“NEVER ENOUGH TIME OR...

BuildingAudienceDevelopmentCapacities Page1

“NEVERENOUGHTIMEORRESOURCES”

BUILDINGAUDIENCEDEVELOPMENTCAPACITIESOF

MEDIAARTSORGANIZATIONSINONTARIO

ChrisGehmanfortheMediaArtsNetworkofOntario(MANO)

May2011

FundedbytheCanadaCouncilfortheArts,FlyingSquadProgram


Contents

ContextualandHistoricalFactors……………………………………..1

“MediaArts”asaCategory……………………………………1 HistoricalPositionofMediaArts……………………………2 HowandWhatDoestheAudienceSee?………………..4 TheCrowdedMarketplace…………………………………….5 ProximalContextsandInfluences………………………….6 Summary………………………………………………………………8

BuildingAudienceDevelopmentCapacities:Survey………… 9 DesignandMethodology…………………………………….. 9 OrganizationalProfileandStaffing………………………. 9 SatisfactionwithResultsofMarketingetc.…………...14

TheContextforMarketingandAudienceDevelopment…..17 UnderstandingAudiences……………………………………..17Recommendations………………………………………………………….…19 Education:AudiencesandGatekeepers…………………19 Marketing:DevelopmentofOrganizational IdentitiesandCollaborations…………………….….…….20 ProgrammingforAccessibility……………………………….23 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………..25

AppendixA:SurveyForm………………………………………………….26


“NEVERENOUGHTIMEORRESOURCES”:BUILDINGAUDIENCEDEVELOPMENTCAPACITIESOFMEDIAARTSORGANIZATIONINONTARIO

ContextualandHistoricalFactors“MediaArts”asaCategoryBeforewecanmovetoadiscussionofspecificissuesrelatedtoaudiencedevelopmentforthemediaarts,wemustbeginbysituatingthemediaartsinalargerculturalandhistoricalcontext.Thisdiscussionisverybasic,andfallsoutsideofastrictlyresearch‐basedframework,butinthecourseofeverydaydiscoursewithinanyfieldfundamentalscaneasilybeforgottenoroverlooked,soit’sstartbyindentifyingthesebasicissues.Tobeginwith:Theveryterm“mediaarts”isonewhosemeaningisprobablyobscuretothegeneralpublic,eventomanywhoroutinelyreadliteratureorattendperformancesorartgalleries.Theideaofacoherentbodyof“mediaarts,”asdistinctfromthecommercialmassmediaontheonehand,andfromtraditionalfineartsorperformingartsontheother,isnotonethatisimmediatelyapparenttoeveryone,including,forexample,manycriticswhowriteaboutfilm,televisionorgallery‐basedart.Ingeneral,thoseeducatedinmassmediaorthefineartsareprofoundlyignorantofthehistoryandpracticeofmediaarts–thoughthatsituationisbeginningtochangewiththeemergenceofayoungergenerationofcurators,criticsandadministratorswhohaveabroaderknowledgebase.(Mediaartistsareundoubtedlynotaloneinthis:intheliterature,forexample,writersoncontemporarydancehavewrittenabouttheirfieldasonethatsuffersfroman“imageproblem,”andcomplainthatitisleftoutofhistorybooks,isabsentfrompublicschoolsandlargelyignoredbymediaandinstitutionsofhigherlearning.[Levine,36‐38]Onemightexpectpoets,performanceartists,soundartists,andthoseinotherfieldstofeelsimilarlyignored.)Forthisreason,Istressthatweshouldbeginanydiscussionofmarketingandaudiencedevelopmentforthemediaartsbyacknowledgingthatthetermmediaartsitselfhasnocurrencywiththegeneralpublic,orevenwithsegmentsofthepublicwithaninvestmentintheartsand/ormassmedia.Thisisasituationdistinctfromtheuseoftheterms“finearts”or“performingarts,”eachofwhichiswidelyunderstoodasanumbrellatermcoveringanumberofdistinctdisciplinessuchaspainting,drawingandsculpture(finearts)ordance,musicandtheatre(performingarts).Thereis,forexample,noentryfortheterm“mediaart”inWikipedia,thoughthereisonefor“newmediaart,”whichfocusesexclusivelyontheuseofrecentdigitaltoolsandsystemsinartworks.Noristhereapublishedliteratureonmarketingandaudiencedevelopmentinthemediaarts:Therearemanypublicationsandevenregularjournalsdevotedtothesetopicsastheyrelatetotheperformingarts,museumsandthemoviebusiness,but


apartfromacoupleofmodeststudieslikethisone,commissionedbyartscouncils,Ihavefoundnothinginprintthataddressestheseissuesinthecontextofwhatwewouldrecognizeasmediaarts.Thecategoricalstatusofmediaartworksas“neitherfishnorfowl”is,inmyview,oneofthefundamentalbarrierstoincreasingpublicvisibilityforthiswork,andIwillreturntothispointlater.ButIwouldsuggestinitiallythatweconsider“mediaarts”atermtobeusedprimarilyinaprofessionalcontext,amongpractitioners,administrators,fundersandthelike.Totheextentthatitisusedinforthepurposesofaudiencedevelopmentandmarketing,thismustbedoneconsciously,withtheintentionofeducatingthepubliconthemeaningofthetermandthespecificdisciplinesthatitencompasses.Often,medium‐ordiscipline‐specifictermsdescribingspecifictypesofwork,suchasfilm,video,installation,performanceartornewmediahavegreaterdescriptivevalue.Thisleavesopenthequestionofhoworganizationswhosepracticescoverarangeofmediaanddisciplines,andwhodonotwishsimplytodescribethemselvesas“film”or“arts”events/organizations,mightdescribethemselvesingeneral‐purposematerials.Thealternative,ofcourse,isfororganizationstocommittoaconsistentuseoftheterminmostsettings.Combinedwithaconcertedefforttowardpubliceducationthismightmakethetermmorecomprehensibletoabroaderpublicovertime(seeRecommendations,below).HistoricalPositionofMediaArtsThemediaartsare,bydefinition,thosecreatedusingsuch(relatively)newmediaasphotographyandfilm,videoandaudiorecordinganddigitaltechnologies(interactivesystems,robotics,websites,etc.).The“early”mechanicalnewmedia,suchasphotographyandfilm,weredevelopedspecificallyasmechanicalmeansofreproduction,andthecapacityoftheimagestheycreatedtobereproducedmanytimesoverimmediatelyseparatedthemfromtraditionalhand‐workedrepresentationalmediaofdrawing,painting,etc.(withmultiple‐copymediasuchaswoodblockprinting,engravingandmovabletypeformingatransitionalstage.)Thischangesignifiedabreakfromthetraditionalunderstandingofwhatconstituted“art,”abreakthatwastheinevitableresultofthereproducibilityandmechanicalbasisoftheimagesproducedbythesemedia.(Benjamin,217‐251)Themorerecentelectronicmedia,throughtheircapacityforinstantaneoustransmissionoverlargegeographicalareas,drasticallyacceleratedandintensifiedthishistoricalbreakinourrelationshiptorepresentationsandreproductions,andhasnearlysupersededthebook‐orientedculturethathasbeendominantinthewestformanycenturies.ThisshiftfromlineartowhatVilémFlussercalls“imaginal”thoughtrepresentsahistoricalcrisis:“Wehavetwoalternativesbeforeus.First,thereisthepossibilitythatimaginalthinkingwillnotsucceedinincorporatingconceptualthinking.Thiscouldleadtoageneralizeddepoliticization,deactivation,andalienationofmankind,tothevictoryoftheconsumersociety,andtothetotalitarianismofthemassmedia.Suchadevelopmentwouldlookverymuchlikethepresentmassculture,butinamoreexaggeratedorgrossform.Thesecondpossibilityisthatimaginalthinkingwillsucceedinincorporatingconceptualthinking.”(Flusser,34)Theselines,writtenin1973,suggesthowcruciallyimportantthemediaartsareinhistoricalterms.


