Leisure and culture

Arts Council of Wales

01/01/2008

In order to grow audiences, to target marketing, to get people to return to venues or to use other venues, arts organisations need to understand their own audiences and the audiences of other venues as well as analyse gaps - ie, areas of non attendance.

In the past venues have merely concentrated on their own data and in fact have been resistant to sharing any data. This has been a major breakthrough enabling data and other information (such as successful campaigns) to be shared. The project is at an early stage, but any information about audiences is key to increasing attendance and participation, and to increasing box office income across Wales and reducing dependency on public subsidy, therefore creating more sustainable arts organisations. The outcomes from the project are being monitored on an ongoing basis. The most important aspect of this is the recognition that by sharing information (even one could argue commercially sensitive information) all of the organisations can benefit by growing audiences and income.