performance; performance venues, spaces and places; performance as ritual; reception theory and semiotics; research methodologies; the audience experience; value and impact research; young audiences; arts marketing and management; audience engagement and enrichment. The aim of this taxonomy is to inform a new paradigm for audience studies in the context of the performing arts.
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The only book on contemporary issues which covers the arts and entertainment sectors, from social networking and Twitter, to reality TV and digital rights management.
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Research Interests: Sociology, Cultural Studies, Cultural Policy, Audience Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, and 9 moreAudience and Reception Studies, Arts Management, Arts Marketing, Audience Research, Theatre Arts and Events Management, Cultural value, Communication and media Studies, Cultural Policy of the New Deal, and Commercial Services
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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that theatre can have on its audiences, both immediately and over time.Design/methodology/approachThe article evaluates the existing literature on impact and critically reviews a... more
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that theatre can have on its audiences, both immediately and over time.Design/methodology/approachThe article evaluates the existing literature on impact and critically reviews a number of benefits models. Through a textual analysis of 42 semi‐structured depth interviews, the paper deconstructs the concept of impact and rearticulates it in audiences’ terms.FindingsImpact emerges as a personal construct articulated by audiences in terms of emotion, captivation, engagement, enrichment, escapism, wellbeing, world view and addiction. Impact is ultimately described as a relative concept, dependent on audience typology and perceived by audiences in holistic terms, incorporating both intrinsic value and instrumental benefits. While catharsis is confirmed as a key enabler of impact, flow emerges as both an enabler and a benefit in itself.Research limitations/implicationsAs this is a qualitative study with a sample of 42, the results ...
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This chapter will focus on the changing role of the modern-day consumer and audience member and explore the implications of this development for arts and entertainment organisations. It will begin with an exploration of the ‘experience... more
This chapter will focus on the changing role of the modern-day consumer and audience member and explore the implications of this development for arts and entertainment organisations. It will begin with an exploration of the ‘experience economy’ (Pine and Gilmore, 1999), demonstrating how the changing needs, abilities and expectations of audiences and consumers are effecting revolutionary shift in behaviour from the traditional push from producers towards a creative dialogue, where consumers have at least a voice and sometimes even an equal role as artist and co-producer. The chapter will go on to discuss the rise of what we’ll call ‘creative interaction’, the intermediary space where professional artists, producers, venues and content providers join their audiences and consumers to create or experience something new together. This discussion will be underpinned by a focus on the changing role and mission of arts and entertainment organisations from privileged gatekeepers to facilita...
This paper considers business and enterprise education through the lens of theatre and the creative arts, and identifies new pathways towards an interdisciplinary way of supporting the young innovators of the future, placing higher... more
This paper considers business and enterprise education through the lens of theatre and the creative arts, and identifies new pathways towards an interdisciplinary way of supporting the young innovators of the future, placing higher education as a central catalyst. Following a review of key criticism directed at traditional business and management approaches in the academy, the article problematizes the notion of experiential enterprise education in the curriculum and poses the question as to where and when students are afforded the opportunity to fail. Through an autoethnographic account, the key themes of authenticity, risk and failure, experiential approaches and embeddedness are presented. There is an urgent need for further and higher education institutions to develop a much more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to developing entrepreneurship in their students. These institutions are currently perpetuating pedagogical hypocrisy in that they preach productive failure while...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how researchers in the field of arts marketing are gradually abandoning the traditional marketing concept in order to respond to established and emerging modes of audience engagement.... more
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how researchers in the field of arts marketing are gradually abandoning the traditional marketing concept in order to respond to established and emerging modes of audience engagement. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a comprehensive content analysis of the past three decades of journal articles related to arts marketing. Findings The results of the content analysis highlight that a paradigm shift in arts marketing has occurred over the past two decades, from an overriding focus on neoliberal processes of consumption towards a relational, humanistic approach, which aims to enrich audiences and interrogate the wider value and impact of their arts experiences. Research limitations/implications The logical conclusion to be derived from this paradigmatic shift is that “arts marketing” is increasingly becoming an outmoded misnomer, which suggests the need for a fundamental reassessment of the traditional arts marketing c...
