Developing youth audiences: Is it worth it?
Developing youth audiences: Is it worth it?
By
Anne Roberts
Rob Macpherson
Samantha Orrell
SUMMARY
How do we address the under-representation of under 26 year olds in our audiences? The first article debunks 13 myths about youth arts attendance, including ‘Young people don’t have any money’ and suggests that efforts to attract ‘young people’ might be a waste of resources; the second and third articles describe successful schemes at the National Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre and Milton Keynes Theatre which encouraged young people to become regular theatre-goers.
Young people find the money for things they have a value for. The problem is that any price would be too much for many arts events, because many young people do not want what we are offering.
- ‘£15 is okay for a club night’ (16 year old).
- ‘I regularly pay £30 for a club night.’
- ‘I’d expect to pay around £30 at the pub in an evening’ (21 year old).
- ‘My football seats are around £15–£20’ (21 year old).