Thepracticaleffectsforartistsandorganizationsspecializinginthesemediaarelesswelldescribedthanthegeneralhistoricalshiftstheyrepresent.Fromearlyintheirhistory,therehavebeendivergentapproachestothesemediaintermsoftheirculturalstatus.Entiremass‐mediaindustrieshavegrownupusingthemintermsof“entertainment,”“journalism,”“education”andrelatedgenres,whiletherehavealwaysbeenadvocatesforthepossibilityoftheirdistinctuseinthecreationofworksofart.Thisdynamichasplayeditselfoutrepeatedly,inthemediaofphotography,film,audio,videoanddigitalmedia.Advocatesforthemediaartshavehadtomakethecaserepeatedlythattheartisticuseofmediaisdistinctfromthecommercialorindustrialuseofthesamemedia,andthatitisnotmerelyanelitistfunctioninappropriatelyapplied.Itisanargumentthatisnever100%won,despitetherecognitionawardedtospecificartists,asmediaartsproductionisalwaysseeninrelationtoitsimmenselylargerandmoreinfluentialcommercialmanifestations,asituationthatdoesnotobtain,say,forpainting,balletortheatre,noneofwhichisautomaticallyperceivedinreferencetoalarger,morepopularandsociallypowerfulapplicationofthesamemedium.Atthesametime,theveryeaseofreproductionanddistributionofthesemedia,formanyoftheirpractitioners,formpartoftheirdemocraticappeal.Preciselybecausetheydonotresultinuniqueandvaluableobjects,butinreproductionsthatcanbemadewidelyavailable,thesehavebeenseenasmediathatcandowhatisrecognizablytheworkofanartist,butcanalsobemadeaccessibleandavailabletoapotentiallywideaudience.Itispreciselythisimpulse,whichmovessimultaneouslyawayfromtheaudienceconceivedasahomogeneousmassofconsumers,awayfromtheaudienceconceivedasaspecialculturedelite,andtowardsanideaofaformofartandcommunicationthatisatoncepersonal(inthesenseofbeinginformedbythespecificcharacteroftheartist),potentiallyoppositional(insocial,politicalandaestheticterms),andgenerallyaccessible.Thesemediamovetheideaoftheartistawayfromthatofsomeonewhomakesrareandbeautifulobjects,andtowardstheideaoftheartistassomeonewhocreatesreproducibleaudio‐visualtextsthathaveaspecialcharacter.Theybringthemodeloftheartistclosertothatoftheauthor.Butthemediaartistisinapeculiarposition,particularlywithintheculturaleconomyofacapitalistsociety.ThemediaartistdoesnotcreateafineartobjectthatisendowedwithaBenjaminian“aura”derivedfromitsuniqueness.Nor,however,doesthemediaartistcreateamass‐mediatextintendedtobeconsumedasaformofentertainmentorcommunicationbyamassaudience,withtheaccompanyingrewardsofmoneyandfamethatsuccessinthemassmediamaybring.Inthissense,thefailureofmediaartasacommodityvirtuallyguaranteesthatitwillberecognizedneitherasanartnorasacontributiontomediainthecontextofacapitalistcultureinwhichtherewardoffinancialgainisseenastheevidenceofsuccess,regardlessofthequalityorcharacteroftheproductitself.Thisalsocreatesadoublebindforthemediaartist,whoonetheonehanddesirestoreachalarger,moregeneralaudience–andthusdoesnotwanttobeseentocriticizethatpotentialaudience–butontheotherhanddoesnotwanttoberestrictedbythefewsocially,aestheticallyandintellectuallyimpoverishedmodelsofferedbythecorporatemedia.Theorganizationsthatservethemediaartssharethisdoublebindwiththeproducersthemselves.


Theabovediscussionprovidessomesenseofwhytheaudienceforwhatwouldberecognizedas“mediaarts,”byabodysuchastheCanadaCouncilfortheArts,orbythemembersofMANO,isactuallysoverysmallcomparedtothemassaudiencesfortelevision,commercialfilms,etc.ForthepurposesofthisstudyIwillfocusonnarrowerissuesrelatedtoaudiencedevelopmentandmarketing,buttobeginwith,inordertounderstandthecontextinwhichweareoperating,Ithinkitisimportanttolookatthisquestionmoreclosely.HowandWhatDoestheAudienceSee?Weliveinacultureinwhichvirtuallyeveryone,fromtheearliestage,isconstantlyexposedtothevariousmassmediawhosetechnicalandproductionsubstratesaresharedbythemediaarts:television,radio,movies,andcomputerinterfaces,includingcountlessapplicationsontheinternet,fromtheviewingofvideosonYouTubetoresearch,bankingandshopping.Theemploymentofthesemediabycorporateandstateproducers,orientedastheyaretowardstheproductionofprofits,thesaleofcommoditiesthroughthevehicleofadvertising,andthecontrolofthetermsofsocialandpoliticaldebateinthepublicsphere,tendstobeseverelyrestrictiveintermsofovertcontent,implicitvaluesandtheconventionsofproductionandrepresentationalike.Thesegeneralcharacteristicsofmassmediahavebeennamedbyvariouscriticsusingtermssuchasthe“InstitutionalModeofRepresentation,”(NoëlBurch)or“theMonoform”(PeterWatkins).Theybecomesofamiliartothemassofmediaconsumers,andsoingrainedintermsoftheexpectationsofwhatwewillseeandhear–andthereforewhatwecometobelievewewanttoseeandhear–thatproductionscreatedusingthesesamemedia,butthatdonotconformtotheideologicalpositions,representationalconventions,“productionvalues”andothernormsofmassmediamaygenerallybeseenasfailedattemptstoengageinmassmediaproductionratherthanaspartofaseparate,frequentlyopposed,enterprisealtogether.Unfortunately,thissituationisonlyexacerbatedbyexistingprograms,intheeducationalsystem,thatencourageatleastaminimallevelof“medialiteracy”inyoungpeople.Theadmirableattemptsmadebyeducatorstodeveloptheirstudents’criticalcapacitiestoanalyzemassmediaproducts–usuallyfocusingonimportantissuessuchasthemanipulativetechniquesofadvertising,representationalissuessuchasbodyimage,sexismandracism,andimplicitpoliticalbias–areunfortunatelyseldomcomplementedbythepresentationofworksinthesamemediathatarecreatedconsciouslyandspecificallyasworksofart,orevenasstraightforward,discursivealternativestomassmediaintendedtoaddressspecificsocialorpoliticalissues.Theperniciousmessagesandtechniquesofmassmediaarecriticized,butstudentsarenotexposedtothewealthofalternatives.Thus,inonegesturetheneedforindependentlyproducedmediaartisinvoked,buttheexistenceofactualworkinthiscategoryisdenied.Wecannotblametheeducators:theyaredoingwhattheycanwithlimitedknowledge,trainingandresources,andwithinthestricturesofwell‐meaningbutdullcurricula.And,needlesstosay,thewidespreadcutbacksto,oreliminationof,artseducationinthepublicschoolsensuresthattheopportunitiesforyoungpeopletobeexposedtomediaarts


productionsbythisroutearealmostnon‐existent.Inshort,thechancesofachildhavingseenanexperimentalfilmorworkofvideoartornewmediaartinschoolbeforegraduatingfromsecondaryschoolarevanishinglysmall.Atthesametime,thesheerproliferationofmediaproductionsandplatformsmakesitevenmoreimportanttobeabletodistinguishbetweentheconscious,artisticapplicationsofmediaandtheubiquitouscommercialandamateurproductionsfoundacrossthewebandonsitessuchasYouTube.Evenontheweb,forexample,ithasbecomeclearthatproducerswishingtobethoughtofasartists,andusingthewebasaprofessionalexhibitionplatform,aregravitatingtowardssiteslikeVimeoratherthanYouTube,whichcontainssuchamassofundifferentiatedmaterialthatitbecomesdifficulttodistinguishbetweenfunnypetvideos,advertisementsorexperimentalvideos.TheCrowdedMarketplaceAnothercrucialcontextualissueisthatofaudiencetimeandattention.Inlargercentres,therearemany,manyartsandculturalexhibitionsandeventsavailabletotheculturalconsumer,anditisunderstandablydifficultforsmallorganizationswithminimalfinancialresourcestomaketheirpresenceknown.Mediaartsorganizationsarecompetingforaudienceattentionnotonlywithlargeculturalinstitutionssuchasmajormuseumsandgalleries,theatre,musicanddanceeventsandmainstreammovies,butalsowithavastwealthofculturalmaterialavailablefrombroadcastersoron‐line,muchofitfreeandavailableattheconvenienceoftheuser.Thoseoperatinginsmallercentresmayfinditsomewhateasiertopublicizetheirevents,asthereislesscompetitionformediaattention,butatthesametimethelackofalargercontextreadilyathandcanmakeithardtodevelopsophisticatedresponsesfrommediacommentatorsandaudiencesalike.Newmediahavechangedthehabitsofarts‐goers.Asonewriteronmarketingfortheperformingartsnotes:

Peoplehavealsochangedinthewaystheyprefertodobusiness.Manyperformingartsattenderswanttochoosespecificprogramstoattend,notpurchaseapackageofperformancespreselectedbytheorganization.Thistrendisnotlimitedtotheyoungergenerationwhoareespeciallyunwillingtoplanfarinadvance,butlong‐standingartsattendersarealsobecomingmorespontaneousintheirticketpurchasingbehavior.Thankstotheadvancesincommunicationstechnology,especiallytheinternetande‐mail,peoplehavecometoexpectcomprehensiveinformationandtheultimateinconvenience,literallyattheirfingertips.(Bernstein,xi)