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... a dance on ice, ice dancing is an excellent example of the merging of sport and the performing arts, combining set rules and competition with beauty, grace and performance ... Shellard (2004) assessed the economic impact of the... more
... a dance on ice, ice dancing is an excellent example of the merging of sport and the performing arts, combining set rules and competition with beauty, grace and performance ... Shellard (2004) assessed the economic impact of the English theatre industry at£ 2.6 billion per annum. ...
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This project takes a participatory approach to key questions of cultural value – why are the experiences of the arts and culture important to people; how is it possible to understand and articulate these experiences; what are the... more
This project takes a participatory approach to key questions of cultural value – why are the experiences of the arts and culture important to people; how is it possible to understand and articulate these experiences; what are the connections between the arts and ‘wellbeing’; and how might an ecology of cultural organisations contribute to the wellbeing of a city? In taking such an approach we have aimed to explore the importance of the arts and culture via the perspectives, attitudes and practices of a group of arts participants and organisations who have become our active collaborators - making their own experiences and ideas the primary material with which we are generating new knowledge together.
The site of the study was the LoveArts festival, organised by the Leeds Arts and Minds Network, and the Directorate of Strategy and Partnerships of the Leeds and York Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust, which works to disseminate good practice on the links between the arts and mental health. At the heart of the project are five festival goers’ accounts of the ways in which participation in the arts contributes to or facilitates their wellbeing, and helps them to live well in their city. We also conducted a series of conversations with a range arts and cultural organisations across Leeds. With these cultural partners we explored the ways in which they currently engage with their audiences, visitors and participants; and addressed their future priorities and challenges in developing organisation-participant relationships.
A principle feature of this report is its demonstration of a variety of ways in which people make use of the arts within ‘everyday life’. One of its key findings is that experiences of the arts can pervade and shape the moods, feelings and routines of people’s lives in ways that are central and essential to the living of a satisfying life. The articulations our participants have given to their cultural experiences are powerful testimonies to the value of an expressive, creative, shared life, one facilitated by cultural organisations and spaces. Our findings suggest that value is not best thought of as knownable separately from everyday life. Rather there is a need to make knowing the ‘value’ of their work part of how arts and cultural organisations operate from day-to-day. As such, our work also makes a strong case for arts and cultural organisations to develop participatory research methods, and reflexive practice, within their own everyday activities.
The site of the study was the LoveArts festival, organised by the Leeds Arts and Minds Network, and the Directorate of Strategy and Partnerships of the Leeds and York Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust, which works to disseminate good practice on the links between the arts and mental health. At the heart of the project are five festival goers’ accounts of the ways in which participation in the arts contributes to or facilitates their wellbeing, and helps them to live well in their city. We also conducted a series of conversations with a range arts and cultural organisations across Leeds. With these cultural partners we explored the ways in which they currently engage with their audiences, visitors and participants; and addressed their future priorities and challenges in developing organisation-participant relationships.
A principle feature of this report is its demonstration of a variety of ways in which people make use of the arts within ‘everyday life’. One of its key findings is that experiences of the arts can pervade and shape the moods, feelings and routines of people’s lives in ways that are central and essential to the living of a satisfying life. The articulations our participants have given to their cultural experiences are powerful testimonies to the value of an expressive, creative, shared life, one facilitated by cultural organisations and spaces. Our findings suggest that value is not best thought of as knownable separately from everyday life. Rather there is a need to make knowing the ‘value’ of their work part of how arts and cultural organisations operate from day-to-day. As such, our work also makes a strong case for arts and cultural organisations to develop participatory research methods, and reflexive practice, within their own everyday activities.
