In May 2007 Audiences North East (ANE) was commissioned by Arts Council England, North East to coordinate a regional family-friendly initiative, with a particular focus on visual arts organisations. They developed a programme of research, training and consultation which took place over twelve months and involved cultural organisations throughout the area.
In the mid-2000’s when the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts (SCVA) was closed to the public for major refurbishment, it wasn’t just building work happening behind their closed doors. Taking advantage of the space available, part of the SCVA became a test bed for evaluating the physical and and proposed displays. In this ‘in conversation’ piece, Marge Ainsley, marketing and communications specialist, talks to … Read more
Background In early 2011 Thought Den were commissioned to produce a playful mobile-based experience to take Tate’s collection of artworks beyond the physical walls of the gallery. Their previous app, Tate Trumps, was hailed as a game-changer and demonstrated public appetite for mobile experiences. Magic Tate Ball was designed to appeal to more casual mobile … Read more
Things have changed dramatically in the past 25 years in visual arts marketing and in particular how we think about our audiences. In this article the author reviews the period and provides a ‘once in a lifetime’ case study from Manchester City Galleries. You’ll find details about what approach was taken in order to put … Read more
The New Audiences programme was a milestone in arts funding in England. It was set up by Arts Council England to encourage as many people as possible, from all backgrounds and every walk of life, to participate in and benefit from the arts. This article describes the various visual arts projects undertaken as part of this programme of … Read more
The Taste Buds research set out to discover the extent to which individuals in England buy contemporary art and looked at three key questions: How to increase sales of innovative contemporary art, how to improve artists engagement with the marketplace and how to expand the audience for contemporary work. The research looked at three key … Read more
This report evaluates the success of Arts Council England’s 10-year visual arts strategy Turning Point and the subsequent Turning Point Network that was set up for its implementation. Using quantitative research from both stakeholder organisations and members of the public this exhaustive report gives a full overview of the programme and what is left still … Read more
This report was commissioned by Arts Council England and the Turning Point Network to assist members of the network to review and strengthen their own business models. The primary focus of the report is on what these organisations could (and need) to change – rather than what is working well. The report offers several change recommendations … Read more
This research project aimed to bring together all existing data relating to the Visual Arts offer in the Pennine Lancashire area. Collate the information available on existing audiences within the area and those who travel there to consume the visual arts offer. Identify audience development potential in terms of the types, volumes and propensities of key … Read more