Comingtotheattentionofaudiencesviacoverageinmainstreammediaoutletsisalsochallenging.Evenwherejournalistsshowinterest,editorstendtobeextremelyconservative,second‐guessingtheirreadership’sinterestinanythingthatdoesn’tcomewithacelebrityorclear‐cutsocialissueattached.Manyofourexhibitionorganizationshaveinfactbeenquite


successfulinthisregard,generallybyworkingwithprofessionalpublicistswhoalsodealwithmoremainstreamfare.ProximalContextsandInfluencesWhilethediscussionabovedescribesasomewhatgloomysituationwithregardstothepositionofthemediaartsinthecultureasawhole,wealsoneedtobeawareofhowourorganizationsandinstitutionsareshapedbythepositivereinforcementoffundingsystems,sponsorships,publicityandotherfactorsthatlieclosertothegroundofeverydayorganizationalpractices.Canada’ssystemofartist‐runcentres,whichwaspartlyinitiatedinOntario,wasdevelopedmostlyasaresponsetothelackofaCanadianartmarketlargeenoughtoprovideartistswithspacestoexhibitandsellwork,andtothesocialandaestheticconservatismofthemarket.Subsidizationofartsorganizationsisfoundedinpartontherecognitionthatthemarketdoesnotalwaysrewardinnovation,maynotencouragetheparticipationofminorityordisadvantagedgroupsinculturalproduction,anddoesnotprovideequitableaccesstothetoolsofculturalproductiontothosewithoutthefinancialmeanstopaymarketrates.Forthisreason,asystemofparallelartgalleries,festivals,productioncentresanddistributorshasgrownupwiththesupportofartscouncilsatthefederal,provincialandregional/municipallevels,withalotofvariationinfundinglevelsandstructuresattheprovincialandregional/municipallevel.Thisfundingsystemhasallowedmanyorganizationstocomeintobeingandtooperate–insomecasesfordecades–withmoreorlessfinancialandorganizationalstability.Whatthisfundingsystemhasnotsupportedaswellissignificantgrowth.Therearetwomainfactorsbehindthis.First:themediaartsasacategoryarerelativelynew,andhavelessculturalauthoritythanthefineartsandtheperformingarts,withtheirmuchlongertraditions,olderinstitutionsandcomplementarysupportfromthemoneyedclassesthroughindividualandcorporatesponsorships.Theresultisthatthemediaartsaresimplyfundedlessthantheseothercomparableculturalsectors.Second:institutionalmandatestospreadthemoneyaround,intermsofgeography,artisticdiscipline,organizationalsectorandcommunity,havecreatedasituationinwhichtherearealotoforganizations,eachofwhichdoesitsworkwithasmallamountofmoney,smallstaffsizesandaverylimitedcapacityforgrowth.Canada’smoderatelevelsofinvestmentinpublicartsfunding(byworldstandards)arestretchedthin,sothatevenhigh‐performingorganizationsquicklyreachtheirlimitsofgrowtheveniftheyarefairlysuccessfulatgeneratingrevenuefromothersourcesaswell.Inmyexperience–experienceconfirmedbytheresultsofthissurvey–marketing,audiencedevelopmentandoutreachactivitiesareusuallytheonesthatsuffermostfromthisongoingconditionofstructuralunderfunding.Thesituationisnotuniformacrossallsectors:it’snotsurprisingtofindthatexhibitorsdevotesignificantlylargerresourcestotheseactivitiesthanproductionordistributioncentres.Buteventheselargerexpendituresareminusculecomparedtothekindsofresourcesdirectedatthesameactivitiesbycomparablecommercialexhibitorsorlargepublicinstitutions.


Inthissituationitisonlynaturalthatthefundingbodiescometofunctionasasurrogate“market”forthoseorganizationsthatareentirelydependentuponthemfortheircontinuedexistence.Artscounciljuriescancometobeseenunconsciouslyastheprimary“audience”foranorganization’sactivities,ratherthanactualaudiences,orpotentialaudiencesforartworks,exhibitionsandevents.Oneresponsetothisobservationhasbeentoinsistthatartist‐runcentresmustbecomemoreentrepreneurial.DuringtheyearofartsfundingcutsinOntarioundertheProgressiveConservativegovernmentofMikeHarris,forexample,theOntarioArtsCouncil’sfundingwascutby50%.TheConservativemodelprovidedincentivesforARC’storeplacelostfundingbyfindingothersourcesofrevenue,suchascorporatesponsorship,whichcouldoftenbematchedthroughnewpublicfundinginitiatives.Forahandfuloforganizationsthismayhaveprovedpartlysuccessful.Butmostartist‐runcentres,whichweredevelopedspecificallytoprovideanalternativetomarket‐orientedculture,havenotprovedabletogeneratesignificantlevelsofcorporatesponsorship,especiallyintheformofcashcontributions.(In‐kindsponsorshipsarehelpful,andeasiertoobtain,butdonotdirectlysupportoperatingexpensessuchasrent,salaries,capitalexpendituresonequipment,andsoon.)MorethanoneorganizationhasspenttensofthousandsofdollarsonDevelopmentpositionsfinancedthroughtemporaryfunds,onlytorealizethatinthelongrunthepositionwasunabletopayforitself.Mostartist‐runcentressimplydonothaveenoughtoofferpotentialcorporatesponsorstointerestthemintheorganizations.Again,exhibitors,andparticularlyfestivals,arebetterpositionedtogeneratesponsorshipsowingtotheirgreaterpublicprofile.Anddistributorsroutinelygeneratesignificantamountsofrevenuefromsalesandrentalsofartists’work;butasnot‐for‐profitorganizationsmandatedtoreturnmostofthisrevenuetotheartiststheyrepresent,evenhighlyeffectivedistributorsmaynotbeabletorealizeorganizationalstabilityorgrowthprimarilyonthebasisofself‐generatedrevenues.Andinneithercasecanthelevelofself‐generatedrevenuereasonablybeexpectedtopermittheorganizationtocompeteasaplayerinthecommercialmarketplace.(Inaddition,wemightobservethattheconservativeapproachiscontradictory:noprivatebusinesswouldeverbeginaplanforlong‐termgrowthbycuttingtheresourcesavailabletosupporttheactivitiesintendedtocreatethatgrowth.Theywould,rather,beginbydecidingwhatnewresourcestheywouldtoinvestinaspecificplanforgrowth.Whenitcomesimposingmarketdisciplineonthearts,however,thefirststepgenerallyseemstoinvolvecutstoavailablefunding.)NoneofthisisintendedtoindicatethatitwouldbeabadthingforARC’stoadoptmorecreative,aggressiveandentrepreneurialapproaches,particularlywhenitcomestomarketingandaudiencedevelopment.Organizations’levelsofactivitycanebbandflownotonlywithchangesinavailablefunding,butalsobecauseofshiftinglevelsofstaffcommitment,shiftsincommunityinterestintheparticularfieldofactivity,andsoon;weareallawarethattherearemoribundorredundantorganizationsentrenchedinthesystem.Butwehavealsoseenorganizationsonthebrinkofcollapsereturntobecomevitalandindispensableagainwithachangeinboardand/orstaff,andachangeingeneraldirection.Inanycaseitiscrucialtorecognizethatachangeinapproachandenergyinputsalonecannotbeexpectedtoleadtoany


dramaticchangeinfortune,butrathertoaqualitativeshiftinlevelsofcreativityandsuccessthatencourageincrementalquantitativeimprovementsinaudienceinterestandfinancialsupport.SummaryThemediaartshaveprovendifficulttoassimilatetoexistingscalesofculturalvalue,astheyexistinakindofnetherworldbetween(andoftenopposedto)thepracticesofthefineorperformingartsandthecorporateoperationsofthemassmedia.Inthisenvironmentithasbeendifficultforthemediaartstodevelopaclearidentityinthemindsofaudiences,criticsandeducatorsalike.Therelativefailureofmediaartworksasacommodityhasmeantthatmostmediaartistsarepoorlyrewardedfortheirwork,iftheyreceiveanycompensationatall.Andthemediaarts,despitetheirrelativeaccessibilitytoaudiences,areamongthelowest‐fundedcategoriesofalltheartsinCanada,accordingtofiguresavailablefromthevariousartscouncils.OfthesixdisciplineslistedintheCanadaCouncil’sFundingtoartistsandartsorganizations2009‐10:NationalOverview,themediaartsarethelowestfundedcategory(apartfrom“Inter‐Arts,whichisnotadisciplineperse,butaprogramtoenablecollaborationsbetweendisciplines).Noneofthisshouldleadustodespair.Themediaartscandeveloptheiraudience.Ihaveexperiencedthistimeandtimeagaininmylonginvolvementwithexhibitors,productioncentresanddistributorsalike.Therearemanyrecentsuccessesinourcommunities,andifonethingisclear,itisthatacombinationofstrong,consistentprogramming,clearcommunications,savvymarketingandhighstandardsofpresentationdodevelopaudiences.