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There remains a significant gap in the scholarly literature on the processes, benefits and challenges of digital engagement in the arts. This article presents and critically analyses the findings of one of the largest mixed-methods... more
There remains a significant gap in the scholarly literature on the processes, benefits and challenges of digital engagement in the arts. This article presents and critically analyses the findings of one of the largest mixed-methods studies ever conducted into audience engagement with dance. Based on a rigorous mixed-methods approach comprising participant and audience surveys, discussion groups, depth interviews, netnography and content analysis of a new responsive online platform based on Liz Lerman's renowned Critical Response Process, this study investigates the potential of digital engagement to facilitate context and audience anticipation; foster a culture of constructive critical enquiry between arts organizations, artists and audiences; and break down barriers to attendance.
The study's key findings indicated that responsive digital platforms can democratize critical exchange; foster slower, more reflective critique; and positively shift perceptions of unfamiliar artforms amongst non-attenders. A sustained process of digital engagement during the creative process was revealed to facilitate contextualization and cognitive decoding and thus enhance kinaesthetic and emotional engagement during an ensuing live performance. However, confirming previous findings, it proved challenging to maintain engagement amongst online participants, particularly amongst non-attenders, which reinforced the importance of social modes of engagement.
Ultimately this kind of digital platform has the potential to encourage a deeper, richer, more relational and democratic engagement between audiences, artists and arts organizations. Beyond the arts, the platform was shown to impact positively on participants' wider feedback mechanisms, both at work and at home, indicating its potential wider educational and sociological role in enhancing interpersonal skills and encouraging empathy with others.
The study's key findings indicated that responsive digital platforms can democratize critical exchange; foster slower, more reflective critique; and positively shift perceptions of unfamiliar artforms amongst non-attenders. A sustained process of digital engagement during the creative process was revealed to facilitate contextualization and cognitive decoding and thus enhance kinaesthetic and emotional engagement during an ensuing live performance. However, confirming previous findings, it proved challenging to maintain engagement amongst online participants, particularly amongst non-attenders, which reinforced the importance of social modes of engagement.
Ultimately this kind of digital platform has the potential to encourage a deeper, richer, more relational and democratic engagement between audiences, artists and arts organizations. Beyond the arts, the platform was shown to impact positively on participants' wider feedback mechanisms, both at work and at home, indicating its potential wider educational and sociological role in enhancing interpersonal skills and encouraging empathy with others.
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This article presents the findings of an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project carried out from September 2013 to March 2014 by five researchers at the University of Leeds (UK), who paired off with five... more
This article presents the findings of an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project carried out from September 2013 to March 2014 by five researchers at the University of Leeds (UK), who paired off with five audience-participants and engaged in a process of “deep hanging out” (Geertz 1998) at events curated as part of Leeds’ annual LoveArts festival. As part of AHRC’s Cultural Value project, the overarching aim of the research was to produce a rich, polyvocal, evocative and complex account of cultural value by co-investigating arts engagement with audience-participants.
Findings suggested that both the methods and purpose of knowing about cultural value impact significantly on any exploration of cultural experience. Fieldwork culminated in the apparent paradox that we know, and yet still don’t seem to know, the value and impact of the arts. Protracted discussions with the participants suggested that this paradox stemmed from a misplaced focus on knowledge; that instead of striving to understand and rationalize the value of the arts, we should instead aim to feel and experience it. During a process of deep hanging out, our participants revealed the limitations of language in capturing the value of the arts, yet confirmed perceptions of the arts as a vehicle for developing self-identity and -expression and for living a better life.
These findings suggest that the Cultural Value debate needs to be reframed from what is currently an interminable epistemological obsession (that seeks to prove and evidence the value of culture) into a more complex phenomenological question, which asks how people experience the arts and culture and why people want to understand its value. This in turn implies a re-conceptualization of the relationships between artists or arts organisations and their publics, based on a more relational form of engagement and on a more anthropological approach to capturing and co-creating cultural value.
