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By Una Carmody, April 26, 2012

 Arts Organisations funded under the Arts Councils Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme  July-December 2012 at day one of Touring Marketing Training organised by Arts Audiences.

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By Una Carmody, April 18, 2012

Further details are available on https://www.irishtimestraining.com/audience-development-programme

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By Una Carmody, March 30, 2012

Following a successful 2011 programme of working to develop a profile of arts audiences in Ireland and helping arts organisations around the country to connect with, and increase, their audiences, we are pleased to provide details of our work programme for 2012 and 2013. We have an extensive programme of activity scheduled that not only facilitates, on behalf of the Arts Council, the building of an audience focus and robust information base for the arts in Ireland but also provides arts organisations with the tools and skills to connect with and develop their respective audiences for long-term sustainability. Our objectives for 2012 are to: 

1. 1.     Help the Arts Council build an audience focus into its processes and work programmes;

We are working with the Arts Council to ensure that its own processes are audience focussed, where appropriate, and are capable of assessing impact and success in the longer term. This includes defining a set of audience priorities for each artform and initiating projects to address these priorities as well as engaging funded organisations in self-assessment on audiences.

1. 2.     Build a robust audience information base

We are working with the Arts Council to ensure that it has access to up-to-date information about audiences and trends from each funded organisation. This information:

• Assists in advocating for the arts
• Informs policy
• Sets benchmarks for measuring outcomes
• Informs the assessment of the sector and of artforms

1. 3.     Enable organisations to reach and engage with audiences

We are providing information on audience insights as well as direct training programmes to assist qualifying arts organisations to connect with and grow their audience.  Information on demographic and media usage information on attenders to arts organisations will be made available and processes on cultural tourism development will be initiated with Fáilte Ireland. We have devised best practice tools and programmes on marketing training for touring and venues, festivals and special events and are making them available for free or at nominal cost. They include

A)     Marketing a Tour – Ten Small Things That Will Make a Big Difference

Open to organisations funded to tour by The Arts Council, we are providing training in touring marketing consisting of two two-day workshops on a schedule aligned with The Arts Council’s  Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme. Its objective is to assist organisations work closely with venues and maximise audiences for the tour. Qualifying organisations will be contacted by Arts Audiences in the coming weeks. This course:

• will focus on key areas ; how to create an effective marketing plan for touring, including digital marketing, press and marketing activities.
• will be Dublin based and free for qualifying organisations.
• will be held twice in 2012 ; once in spring 2012 for those funded to tour in the autumn and again in the autumn. 
• will be co-ordinated by Heather Maitland, Arts Marketing Consultant. 

B)      Audience Development Programme For Venues and Festivals

Venues and festivals are key channels of delivery of programme to audiences and Arts Audiences wishes to ensure that venues and festivals have, over time, have access to comprehensive audience development skills. For the first time in the arts in Ireland, a course has been developed, with Irish Times Training, which will address this. Qualifying venues and festivals will be hearing from Arts Audiences with details of how to apply in the coming weeks. This course;

• will involve 6 two-day modules over a seven-month period, as well as assignment work
• is specifically designed for Irish venue and festival operations and includes key areas of  audience development such as business and marketing, planning, leadership, collecting and utilising quality audience data and new media marketing
• involves three on-the-job assignments and completion of an audience development strategy
• be given at Irish Times Training in Dublin and is fully- tailored towards the arts sector
• will take place from May – December
• is primarily aimed at Directors and Marketing Managers of Venues and Festivals funded by The Arts Council, including single artform festivals
• will lead to an Advanced Certificate in Management Practice from University of Ulster

C)      Venue Profiling Meeting

This initiative is a platform for cultural venues around the country to profile themselves and their audience among arts producers, directors, performers, production companies etc. It will provide an opportunity for venues to attract productions that engage and develop their respective audiences. Similarly it affords content providers an opportunity to bring their production to a venue with an existing suitable audience. Taking place in the autumn it will become an annual event.

1. 4.     Facilitate organisations to drive attendance and participation

The Arts Council is committed to promoting a shared services approach amongst funded organisations and, through Arts Audiences, is undertaking a review of the current position of the online presence of Irish arts in relation to information, promotion and ticketing. Our target is to deliver a permanent web portal for promotion and ticketing. Following the review we will make recommendations for the future. The review incorporates key areas such as;

• integrated online ticketing strategy 
• network of online information and promotion for audiences (including digital marketing strategies regionally)
• feasibility of an arts audience loyalty scheme in Ireland

If you have any queries or comments relating to the above, please post a comment on the site.

-ends-

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By Una Carmody, March 5, 2012

JEN COPPINGER TO JOIN ARTS AUDIENCES AS PROJECTS MANAGER

Arts Audiences is delighted to announce that Jen Coppinger will be joining the initiative as Projects Manager from April.

Working with Director Una Carmody, Jen will bring her wealth of experience in event management and development work to Arts Audiences and will lead on training and development initiatives for the arts sector.

Jen has been Information and Events Manager with the Irish Theatre Institute since 2005 and has also worked as a freelance producer with companies including The Stomach Box and Peer to Peer. She had previously worked with the Abbey Theatre, City Arts Centre and Dublin Writers Festival, among others. She is a current board member of ABSOLUT Fringe, the National Association of Youth Drama and (RADE) Recovery Through Art, Drama and Education.

Arts Audiences is an initiative of The Arts Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust.

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By Una Carmody, January 27, 2012

Today we publish a “How To” Guide to assessing and maximising the potential of your arts organisation in the area of Cultural Tourism. This guide has been prepared by Annette Nugent, marketing consultant, who has worked extensively in this area, and mentored the participants in our Build Your Audience scheme.  The guide is here.. Cultural Tourism How To Guide.