Nine Effective Practices
for Building Audiences for the Arts
The nine steps below were identified by the Wallace Foundation as habits shared by successful arts organizations. Together, they form a powerful road map for building and sustaining audiences. We've paired each best practice with a relevant CMA activity to illustrate how these straightforward strategies can be utilized by even the smallest operations. Read the full report at www.wallacefoundation.org.
Respond to audience challenges and opportunities that matter to your organization’s future.
Focus on a group receptive to your art form and organization, and that leaders agree makes sense to pursue.
Are the obstacles between you and the target group practical matters (pricing, perceptions) or the audience experience itself?
GUESSWORK
Use audience research to understand the target group’s views on your organization and art form.
THE RELATIONSHIP
Develop a vision for how the target audience will interact with your organization.
WAYS IN
Offer a variety of engaging experiences to introduce the target audience to your organization and art form.
Make sure organization leaders and staff understand and embrace the strategy and their roles in it.
PREPARE FOR SUCCESS
Plan for the heavier workload and new staff skills that serving new audiences requires.
CMA’s Audience Engagement resources are presented in partnership with the Wallace Foundation's Building Audiences for the Arts initiative.