Findings suggested that both the methods and purpose of knowing about cultural value impact significantly on any exploration of cultural experience. Fieldwork culminated in the apparent paradox that we know, and yet still don’t seem to know, the value and impact of the arts. Protracted discussions with the participants suggested that this paradox stemmed from a misplaced focus on knowledge; that instead of striving to understand and rationalize the value of the arts, we should instead aim to feel and experience it. During a process of deep hanging out, our participants revealed the limitations of language in capturing the value of the arts, yet confirmed perceptions of the arts as a vehicle for developing self-identity and -expression and for living a better life.
These findings suggest that the Cultural Value debate needs to be reframed from what is currently an interminable epistemological obsession (that seeks to prove and evidence the value of culture) into a more complex phenomenological question, which asks how people experience the arts and culture and why people want to understand its value. This in turn implies a re-conceptualization of the relationships between artists or arts organisations and their publics, based on a more relational form of engagement and on a more anthropological approach to capturing and co-creating cultural value.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that theatre can have on its audiences, both immediately and over time. Design/methodology/approach – The article evaluates the existing literature on impact and critically... more
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact that theatre can have on its audiences, both immediately and over time.
Design/methodology/approach – The article evaluates the existing literature on impact and critically reviews a number of benefits models. Through a textual analysis of 42 semi-structured depth interviews, the paper deconstructs the concept of impact and rearticulates it in audiences’ terms.
Findings – Impact emerges as a personal construct articulated by audiences in terms of emotion,
captivation, engagement, enrichment, escapism, wellbeing, world view and addiction. Impact is
ultimately described as a relative concept, dependent on audience typology and perceived by
audiences in holistic terms, incorporating both intrinsic value and instrumental benefits. While
catharsis is confirmed as a key enabler of impact, flow emerges as both an enabler and a benefit
in itself.
Research limitations/implications – As this is a qualitative study with a sample of 42, the results are not representative of theatre audiences in general. Future research might test the findings of this study in a larger, quantitative survey, which might also test the relationships between the emerging variables.
Practical implications – There are significant implications here for theatre-makers and venues. From a marketing perspective, more sophisticated segmentation of audience databases could uncover ‘value ambassadors’ to spread positive word of mouth about the impact theatre has on their lives. Venues and touring companies could also consider how to prepare audiences for impact more
effectively and how to minimise distraction and facilitate audience interaction with artists and theatre-makers. Obvious solutions here are mood enhancing atmospherics and well trained front-of-house staff.
Originality/value – The originality of this study lies in its audience-focussed approach. Impact has
tended to be constructed from the perspective of producers, marketers and academics, whereas this
study invites audiences to describe it in their own, authentic vernacular. These authentic insights are of value to academics, producers, policy advisors, funders and marketers working in the arts, because they help shed light on why people attend the arts and the benefits they derive from them.
Keywords: Arts, Impact, Theatre, Audiences, Arts benefits, Arts marketing
Design/methodology/approach – The article evaluates the existing literature on impact and critically reviews a number of benefits models. Through a textual analysis of 42 semi-structured depth interviews, the paper deconstructs the concept of impact and rearticulates it in audiences’ terms.
Findings – Impact emerges as a personal construct articulated by audiences in terms of emotion,
captivation, engagement, enrichment, escapism, wellbeing, world view and addiction. Impact is
ultimately described as a relative concept, dependent on audience typology and perceived by
audiences in holistic terms, incorporating both intrinsic value and instrumental benefits. While
catharsis is confirmed as a key enabler of impact, flow emerges as both an enabler and a benefit
in itself.
Research limitations/implications – As this is a qualitative study with a sample of 42, the results are not representative of theatre audiences in general. Future research might test the findings of this study in a larger, quantitative survey, which might also test the relationships between the emerging variables.
Practical implications – There are significant implications here for theatre-makers and venues. From a marketing perspective, more sophisticated segmentation of audience databases could uncover ‘value ambassadors’ to spread positive word of mouth about the impact theatre has on their lives. Venues and touring companies could also consider how to prepare audiences for impact more
effectively and how to minimise distraction and facilitate audience interaction with artists and theatre-makers. Obvious solutions here are mood enhancing atmospherics and well trained front-of-house staff.