BuildingAudienceDevelopmentCapacities:SurveyDesignandMethodologyAsurveywasdevelopedwiththeintentionofelicitingfromMANOmemberorganizationsinformationthatwouldallowustounderstandhoworganizationsarecurrentlydealingwithmarketingandcommunications,audiencedevelopmentandcommunityoutreach.Thesurveyconsistedof30specificquestionsandthreeadditionalopen‐endedquestionsdealingwithexistingapproachesintermsofstaffstructure,financialresources,useofindependentcontractors,successatreachingprimaryandsecondaryaudiences,satisfactionwiththeresultsofadvertising,publicityandqualityofmediacoverage,andpreferencesabouthownewresourcesmightbeallocated.Adraftversionofthesurveywascirculatedtothefourleadorganizationsontheproject,andfeedbackfromthisconsultationinformedanumberofchangestothefinalversionofthesurvey.Thesurvey(seeAppendixA)wasdistributedtoallMANOmemberorganizationsinMay2010,andwewereabletoconfirmthat23receivedandintendedtorespondtoit.ResponseswerecollectedbetweenMayandNovember2010.Althoughnotallmemberorganizationsactuallyrespondedtothesurvey,the13responses(57%)representedeachsector(production,distributionandexhibition)insufficientnumberstoprovideadefinitesenseofhoworganizationsareapproachingtheseissues,andalsorepresentedabroadrangeintermsofstaffsize,amountoffundingandsoon.Inaddition,IconsultedwithstaffatanumberoforganizationsthatarenotmembersofMANObutweredeemedtobeofinterestbecausetheyoccupiedaspaceimmediatelycontiguoustomediaartspractice,becauseoftheirsuccessinaudiencedevelopment,orbecausesomeaspectoftheiroperationwasseentobepotentiallyusefulinformingtherecommendationsforthisreport.BecausetheseorganizationsrangedinsizefrommuchlargerthananyMANOmemberorganization(e.g.TIFF,CanadianOperaCompany)tosomewhatlarger(MOCCA),tocomparableinsize(AdventuresInSoundArt),wedidnotsurveythemusingthesametool,butwithanopen‐endedsetofquestionsfocusedonaudiencedevelopmentmethodsandstrategies.Ideasgleanedfromtheseconversationsarenotaccountedforinthesurveysummarythatfollows,butdidinformthereportrecommendations.OrganizationalProfileandStaffingQuestions1through3wereintendedsimplytoprofileMANOorganizationsintermsofprimaryfieldofactivity,membershipstructureandsizeofoperatingbudget.Mostorganizationsidentifiedoneprimaryfieldofactivity,whiletwoorganizationsidentifiedbothproductionandexhibitionasprimaryfieldsofactivityfortheirorganizations.However,theseorganizationswereinitiallyfoundedasproductioncentresandreceivemoreoftheirfundingthroughtheproductionstream,soinanalyzingthedataIhavecategorizedthemasproductioncentres.This


isdonewiththeunderstandingthatmost,ifnotall,productioncentresalsodopublicprogrammingofvariouskinds,notrestrictedtotechnicalworkshops.Mostrespondents(62%)haveanactivevotingmembershipstructure,butnotall:Festivalsrespondentsdonot,andonedistributordoesnot.Respondentorganizationsrangeinstaffsizefromasinglepart‐timepositiontoseveralstaff.Thelargerorganizationshavebetweenfiveandninestaffpositions,whichinallcasesincludeacombinationofpart‐andfull‐timestaff.Festivalsalsomakeextensiveuseofshort‐termcontractstaff.The“usualannualoperatingbudget”(Q.3)forrespondentorganizationsrangedfromlessthan$50,000tobetween$500,001and$750,000,withanaverageof$352,083andameanof$225,000.NOTEABOUTCALCULATIONS.Notably,noorganizationspentmorethan10%ofitsbudgetoncombinedmarketingandaudiencedevelopmentactivities(excludingstaffsalaries).Exhibitorsspentsignificantlymorethanproductioncentresanddistributors:Onaverage,exhibitorsspentabout8.5%ofannualexpendituresonmarketingandaudiencedevelopment,almosttwicetheoverallaverageforallorganizations.Table1(Question4):Spendingonmarketing&audiencedevelopmentasapercentageofannualbudgetsandasanaverageamount,bysectorandasanaverageofallorganizationsProduction(average) Exhibition(average)

Distribution(average)

Allorganizations(average)

3.25% 8.5% 1% 4.4%

$2,250

$33,000 $5,125 $15,131

Question11asked:“Isthereapaidposition(orpositions)inyourorganizationdedicatedprimarilytomarketingandcommunications,audiencedevelopmentand/oroutreach?”Theanswer,inallbutthreecases,wasno.Inpercentageterms,thismeansthatonly23%ofMANOorganizationshavesuchpositionsinplace;allofthesearefestivals.Theorganizationsthatanswered“yes”toQ.11dohavededicatedcommunications/audiencedevelopment/marketingpositions,andtheywereaskedtorespondtoQuestion12.OthersweredirectedtoQuestion13(seebelow).Q.12askedthesethreeorganizationstoprovideadditionaldetailaboutthesestaffpositions,andtoidentifytheirresponsibilitiesfromthreepossiblecategories:“Marketing&Communications”;“AudienceDevelopment”;and/or“CommunityOutreach.”Twoofthethreefestivalsthatanswered“yes”toQ.11hadafull‐timededicatedstaffpositionforthisarea:onecoveredallthreeareasofresponsibility,whiletheotherwasfocusedonaudiencedevelopmentandoutreach.Ofthesetwofestivals,onealsohadapart‐timepositionfocusedonaudiencedevelopmentandoutreach.Thethirdfestivalhadonlyasinglepart‐time


position,acoordinatorresponsibleforin‐housemarketingandcommunicationsefforts.Thefull‐timepositionswerescheduledat40hoursperweek,andwerepaidanaverageof$44,000peryear.Part‐timepositionswerescheduledat18and21hoursperweek.(Insufficientinformationonthepart‐timepositionsdoesnotallowmetoprovideanincomelevelforthese.)Full‐timepositionshadabroadrangeofresponsibilities:eachcoveredtwoorthreeoftheareasofresponsibility.Part‐timepositions,ontheotherhand,aremorecloselyfocusedoneithermarketingandcommunicationsoraudiencedevelopmentandcommunityoutreach.Moretypically,organizationsanswered“no”toQ.11:mostdonothavestaffpositionsdedicatedprimarilytotheseactivities.Question13askedtheseorganizationstooutlinewhichpositionsintheirorganizationsdohandlethesetasks,andagainaskedthemtospecifywhethertheycoveredmarketingandcommunications,audiencedevelopmentorcommunityoutreachactivities.InmostMANOorganizations,theseareasaretheresponsibilitiesofarangeofpart‐andfull‐timestaffpositions,withtitlesrangingfromExecutiveDirectorandArtisticorProgrammingDirectortoTechnicalDirector,CoordinatororOperationsManager.Oneorganizationidentifiedasinglepart‐timecoordinatorasresponsibleforallthreeareas.Atseveralorganizations,multiplepositionswereidentifiedasequallyresponsibleforallthreeareas.Fromquestions11through13,wecanconcludethat,althoughafewfestivalshavefull‐andpart‐timestaffpositionsforwhichthesetypesofactivitiesaretheprimaryresponsibilityofthejob,thenormforMANOorganizationsisoneinwhichmarketingandcommunications,audiencedevelopmentandcommunityoutreachdutiesarerolledintojobsthatincludeeverythingfromadministrationtoprogramming,operationsandmembershiportechnicalservices.Toanyonewhohaseveryworkedinasmall,non‐profitartsorganization,thiswillcomeasnosurprise:weareusedtowearingmanyhatsinalmostanyjobwetake.However,itdoesnotpromisethesamelevelofresultsasmightbeachievedbyorganizationswithdedicatedstaffpositionsandamoresignificantadministrativeandfinancialinvestment.Asupplementaryquestion(Q.14)asked:“Doyouworkwithanindependentpublicistormarketer?”Andthefollow‐upquestion(Q.15)askedthoseorganizationsthatanswered“yes”toQ.14howmuchtheyspentonindependentpublicist/marketerfeesinanaverageyear.Responsestothesequestionsaresummarizedintable2,below.Table2(Questions14and15):Percentageoforganizationsthatworkwithindependentpublicist/marketerandaverageannualamountspentonindependentpublicist/marketercontracts Production Exhibition

