Audience Explorations: Guidebook for Hopefully Seeking the Audience

Regularly discussed, largely (ab)used, often misunderstood: the term ‘audience development’ is undoubtedly a tricky one. It is understood very differently by different people and in different contexts;evenwithinthesameorganisation,eachstaffmember has a slightly (or very) different perception of actual (and poten- tial) audiences - and what to do with them. Finally, many artists and professionals consider this term suspiciously, either as EU jargon or as a synonym for return on investment (the infamous attitude ‘more bums on seats’) - which indeed is the attitude of policy-mak- ers, sometimes.
Starting with its title, this publication invites you to explore the complex and fascinating subject that is the audience, to ques- tion and complicate your understanding of them, and to rethink ‘audience development’ in terms of connection with fellow citizens, genuine exchange and ‘togetherness’. Refusing to list one-size-fits- all solutions to magically increase your audiences overnight, this text presents a set of ‘tools’, exercises and suggestions to lead an autonomous exploration of your own (potential) audiences and to better connect with them, according to your own mission and values.
Enjoy a refreshing read that will give you not only valuable practical tools, but also new motivations to engage with your audiences.