Originality/value – The originality of this study lies in its audience-focussed approach. Impact has
tended to be constructed from the perspective of producers, marketers and academics, whereas this
study invites audiences to describe it in their own, authentic vernacular. These authentic insights are of value to academics, producers, policy advisors, funders and marketers working in the arts, because they help shed light on why people attend the arts and the benefits they derive from them.
Keywords: Arts, Impact, Theatre, Audiences, Arts benefits, Arts marketing
Research Interests: Theatre Studies, Cultural Policy, Drama, Arts Management, Theatre, and 2 morePhenomenology, Hermeneutics, contemporary continental philosophy, axiology (theories and applied research on values), philosophical and cultural anthropology, diversity managment, gender studies, intercultural communication, and translations studies and Arts Marketing
Theatre is a complicated pastime, bridging the fields of arts and leisure and the drivers of aesthetics, hedonics, emotions, education and entertainment, to name but a few. Pincus (2004) claims that quantitative research has failed to... more
Theatre is a complicated pastime, bridging the fields of arts and leisure and the drivers of aesthetics, hedonics, emotions, education and entertainment, to name but a few.
Pincus (2004) claims that quantitative research has failed to provide a true synthesis of motivation; and while some insight can be gleaned from recent research into the motives of event-goers and museum and gallery visitors, as well as from impact analysis of arts and cultural events, the complex motivations of theatre audiences remain unclear.
This paper therefore aims to explore the fundamental drivers behind theatre-going and to fill a gap in the literature on audience motivation. The paper achieves this through a comprehensive qualitative study of theatre-going at Melbourne Theatre Company and West Yorkshire Playhouse, which was carried out in 2010. The methods employed comprise a combination of qualitative techniques, including responsive depth interviews and participant observation.
The research finds that the key motivating factor for participants was the pursuit of emotional experiences and impact. This contests previous findings in other arts and leisure sectors, which prioritised escapism, learning, enhanced socialisation and fun. The paper concludes that motivation should be regarded as a construct determined by a complex combination of drivers and recommends that theatre organisations invest time and money in customised motivational segmentation and in enhancing the audience experience.
Key words: audience motivation; consumer behaviour; arts marketing; theatre-going; motivational segmentation.
Pincus (2004) claims that quantitative research has failed to provide a true synthesis of motivation; and while some insight can be gleaned from recent research into the motives of event-goers and museum and gallery visitors, as well as from impact analysis of arts and cultural events, the complex motivations of theatre audiences remain unclear.
This paper therefore aims to explore the fundamental drivers behind theatre-going and to fill a gap in the literature on audience motivation. The paper achieves this through a comprehensive qualitative study of theatre-going at Melbourne Theatre Company and West Yorkshire Playhouse, which was carried out in 2010. The methods employed comprise a combination of qualitative techniques, including responsive depth interviews and participant observation.
The research finds that the key motivating factor for participants was the pursuit of emotional experiences and impact. This contests previous findings in other arts and leisure sectors, which prioritised escapism, learning, enhanced socialisation and fun. The paper concludes that motivation should be regarded as a construct determined by a complex combination of drivers and recommends that theatre organisations invest time and money in customised motivational segmentation and in enhancing the audience experience.
Key words: audience motivation; consumer behaviour; arts marketing; theatre-going; motivational segmentation.
Research Interests: Performing Arts, Motivation (Psychology), Audience Studies, Consumer Behavior, Arts Management, and 7 moreArts and Heritage Marketing, Audience, Theatre, Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, contemporary continental philosophy, axiology (theories and applied research on values), philosophical and cultural anthropology, diversity managment, gender studies, intercultural communication, and translations studies, Arts Marketing, Audience Research, and Theatre Arts and Events Management
This article investigates the development, purpose and value of co-creation in theatre. Through a qualitative analysis of a new work festival at West Yorkshire Playhouse, it explores the levers and barriers to participatory engagement and... more
This article investigates the development, purpose and value of co-creation in theatre. Through a qualitative analysis of a new work festival at West Yorkshire Playhouse, it explores the levers and barriers to participatory engagement and evaluates the phenomenon of co-creation from the comparative perspective of both producers and audiences of theatre.