Distribution

Allorganizations

25%usepublicist/marketer




$1,700averageannualexpense





Here,weagainfindthatexhibitorsasagroupdevotemoreresourcestopublicityandmarketingthantheothersectors.Allofthefestivalrespondentsusepublicists,spendinganaverageof$9,125peryearonthesecontracts.(Thisaveragerepresentsarangeofannualspendingfrom$6,000to$15,000.)Theonlyexhibitorthatdidnotreportusingcontractorsforpublicitywasanexhibitorthatpresentsoccasionalscreeningsthroughouttheyear.Oneproductioncentrereportedusinganindependentpublicist“occasionallyonaprojectbasis,”andspendsanaverageofjust$1,700.Oneofthetwodistributorsworkswithindependentpublicistsspecificallytopublicizeitsprogramming,asdistinctfromitsdistributionactivities,andspendsanaverageof$3,600annually.Onefinalquestionaddressingstaffingandorganizationoflabour(Q.20)askedwhether,givenadditionalresources,organizationswould“prefertoconductmarketingandaudiencedevelopmentactivitiesthroughtheservicesofanexperiencedprofessionalindependentpublicist/marketerorthroughapermanentstaffposition.”Italsoaskedrespondentstobrieflyexplainthereasonsfortheirpreference.Table3(Question20):Preferenceforworkingwithindependentpublicist/marketerorpermanentstaffpositionProduction Exhibition

Distribution

Allorganizations

75%preferstaffposition

60%preferstaffposition 100%preferstaffposition 72%preferstaffposition

RespondentstoQ.20providedarangeoftellingcommentstoexplaintheirpreferences:

Someoneentrenchedintheorganizationhasabetterideaofwhatisworkingandwhatisn’tandhasagoodgraspofthewantsandneedsoftheorganization.(Productioncentre)

Weseeaudiencedevelopmentandmarketingasinterrelatedandneedingtobesupportedbybothamediapublicistandastaffpositiondedicatedtomarketing/communicationsandoutreach.Havingaprofessionalpublicistwhocanstrictlyfocusonpublicityistotallynecessaryforanevent‐drivenorganizationlikeours,astheybuildbuzzandexpandourreachtonewmarkets.Thestaffpositionssupportaudiencedevelopmentyear‐round…(Festival)

Atpresent,weemployindependentpublicistswhenwehavemajorprojects.Thus,wecanexpecthighlyfocusedworkandoutcomefromthosecontractors.Inaddition,weputconsiderableeffortinbuildinguppromotionthroughvarioussocialmedia.However,wheneverbudgetpermitswewanttohaveadesignatedmediaofficer.(Festival)

It’satoughcall.Butforus,havingsomeoneexternalonour‘team’whohasestablishedrelationshipswiththemediaisahugeadvantage.Doingitin‐house,whilehelpfulwithofficelabourandsupportingawiderrangeofmarketing/outreachactivitieswouldprobablyresultinmoremoderatepresscoverage.(Festival)


Weworkwithapublicistandawell‐knownartslistservtopublicizeourpublicprogramming,butwhatwewouldreallypreferwouldbetohaveastaffpositionthatcoulddothisfairlysimplepublicity,aswellasworkingonaudiencedevelopmentandlookingaftergeneralmarketing(fromFacebooktoprintad’s)fortheorganizationasawhole.(Distributor)

Question30asked:“Wouldyourorganizationbenefitfromworkingwithamarketingconsultanttodevelopamarketingplan?”Everyorganization,withoutexception,answered“yes”tothisquestion.Tosummarize:MANOrespondentorganizationsgenerallydevoteasmallproportionofannualbudgetstoaudiencedevelopmentandmarketing;ifstaffsalariesareexcluded,thatproportionisbelow10%forallsectors,andbelow5%forproductionanddistributioncentres.ifstaffsalariesareincludedwecanidentifyafeworganizationsthathavemadepermanentinvestmentsintheseactivitiesfull‐and/orpart‐timestaffpositions.Thoseorganizationsareallexhibitors,aresultthatshouldsurprisenoone.Ingeneral,theseactivitiesarehandledbyapatchworkofstaffpositions,manyofwhichmaynotbeanobviousfit.Slightlymorethanhalfofrespondentsuseindependentpublicist/marketerstopublicizeprograms,butthefigureismuchhigherforexhibitors,at80%.Givenadditionalresources,72%ofrespondentswoulddevotethoseresourcestoapermanentstaffpositionratherthandirectingittoanindependentpublicist,butmanyorganizationsmentionedtheimportanceofsupportbothintheofficeandfromoutsidecontractors.Exhibitorsweremorelikelythandistributorsorproductioncentrestoprefertodirectsuchresourcestoanoutsidecontractor.Itseemsunlikelythatmanymediaartsorganizationswillmakeagreatdealofheadwaywithaudiencedevelopmentuntiltheyareabletosupportpermanentpositionsdevotedprimarilytoit,andtodirectgreaterfinancialresourcestomarketing,advertisingandin‐houseaudiencedevelopmentinitiatives.Asoneproductioncentreadministratorstatedinresponsetooneoftheopenquestionsattheendofthesurvey:

CurrentlyIspendafairamountoftimeoncommunicationsandoutreach‐relatedactivities.Itwouldbegreattoincreasethisworkandtohaveanonlinepresencethatservedtheneedsbeyondbasicinformationandmarketingandintoamoreeducationalcapacity,butthere’scurrentlynotenoughtimeorresources…neverenoughtimeorresources.

Inshort,thereisapowerfulawarenessamongmediaartsorganizationsofthegapbetweenwhattheywouldliketodoandwhattheyarecurrentlycapableofdoingwiththetimeandresourcesavailabletothem.Thislast,anguishedcommentthusprovidedthetitleforthisreport.


SatisfactionwithResultsofMarketingandAudienceDevelopmentandRelationswithMediaSeveralquestionsweredesignedtofindlevelsofsatisfactionwithinorganizationsregardingtheirabilitytocommunicatewithprimaryandsecondaryaudiences,andsatisfactionwiththeeffectivenessofaudiencedevelopment,marketing,publicityandadvertisingactivities.Respondentswereaskedtoratetheirlevelofsatisfactionineachareaonascalefrom1to5,with5meaning“highlysatisfied,”4meaning“fairlysatisfied,”3meaning“moderatelysatisfied,”2meaning“somewhatdissatisfied,”and1meaning“highlydissatisfied.”Theseresultsaregivenbelow,inTable4.Table4(Questions7,8,19,22and24):Satisfactionwithoutreachcapacity,expendituresonmarketing/publicity,level&qualityofmediacoverage,andlevelofeducationofmembersofmediaQuestion Production Exhibition Distribution Allorg’s(average)7:Satisfactionw/capacitytoreachprimaryaudiences

3.25(moderatelysatisfied)

3(moderatelysatisfied)

2.5(moderatelysatisfiedtosomewhatdissatisfied)


8:Satisfactionw/capacitytoreachsecondaryaudiences

3.5(moderatelytofairlysatisfied)


2(somewhatdissatisfied)


19:Satisfactionw/expendituresonmarketing/publicity





22:Satisfactionwithlevel/qualityofmediacoverage




2.7(moderatelysatisfied,buttendinglower)

24:Howwelleducated/informedaremembersofmediaaboutindependentmediaartsingeneral?

3(moderatelywell‐informed)

2.5(moderatelywell‐topoorlyinformed)

2.5(moderatelywell‐topoorlyinformed)

2.7(moderatelywell‐informed,buttendinglower)

Theresultsofthesequestionsindicatethatorganizationsareneitherentirelysatisfiedwiththeresultsofcurrentarrangementsnorcompletelydissatisfied.Theoverallaverageresultsforeachquestionfellbelowthemid‐pointof3,whichindicatesmerely“moderate”satisfaction,witharatingof2indicatinga“somewhatdissatisfied”response.


