I recently have been coming across different definitions of “audience development” and wanted to share them with you. The main reason I am sharing is to show you how audience development includes: audience building; building relationships; community, collaboration, connection and caring; engagement, participation and audience involvement; increasing ticket sales, subscribers, members, donors, volunteers and sponsors; education, marketing, sales, outreach, public relations, programming, operations…
“Audience Development” incorporates all of what we need to do in order to build and continually nurture supportive and loyal audiences. Anyone who tries to sell you differently on what it means simply does not know the definition of audience development in the first place.
This is why I fell in love with audience development, and I hope you will too.
The term Audience Development describes activity which is undertaken specifically to meet the needs of existing and potential audiences and to help arts [and cultural] organisations to develop on-going relationships with audiences. It can include aspects of marketing, commissioning, programming, education, customer care and distribution
Audience development is a combination of comprehensive strategies that strengthen relationships among audiences, the art form, and the opera company. Effective audience development is incorporated into the full range of a company’s activities, including programming, operations, marketing and public relations, education and outreach, and development.
The goals of audience development are increasing awareness of, and participation in, the activities of an opera company, which include but are not limited to attendance at performances. This involvement can and should manifest itself in ways that extend beyond ticket sales, to participation in the company’s leadership, volunteer core, and donor groups, or voicing support for the company and its value in the community.
“Audience development means creating a love affair between arts and audiences.”
–leader of the education department of Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
1. The ways in which an audience for the arts can be assisted or informed to increase its level of understanding about the arts, or to enhance its participation in, and enjoyment and appreciation of, the arts. 2. The identification, engagement, and development of a new or modified audience for the arts.
The long-term process of encouraging and assisting people in your community to become engaged in the arts and more deeply involved in the arts.
–Found on Denis J. Bertrand’s Blog
– Canada Council for the Arts
Audience Development is the building of relationships with your existing and potential audiences, through the use of specific audience relations programs, in order for them to become more involved with your organization and/or art form. Audience development uses the 4 C’s: Community, Connections, Collaborations, and Caring.
-Shoshana Fanizza
If you would like to learn more about audience development for the arts, and how to build authentic audiences and support, check out my books!
Are there clear differences between Audience Engagement and Audience Development? My initial sense is that Audience Development is, crudely speaking, about an integrated sales strategy and Audience Engagement is about impact on an individual, or group of people.
Hi Sonia. Thanks for stopping by! Audience Engagement is under the umbrella of Audience Development. Audience Development is about building relationships, and you use various audience relations programs, such as audience engagement programs to connect with your audiences. I hope this makes sense!