The rising trend of co-creation reflects the evolving role of the audience in the creative process and at first sight represents a movement towards democratizing the arts. Co-creation is one of the deepest and most intensive ways audiences can engage with the arts, and this study questions to what extent it can be regarded as an authentic and successful democratization of the creative process, while exploring the contentious relationship between widening participation and artistic excellence.
The study takes a qualitative approach, based on participant observation and twelve depth interviews with a sample drawn from managers, theatre-makers, marketers and audiences. Its key findings are that co-creation attracts a highly niche audience of “theatre people” who are active learners and risk takers, and that while an all-encompassing definition of co-creation remains elusive, the activity is here to stay. Co-creation is ultimately messy, raw, incomplete, contingent and context-dependent. Successful co-creation involves trust, respect, collaboration, playfulness and exchange; it takes participants on an adventurous journey and deepens their engagement with theatre.
The implications of this study are as follows: Producers and artists should engage authentically with participants and explore ways to develop their co-creative skills; marketers should utilize experiential marketing techniques to emphasize the different, fun, risky and edgy aspects of co-creation; and policymakers should not rely on co-creation to widen participation and democratize the arts, but accept that it can deepen engagement for a select few.
Key words: Co-creation; artistic engagement; arts participation; relational art; theatre audiences; cultural value.
The rising trend of co-creation reflects the evolving role of the audience in the creative process and at first sight represents a movement towards democratizing the arts. Co-creation is one of the deepest and most intensive ways audiences can engage with the arts, and this study questions to what extent it can be regarded as an authentic and successful democratization of the creative process, while exploring the contentious relationship between widening participation and artistic excellence.
The study takes a qualitative approach, based on participant observation and twelve depth interviews with a sample drawn from managers, theatre-makers, marketers and audiences. Its key findings are that co-creation attracts a highly niche audience of “theatre people” who are active learners and risk takers, and that while an all-encompassing definition of co-creation remains elusive, the activity is here to stay. Co-creation is ultimately messy, raw, incomplete, contingent and context-dependent. Successful co-creation involves trust, respect, collaboration, playfulness and exchange; it takes participants on an adventurous journey and deepens their engagement with theatre.
The implications of this study are as follows: Producers and artists should engage authentically with participants and explore ways to develop their co-creative skills; marketers should utilize experiential marketing techniques to emphasize the different, fun, risky and edgy aspects of co-creation; and policymakers should not rely on co-creation to widen participation and democratize the arts, but accept that it can deepen engagement for a select few.
Key words: Co-creation; artistic engagement; arts participation; relational art; theatre audiences; cultural value.
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The neo-liberal agenda that has dominated the creative industries for the past few decades has engendered a range of problems for artists, arts managers and policy-makers. This article critiques the application of commercial strategic... more
The neo-liberal agenda that has dominated the creative industries for the past few decades has engendered a range of problems for artists, arts managers and policy-makers. This article critiques the application of commercial strategic management and marketing tools, theory and principles to arts and cultural organizations and proposes alternative approaches to assist these organizations in creating, identifying and evaluating value on their own terms and in line with their artistic missions and objectives.
The solutions proposed are generated by an application of the literature on arts management and evaluation, cultural policy and sociology and through a qualitative study of audiences’ articulations of value. The article reports and analyses the responses of 34 semi-structured in-depth interviews on the value of theatre with participants drawn from audiences in the United Kingdom and Australia. It highlights the discrepancies between the instrumental methods of evaluating value imposed on arts organizations by governments and the personal, intrinsic insights provided by audiences themselves. It argues ultimately for a neo-institutionalist and creative approach to articulating artistic value, which would evaluate organizational performance in line with artistic objectives. In so doing, it makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about cultural value, and proposes a creative, alternative evaluation framework for artists, arts managers, arts marketers and cultural policy-makers.