Somecleardifferencesbetweensectorsmaybenoted:Forexample,productioncentresweregenerallymoresatisfiedwiththeirabilitytoreachtheirself‐identifiedprimaryandsecondaryaudiences(Q.7and8).Thisisnotasurprisingresult,sinceproductioncentreactivities(workshops,professionaldevelopmentseminars,etc.)aregenerallyorientedtoasmaller,morefocused,identifiablecommunityofprofessionalartistsandproducers,manyofwhommaybemembersoftheorganization,ratherthanamoreamorphouspublic.Wherepublicprogrammingsuchasscreeningsartists’talksispresentedbyproductioncentres,itisoftenwithinamorefocusedprofessionalcontext,forwhichmarketingandaudiencedevelopmenteffortsmaybesimplerandmorestraightforwardthantheyarefororganizationswhereactivitiesareintendedforabroadgeneralpublicorcommunity.(Thisisnottodiscountproductioncentres’desiretofindabroaderpublicforsomeoftheiractivities,however.)Exhibitors,whoareclearlythemostaudience‐orientedsector,showeda“moderate”levelofsatisfactionwiththeircapacitytoreachtheirself‐identifiedprimaryaudiences,butlesssatisfactionwiththeirabilitytoreachsecondaryaudiences.Theseresultsindicatethatexhibitorsdoshowresultsfortheirefforts,butseesignificantroomforimprovement,especiallyasthetargetshiftsawayfromtheiracknowledgedprimaryaudiences.Thedistributorsexpressthelowestlevelofsatisfactioninresponsestoallofthesequestions,including7and8.Thismaybeseeninpartastheresultofthefactthatmostdistributionactivitiesdonotinvolvemarketingdirectlytoaudiences,butworkingthroughclientstoreachaudiences.Distributorsdopresentacertainamountofpublicprogramming,butperhapsnotenoughtodevelopahighdegreeofexpertiseinmarketingandaudiencedevelopment.Atthesametime,distributorsarehighlygoal‐orientedinthesenseofwantingtoseeyear‐by‐yearincreasesinrevenuesgeneratedfromrentals,salesandlicensesforworkbytheartiststheyrepresent.Theyarealsovulnerabletothefluctuationsoftheirmarketsandtheshiftinginterestsofexhibitors,educators,broadcasters,etc.,whichrendersthemacutelyawareofboththeirownlevelofsuccessandthepotentialforgrowth.Satisfactionwithexpendituresonmarketing/publicity(Q.19)showedasimilarpattern:whileproductioncentresandexhibitorswere,onaverage,“moderatelysatisfied,”distributorsfellsomewherebetween“moderatelysatisfied”and“somewhatdissatisfied.”Again,organizationshaveasensethattheirinvestmentsintheseareasarenotwasted,butthattheycouldseemuchbetterresults.Distributorsoperateonamodelthatisinsomerespectsclosertothatofamoretraditionalbusiness,andtheymayfeelthestingoftheoldmarketingadage,attributedtoJohnWanamaker:“HalfthemoneyIspendonadvertisingiswasted;thetroubleisIdon'tknowwhichhalf.”Allorganizationsindicated(Q.21)thattheyreceivedsomelevelofmediacoverageoftheiractivities.Questions22and24askedorganizationstoratetheirsatisfactionwiththe“levelandqualityofmediacoverage”(Q.22)andhow“welleducated/informed”theyfoundrepresentativesofthemediatobeaboutmediaartsingeneral(Q.24).Herewefindthelowestlevelsofoverallsatisfaction:theoverallaverageforeachquestionmeasuredonly2.7,apositionbetween“somewhatdissatisfied”and“moderatelysatisfied.”Productioncentresand


distributorspositionedthemselvesbetween“moderatelysatisfied”and“somewhatdissatisfied”withthelevelandqualityofmediacoverage;exhibitorspositionedthemselvesas“moderatelysatisfied”withsame.Productioncentresfoundrepresentativesofthemedia“moderatelywell‐informed,”whileexhibitorsanddistributorswere,again,morecritical,withanaveragemeasureof2.5,between“poorlyinformed”and“moderatelywell‐informed.”Onerespondentprovidedacommentthathighlightedthedifferencebetweenreceivingmediacoverageoradvertisingandbeingsatisfiedwiththeresultsofthatcoverage:

Wegetfreeprintmediaadexchangeswithlocalpapersanddon’tfindthatitactuallybringspeoplein.Itmayraiseawarenessaboutthecentrebutitdoesnottranslatetoparticipantsinaspecificactivity.(Productioncentre)

Mediaartsorganizations,then,donotseemediacoverageasanendinitself.Ifitfailstoassistinthegoalofaudiencedevelopment,itmaybeagoodthinginsomegeneralsense,butitisnotaccomplishingwhattheorganizationismosturgentlyconcernedwith:increasinganddevelopingitsaudience.


TheContextforMarketingandAudienceDevelopmentUnfortunately,thereisnobodyofextantresearchonmarketingandaudiencedevelopmentspecifictothefieldofthemediaarts.Itisanareathatdemandsstudy.However,thereisawealthofmaterialavailableontheartsingeneral,oronmuseumsandpublicgalleries,orontheperformingarts.TheapplicabilityofthismaterialtothecontextofMANOorganizationsmaybelimitedbyanumberoffactors:

1.Theassumptioninmuchmarketingliteratureisthatthereaderisworkinginthecontextofaninstitutionofatleastmediumsize,i.e.onewithastaffofreasonablesizeandasignificant,ifrestricted,amounttospendonmarketingandaudiencedevelopment.2.Similarly,thereisanassumptionthatthereaderhastheresourcestoconductrigourousaudienceanddemographicsurveys,etc.

3.Thereislittlediscussionintheliteratureofhowtomarketmaterialthatisinherently“difficult,”inthesensethatitischallengingtotheaudience’sexpectations.Muchadviceisgivenonhowtomakemarketingmessagesaboutartworksaccessible–toovercometheideaofartasaneliteactivityforotherpeople–ontheassumptionthatthematerialitselfwillpresentnodifficultytotheaudienceoncetheyareconfrontedwiththework.But,asIoutlinedinmyintroductoryremarks,mediaartisfrequentlydisorientinginrelationtothecodesofmainstreammediatowhichinwhichwehaveallbeentrained.4.Alloftheliteratureisdirectedtowardsorganizationsthatatleastpracticewithinagenerallyrecognizedfieldofendeavour,suchasdance,finearts,publishing,etc.Researchpaperstendtopositionculturalactivitiesasgenerallyequivalent.Again,asoutlinedabove,Idonotbelievethatthisholdstrueforthemediaarts.

Takingthesecaveatsintoaccount,however,thereisagooddealtobelearnedfromthepublishedliterature.UnderstandingAudiencesMediaartsorganizationswillneedtospendsometimewiththeliteratureonaudiencesandcontemporarymarketingifwearetobuildourcapacityforaudiencedevelopment.AlthoughIcannotgointogreatdetailinthecontextofthisreport,somegeneralcontextualfactorsandideasfromthosewithexperienceinthefieldshouldbehelpfulinsettingthestageformyrecommendations.Whatisatstakeindevelopingtheaudiencefortheindependentmediaarts?HillStrategiesResearchInc.hasconductedresearchonspendingoncultureinCanada,brokendownby


province(andalsoincludingfiguresfor15metropolitanareas).Accordingtothisreport,“Ontariansspent$10.2billiononculturalgoodsandservicesin2005,41%oftheCanadiantotal.”(HillStrategiesResearchInc.,ConsumerSpendingonCultureinCanada,18)Itwouldbedifficulttodeterminewherespendingonmediaartseventsandexhibitionswouldappearinthesefigures,butitwouldpresumablybeincludedamongthe$1.1billionspenton“artworksandevents”andthe$530millionspenton“movietheatreadmissions.”(ConsumerSpending…,8).Additionally,spendingwasfoundtohaveincreasedbyafull55%between1997and2005,whileOttawawasfoundtorankfirstamongCanadiancitiesintermsofresidents’culturalspending,withTorontorankingeleventh.(ConsumerSpending,19)Theresultsofthisstudyallowedtheresearcherstoshowthatspendingonculturalgoodsandservicesbyindividualswasmorethanthreetimesgreaterthanthatspentonculturebyallthreelevelsofgovernmentcombinedin2003‐04.(ConsumerSpending,7)Thisiscertainlygoodnews.ItdemonstratesthatCanadiansingeneral,andOntariansinparticular,aremorethanwillingtospendmoneyonartsandculture,broadlydefined.Ofcoursewemayassumethatmostofthespendingrepresentedhereisoneithermass‐mediaproductions(popmusicCDsordownloads,admissiontomainstreammoviesorpurchaseonDVD,popconcerts)oronadmissiontoperformingartseventsandmajorculturalinstitutions.Butthisresearchmakesclearthatifmediaartsorganizationscanmakeevensmallgainsinvisibilityappealtothegeneralartsaudience,itcouldtransformthesector.A2008reportfromHillStrategies,entitledFactorsinCanadians’CulturalActivities,suppliesencouragingdetailthatsupportsthisconclusion.ByaskingCanadiansquestionsabouttheirattendanceandconsumerhabitswithregardtoanumberofdifferentartsandartscontexts,dividedintothefourmaincategoriesofbookreading,liveperformingarts,artgalleriesandmovietheatreattendance,theresearcherswereabletoshowthat,inadditiontoage,sexandotherfactors,attendanceatonetypeofculturalactivitywashighlypredictiveofinterestinotherkindsofculturalactivities.Forexample,althoughtheresearchshowedthatagewasthestrongestpredictorforratesofmovie‐going,withattendancepeakingbetweentheagesof15and24,participationinotherkindsofotherculturalactivitywerealmostasstrong:79%ofthosewhoattendedafestivalalsowenttoamovieduring2005;79%ofthosewhodownloadedmusicalsowenttoamovie;79%ofthosewhoattendedaperformingartseventalsoattendedamovie;78%ofthosewhowenttoamuseumotherthananartgalleryalsoattendedamovie;andsoon.(HillStrategiesResearchInc.,Factors…,34‐35).Inshort,thosewhoareinterestedinculturalexhibitionsandeventstendtobegeneralists,andarelikelytoengageinmultiplekindsofculturalactivity,suggestinganopportunityformediaartsorganizationstobringanalreadyengagedaudienceintothefold.Buthowtogoaboutit?AsthepassagefromJoanneScheffBernstein(seep.6,above)indicates,theaudiencehasbecomea“movingtarget,”withlessloyaltytoanentireorganization’sprogramming,andmoreofatendencytopickandchoosespecificeventsorexhibitions.Atthesametime,itiseasierthanever,usinginexpensiveinternet‐basedtools,toreachpeopleoncetheyhaveparticipatedinatleastoneevent,aslongasourinformationtrackingcapabilityisinplace.Below,somesuggestions.


