RES EARC H ON U S E RS AN D N O N U S E RS EXAMPLE
UK – Audiences UK he national network of Audience Development Agencies deals with the T development of leadership and audiences in arts and cultural organisations, through training, audience research and organisational consultancy. Its work on increasing access for ‘hard-to-reach’ audiences dates back to 1998. The starting point was the analysis (‘segmentation’) of those audiences that are hard to reach, and of what their needs are. It identified some specific groups: ethnic minorities/migrants; persons with disability; families (difficult to reach for a number of mainstream organisations); young people; and, more recently, the intergenerational public. It analyses the behaviours and needs of potential audiences on a regional/local basis, using a combination of tools such as the Insight Research of Arts Council England, specific area profiles and data provided by commercial companies (Mosaic/ Acorn) undertaking socio-demographic analysis. On this basis, groups based on user profiles are defined. Then Audiences UK develops initiatives mainly targeted at those groups that have the potential for participation, but that are currently not participating for various concrete reasons.
http://www.audiencesuk.org
EXAMPLE
Italy – A national observatory on visitors to museums and archeological sites In 2011, the Italian Ministry for Heritage and Cultural Activities began a feasibility study in view of setting up a National Permanent Observatory on museums and archeological sites’ visitors. The aim of the Observatory would be to create a central system of monitoring and evaluation, through the gathering of quantitative and qualitative data on State museum audiences, so as to provide evidence in support of governmental audience development policies and of the activities of museums (access, education and communication strategies). The Observatory should gather and monitor administrative data on visits and carry out audience sampling surveys focused on visitors’ segmentation, motivations and decision-making processes, communication aspects and satisfaction for the visit experience. As part of the feasibility study, an international benchmarking study of museum audience observatories will be produced. Its aim is to analyse different models (in terms of governance and relationship with national policies), organisational aspects, methodological approaches (objectives, nature of data, ways of gathering, etc.) and sustainability. The study will be completed by the end of 2012.
Open method of coordination (OMC) Working group of EU Member States’ experts on better access to and wider participation in culture
OMC
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