Keywords:
Cultural value; neo-institutionalism; strategic management; arts management; cultural policy; arts marketing.
The solutions proposed are generated by an application of the literature on arts management and evaluation, cultural policy and sociology and through a qualitative study of audiences’ articulations of value. The article reports and analyses the responses of 34 semi-structured in-depth interviews on the value of theatre with participants drawn from audiences in the United Kingdom and Australia. It highlights the discrepancies between the instrumental methods of evaluating value imposed on arts organizations by governments and the personal, intrinsic insights provided by audiences themselves. It argues ultimately for a neo-institutionalist and creative approach to articulating artistic value, which would evaluate organizational performance in line with artistic objectives. In so doing, it makes a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate about cultural value, and proposes a creative, alternative evaluation framework for artists, arts managers, arts marketers and cultural policy-makers.
Keywords:
Cultural value; neo-institutionalism; strategic management; arts management; cultural policy; arts marketing.
Research Interests: Performing Arts, Cultural Policy, Arts Management, Phenomenology, Hermeneutics, contemporary continental philosophy, axiology (theories and applied research on values), philosophical and cultural anthropology, diversity managment, gender studies, intercultural communication, and translations studies, Evaluation of Community Arts and Creative Community Environmental Projects, and Arts and Education Evaluation and Measurement
This article provides a critical analysis of the methods employed in the Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE) programme. Based on a comprehensive review of the arts management and cultural policy literature, it contests recent claims that... more
This article provides a critical analysis of the methods employed in the Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE) programme. Based on a comprehensive review of the arts management and cultural policy literature, it contests recent claims that the cultural sector should state its value in the economic language of policy appraisal and evaluation (O’Brien, 2010) and proposes alternative methods for evaluating the drivers, impact and value of engagement in the arts, including the balanced scorecard approach.
The literature identifies a number of fundamental problems in quantifying the social and personal impact of the arts, and an underlying policy issue is that the arts have become increasingly subject to the benchmarks of incompatible disciplines and practices. This paper seeks to redress the balance by questioning the argument that economic cost benefit analysis is the best way to understand cultural value and influence public policy.
As the CASE programme aimed to make the business case for optimum Government investment in sport and culture, it adopted the framework set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book and took a quantitative, evidence-based approach to measuring the drivers, impact and instrumental value of engagement, disregarding established qualitative studies and approaches, which have been shown to articulate cultural value through a more personal, intrinsic and holistic lens. This article makes the case for a more balanced approach to cultural evaluation and a more holistic articulation of cultural value, which would combine intrinsic and instrumental benefits and comprise both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The key implication of this re-conception of value is that cultural policy should be evaluated not on return on investment but rather against a balanced range of objectives and articulated in a language that reflects artistic practice and speaks directly to existing and potential audiences.
Keywords: cultural policy; impact of the arts; wellbeing; public value; audiences; cost benefit analysis.
The literature identifies a number of fundamental problems in quantifying the social and personal impact of the arts, and an underlying policy issue is that the arts have become increasingly subject to the benchmarks of incompatible disciplines and practices. This paper seeks to redress the balance by questioning the argument that economic cost benefit analysis is the best way to understand cultural value and influence public policy.
As the CASE programme aimed to make the business case for optimum Government investment in sport and culture, it adopted the framework set out in HM Treasury’s Green Book and took a quantitative, evidence-based approach to measuring the drivers, impact and instrumental value of engagement, disregarding established qualitative studies and approaches, which have been shown to articulate cultural value through a more personal, intrinsic and holistic lens. This article makes the case for a more balanced approach to cultural evaluation and a more holistic articulation of cultural value, which would combine intrinsic and instrumental benefits and comprise both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The key implication of this re-conception of value is that cultural policy should be evaluated not on return on investment but rather against a balanced range of objectives and articulated in a language that reflects artistic practice and speaks directly to existing and potential audiences.