Recommendations1.Education:AudiencesandGatekeepersAsIsuggestedinmycommentsoncontextatthebeginningofthisreport,oneofthebiggestproblemsfacingmediaartsorganizationsintheirquestforaudiencedevelopmentisthelackofidentityandvisibilityforthefieldasawhole.Basedonthecategoricalambiguityofthemediaarts,thislackofvisibilityneedstobeaddressedonmanyfronts.Atonelevel,specificorganizationswanttoincrease,diversifyandengageaudiencesbetterthantheydonow.Atanotherlevel,thisgoalwillonlybeservedinthelongtermbyincreasingthevisibilityandlegibilityoftheworkproducedbythefieldasawhole.Iwouldsuggestthreecomplementaryactionsthatwouldassistinthiseffort:

1.Publication:Althoughthereisagreatdealofdiscipline‐specificorthematicpublishingonspecificmediaartspracticesandideas(e.g.experimentalfilm,videoart,performanceart,conceptualart,newmedia),thereisreallynothingavailablethattalksaboutthemediaartsasanoverallfieldofendeavour,withaspecifichistoryandculturalposition.ScholarshavebeguntoaddressthisinamoreacademicformwithbookslikeScottMacDonald’sstudiesofCinema16andCanyonCinema.Closertohome,artistsandadministratorshavereflectedonthehistoriesandculturesofartist‐runcentresinpublicationslikedecentre:concerningartist‐runculture(YYZBooks,2008),aswellasmorenarrowlyfocusedpublicationslikePlace:13Essays,13Filmmakers,1City(WinnipegFilmGroup,2009),whichprofiles13Winnipeg‐basedfilmmakers,orExpandedStandardTimeline:ArtistsandElectronicMediainCalgary(Emmedia,2010).Itwouldbeextremelyvaluabletohaveavailableasubstantivepublicationamountingtoahistoryofthemediaartsandthekeypracticesencompassedbytheterm.Thetermsofreferencecouldbeinternational,butwithanemphasisonCanadianexamplesandspecifics.Thispublicationcouldperhapsincludeacompilationcontainingkeyworks,andbeaccompaniedbyastudyguideforuseineducationalsettings.Itcouldbedistributedfreetoeducators,critics,scholars,curatorsandprogrammers,etc.Alarge‐scalepublicationofthistypecouldbefinancedusingprojectfunds,asacollaborationbetweenanumberoforganizations.

2.TheEducationalSystem:Workingtogetherwithteachers,mediaartsorganizationsneedtoinvestigatehowindependentmediaartworkscouldbeintegratedintopublicschoolcurricula,whicharestandardacrosstheprovince.MANOshoulddevelopaprovince‐widestrategyforworkingwithschoolboardstoprovidestudentswithexposuretoage‐appropriate,carefullyselectedandcontextualizedworksthatarerelevanttocurricula,andthatwouldopenthemuptotheideaofaconscious,independentpracticeofmediaasart.Distributorscouldplayakeyroleinthisinitiative.Itmightalsobepossibletoworkcollaborativelywithsomeofourlargerculturalinstitutions,whichalreadyworkcloselywithschoolboardstoexposestudentsto


variousformsofart,andwhichinsomecasesalreadyhavesignificantcollectionsofmediaartworks.

3.RoutineDistributionofMaterials:Mediaartsorganizationsshouldalwayskeepinmindthecontinuingeducationofcritics,curatorsandothergatekeepers.Exhibitionandfestivalcatalogues,copiesofallbookspublishedbymediaartsorganizations,andcopiesofmediaartworksavailableforsaletothepublic(e.g.DVDcompilations)shouldasamatterofcoursebesentouttoallrelevantparties:art,filmandtelevisioncritics;curatorsatmajorgalleriesandmuseums;broadcasterswhodealwiththeartsingeneral;andsoon.Thisshouldbedoneregardlessofanypotentialforanimmediateresponseorbenefittotheproducerofthematerial,aspartofageneralandongoingcampaignforincreasedawarenessandacknowledgementofthemediaarts.Thedevelopmentofasharedprovincialandnationallistofkeyplayerswhoshouldbereceivingsuchmaterialcouldbedonebymutualconsultationwithoutanenormousinvestmentoftimeonthepartofanyoneorganization.

2.Marketing:DevelopmentofOrganizationalIdentities&CollaborationsTheproblemofidentityhauntsthemediaarts.Ithasbeendifficultformediaartsorganizationstogetacrosstoaudiences,themassmediaandevenmanyartscommentatorswhatitisthatwedo.Formanyofusinthefield,termssuchas“branding”maymakeusqueasy,failuresofthiskindofcorporateidentity,atthelevelofindividualorganizationsandofthefieldasawhole,ensurethatwewillcontinuetomakelittleheadwayintermsofaudiencedevelopment.Ifwelookatrecentsuccesses,wecanseethatthoseorganizationswhoseconstituencyandprogrammingareclearestandeasiesttocommunicatetoaudiencesandmediaaretheonesthathavebeendevelopingtheiraudiencesmostsuccessfully.HotDocs,forexample,wascitedbymanyrespondentsasanexampleofanorganizationthathasbeenenormouslysuccessfulinchangingfromaprimarilyindustry‐orientedeventtoonewithmassivepublicappeal.Thissuccessisduetoanumberoffactors,amongthem:

aclear,simplemandate:toshowcontemporarydocumentaries,primarilybasedontheinterestoftheirsubjectmatter;astraightforwardandaccessiblebox‐officesystemthatalsooffersexcellentvalueforspecialaudiencegroupssuchasstudentsandseniors,withbenefitslikefreedaytimescreenings;highquality,professionalpresentation;relentlessandubiquitousmarketingefforts;asonerespondentnoted:“HotDocsisexemplaryintermsofreachingawideaudiencethroughads,cataloguesstuffedinto


newspapers,postering,year‐roundreminderflyersandscreeningsthatkeepaudiencespluggedin,andmonthlyupdatesyear‐round.”

NotallmediaartsorganizationswillbeabletodowhatHotDocshasdone,atleasttothesamescale.Itisafestivalwithcloseconnectionstomuchrichersourcesofcorporatefunding(e.g.broadcasters),whichgiveitmuchmoremoneytoworkwiththananyMANOmemberorganizationhas,anditdoesnotparticularlyfocusonmaterialthatischallenginginformaltermsorintermsofmodeofrepresentation.Nevertheless,therearelessonstobelearnedfromitssuccess,particularlyintermsofyear‐roundvisibility,thereachofitsmarketingmaterials,andtheclarityofitsidentity.Wehaveseeninrecentyearshoworganizationsorientedtowardsspecificaudiencesthatshareaspecificculturalbackgroundcanplayuponimagesandstereotypesthathavebeenimposeduponthembythelargerculture,butcantwisttheminanintelligentandplayfulwaytocementtheiridentity.Iincludetwoexamples,fromToronto’simagineNATIVEandReelAsianfestivals,below.

