Content Guidance Communication for Family Arts Events

Content Guidance

Content Guidance: the really important information that tells families about the creative offer that is being presented to them, both before making the decision to attend and in the run up to the event.

Introduction

'Find out what families think about content guidance for family arts events.' A fairly simple task at first glance?

So we, the good and studious folk at Staffordshire University, began our adventure. We talked and listened to families in the West Midlands. What on earth is content guidance? What difference does it make to families? And so, the conversations started and the stories started flowing (and continue to flow!).

The Family Arts Campaign knew from their previous research that we are pretty well served for guidance about the practicalities of getting families of all shapes and sizes attending family arts events, but what was lacking was any guidance about how to talk to families about the creative experience itself.

The plot? The art form? The characters? The shocks? The smiles? The embarrassment? The best bits?

Our research took us on a journey to learn more about what families wanted to know and where they would look to get this information.

This is just a start. We have shared the key findings, and suggested easy ways in which you can implement these. However, our research revealed that this was very much the beginning of the conversation. So, go ahead - read and play with this report... but most importantly, don't ignore your best creative copywriters - the families themselves. Keep the conversation going and have a bit of fun with this.

Janet Hetherington, Senior Lecturer
Creative Communities Unit, Staffordshire University

Download the free guide to discover the findings:
Content Guidance Communication for Family Arts Events (PDF)