Keywords: cultural policy; impact of the arts; wellbeing; public value; audiences; cost benefit analysis.
Research Interests:
Following on from The Entertainment Industry: An Introduction, Entertainment Management takes the next step in the development of entertainment as a practice and as an academic subject. Aimed at higher level undergraduates, the book... more
Following on from The Entertainment Industry: An Introduction, Entertainment Management takes the next step in the development of entertainment as a practice and as an academic subject. Aimed at higher level undergraduates, the book discusses best practices in the entertainment industry, profiling a different discipline per chapter, each one a branch of entertainment that offers employment opportunities within the sector. Fields include marketing, P.R., the media, live events, artist management, arts and culture, consultancy and visitor attractions. The book aims to reflect the knowledge students will need for real world of entertainment management such as technical standards, business management, people management, economic aspects and legal issues. Each chapter discusses the background of the discipline, best practice management principles, issues in the wider environment, case studies of real organisations and future trends.
Research Interests: Performing Arts, Museum Studies, Event Management, Events management, Arts Management, and 7 moreEntertainment, Visual Arts, Arts and Cultural Management and Administration, Product Placement, Entertainment marketing, Promotional ethics and regulation, Advertising, Branding and Experiential consumption, Consumer research, Death rituals, death consumption and identity, Critical, qualitative and interpretive research approaches, Entertainment Industry, Theatre Arts and Events Management, and Media and Entertainment Management
The study of arts and entertainment management is rapidly increasing all over the world. Key Issues in the Arts and Entertainment Industry offers a unique addition to the literature by taking an international perspective on the... more
The study of arts and entertainment management is rapidly increasing all over the world. Key Issues in the Arts and Entertainment Industry offers a unique addition to the literature by taking an international perspective on the contemporary issues in these rapidly expanding sectors. With an experienced contributing team comprising subject experts from world-class academic and industry-based organisations, this new book covers every major sector of the arts and entertainment industry. Using up-to-date case studies from all over the world, it provides an in-depth critical analysis of hot topics and controversial issues ranging from social networking and Twitter, to reality TV and digital rights management.
Divided into 12 chapters for easy semester teaching, each chapter includes an illustrative case study to encourage students to apply their academic learning to real, work-based scenarios, as well as an accompanying PowerPoint lecture presentation and a tutorial discussion sheet to provide maximum ease of use for busy lecturers.
Key Issues in the Arts and Entertainment Industry covers a diverse range of issues, including:
•The audience experience: changing roles and relationships
•Funding with a new agenda
•Branding arts & entertainment
•Intellectual property in the digital age
•The future of broadcasting
•Cultural leadership
This publication is essential reading for level 6 undergraduate and Masters level students studying for courses on Entertainment Management, Arts Management and Cultural Management, Policy and Leadership.
It is equally valuable for practitioners (chief executives, producers, general managers, marketing managers, consultants, policy makers) and board members of arts and entertainment organisations.
Divided into 12 chapters for easy semester teaching, each chapter includes an illustrative case study to encourage students to apply their academic learning to real, work-based scenarios, as well as an accompanying PowerPoint lecture presentation and a tutorial discussion sheet to provide maximum ease of use for busy lecturers.
Key Issues in the Arts and Entertainment Industry covers a diverse range of issues, including:
•The audience experience: changing roles and relationships
•Funding with a new agenda
•Branding arts & entertainment
•Intellectual property in the digital age
•The future of broadcasting
•Cultural leadership
This publication is essential reading for level 6 undergraduate and Masters level students studying for courses on Entertainment Management, Arts Management and Cultural Management, Policy and Leadership.
It is equally valuable for practitioners (chief executives, producers, general managers, marketing managers, consultants, policy makers) and board members of arts and entertainment organisations.