Theseimagestelltheaudienceagreatdeal:thattheorganizationrepresentsaspecificcommunity;thatit“gets”thatcommunity’sexperienceofracismandstereotypinganditssharedpointsofreference,butthatitisengagedinsupersedingthesestereotypesandhastheconfidencetomockthem;thatthetoneoftheeventswillnotbeuniformlyseriousor


downbeat;andthateventsmaybeexpectedtobecolourfulandenjoyable.Bothfestivalshaveexperiencedsignificantgrowthinaudiencesoverthepastseveralyears,inpartduetothesecleverandappealingmarketingmaterials.Ofcourse,notallorganizationsareorientedtowardsaspecific,identifiablecommunity.Othersofferaparticularkindofwork:HotDocsdealsonlyindocumentaries,mainlyfeature‐length.TheImagesFestivalcoversabroadrangeofmediaartspracticesinanumberofkindsofvenues.TheWorldwideShortFilmFestivalhasamainstreamorientation,butshowsonlyshortworks.Thedistributorsrepresentexperimentalworks,butalsodramas,community‐orienteddocumentaries,activistworks,andsoon.Productioncentres’programmingisprimarilycomprisedoftechnicalandprofessionalworkshops,butalsoincludespublicscreeningsandartists’talks.Campaignsbylesstightlyfocusedorganizationsofthiskindmaybelessthaninspired,butcanstillbesuccessful.TheWorldwideShortFilmFestival’songoingcampaign,yearafteryear,issimplybasedonthefactthatthefilmsscreenedareshort.Itprovidesnosenseofthequalityoftheprogrammingortheculturalpositionofthematerial;thecampaignistonally“blank.”Itmaynotappealtome,buthasbeensuccessful,inconjunctionwithahighlevelofpublicity,inincreasingthefestival’saudiencebase.TheImagesFestival,ontheotherhand,hasthemostcomplexmessage,asit’saverycomplicatedfestivalatwhichprogrammingcrossesmanymedia,technicalplatformsandpresentationvenues.Thefestival’smarketingmaterialshavebeenconsistentlyintriguingintheirvisualquality,butthemarketingmessagemaynotnecessarilybecleartosomeoneunfamiliarwiththefestival.Manyorganizationsidentifieda“generalpublic”astheirmainaudience/clienteleinresponsetoQuestion6,followedoftenby“professionalmediaartists,”the“movie‐goingpublic”and“gallery‐goingpubic”and“programmers/curators.”Thequestionofdevelopingaclearidentityasa“general‐purpose”mediaartspresenterisonebestworkedoutonacase‐by‐casebasisinconsultationwithexpertsinmarketing.ButIthinkitisanunavoidablefirststepingettingbetterresultsfrommarketingefforts,andinbeginningthelong‐termprocessofaudiencedevelopment.Iwouldalsosuggestthatitmightbeadvantageousforagroupofmediaartsorganizationsandotherartist‐runcentres,inregionswherethereislessdensityofcompetingprogramming,toconsiderworkingtogetherwithaprofessionalpublicisttoincreasethevisibilityoftheiractivities.Twoorthreeorganizations,coordinatingtheiractivitiessothattheyarenotdirectlycompetingwithoneanother,couldpotentiallyprovideamoresignificantcontracttoagoodpublicist,thusensuringthemgreaterattentionfromaprofessionalwhootherwisemightneedtoconcentratemoreonhigher‐payingcommercialcontracts.


3.ProgrammingforAccessibilityHavingworkedasaprofessionalmediaartsprogrammer,Ihaveaninstinctivehorrorofanysuggestionthatmarketingconcernsshouldintrudeuponprogrammingdecisions.Idon’tthinktheyshould.Buttopreventthemarketingtailfromwaggingtheprogrammingdogisnottodenytheimportanceofprogramminginastrategicandaudience‐friendlywaynomatterhowchallengingthematerialbeingshown.Inmyownexperience,itispossibletoorganize,forexample,afestivalofexperimentalmediaartsinahighlyaccessiblemannerwithoutcompromisingqualityorintegrityofprogramming.Thisinvolvesmakingstrategicdecisions:

include“gateway”eventsineveryfestivalorprogrammingcycle;thesemightincludeworkswithmorepopularappealowingtosubjectmatterorprofileofartist;eventsthatappealtoacrossoveraudiencebecauseoftheparticipationofestablishedartistsfromotherdisciplines(e.g.music,poetry);oreventsconnectedtourgentissuesinthelargerculture;organizeschedulessothateventswithmorepotentialpopularappealappeartowardsthebeginningoftheeventorcycleofevents,inordertoencouragereturnvisits;valuethesingle‐ticketbuyer;makesurethatboxofficeprocedures,on‐lineinformationandticketing,andtheactualpresentationoftheeventareconsistentandprofessional.Makesurethenewparticipantwillwanttocomeback!worktosecurewell‐knownartistsand“hot”events,butonlyiftheyareactuallygood!Relianceoncelebritynamesorundeservedlyhypedhotpropertieswillmaketheaudiencedoubtyourmotivesandunderminetheimageoftheprogramming;help,don’thinder,yourpublicist:trytomakethestructuresandideasbehindtheprogramclearandapparenttobothaudiencemembersandpotentialmediareviewers;yourprogrammingshouldhavealogicalstructureanditsthemesshouldbereadilyapparent;makesuremarketingmaterialsareaccessibleandwrittenwithageneralaudienceinmind–avoid“artspeak”atallcosts.Thisdoesnotmean“dumbingdown,”butactuallymeanssmarteningup.Artspeakisgenerallycamouflageforworkthathaslittletooffer;groupprogramsofshortworkshouldbeshort!Otherwiseyouriskexhaustingtheaudienceanddrivingthemaway.Programsofshortworksthatarelongerthan70minutesorsoaregenerallytoolong.

Fromexperience,Iknowthatitispossibletodevelopaudiencesevenforquitechallengingprogramming.Programmingdecisionsshouldbemadeprimarilybasedonthequalityofthematerialavailable.Buttheorganizationandpresentationofthatmaterialiscrucialtohowitwillbeservedintermsofaudiences.


SummaryBystudyinghowmediaartsorganizationsarecurrentlyapproachingaudiencedevelopmentandmarketingactivities,wecanidentifyboththepotentialandthelimitationsfacingtheseorganizationsastheytrytoincreasetheirvisibilityandsuccess,andbuildaudiencesforthefuture.Themediaartshavebeenconsistentlyundervaluedandunderfundedinourpublicartssystems,butourorganizationsmustmoveforwardontwofronts:

first,wemustadvocateforincreasedresourcesforthepromotionofthepublicprogrammingwearedoing,asthosecurrentlyavailablearefranklypitifulwhenoneconsidersthecostsinvolvedintrulycuttingthroughtopotentialaudiencesinthecontemporarycontext;second,wemustbegintoengageinplanned,deliberatechangesinourapproachtoaudiencedevelopmentwithinexistingstructuresandresources,bychangingthewaysinwhichaudiencedevelopmentandmarketingarehandledbyourstaff;byworkingcollaborativelywithotherorganizationsfortheadvancementofthefieldasawhole;andbymakinguseofshort‐terminvestmentsavailablethroughprojectorinitiativesgrantsfromthevariousfundersweworkwithtodevelopmaterialssupportingaudiencedevelopmentforspecificorganizationsorforthefieldasawhole.

Audiencedevelopmentbeginswithaplan.Wherearewenow?Wheredowewanttobeafteracertainperiodoftime?Howdowegetthere?Successfulaudiencedevelopmentdependsentirelyuponthecommitmentoforganizationstaff,boardmembersandimmediatecommunity(includingitsartists)tothegoalofaudiencedevelopment.Itwouldbebettertomaintainanunsatisfactorystatusquothantoembarkonanaudiencedevelopmentprogramwithoutcompletecommitmenttofollowingthroughonplansmade.Itisalsocrucialnottofocusonlyonshort‐termresults.Inafieldthatwithanunclearidentityinthebroaderpublicsphere,itisasimportanttodevelopthatvisibilityfortheentirefieldasitistodevelopaudiencesforanyparticularorganization.Thecumulativeeffectsoftheactionsofanumberoforganizations,workingbothseparatelyandincollaboration,overtimecanchangethepositionofthemediaartsinthewiderculture.InOntariomediaartsorganizationshaveshownaremarkablecapacitytoworktogetherinordertomaximizetheeffectivenessofthelimitedresourcesavailabletoeachorganization.Atpresent,increasestoourmarketingdevelopmentcapacitiesarelimitedinpartbyscarceresourcesandstaffstructurespoorlydevelopedtoservethesegoals.Buttheyarealsolimitedbyhabitandtheacceptanceofourlimitations.Creativeuseandreallocationofexistingresourcescanmoveussomewayinthedirectionofsuccessfulaudiencedevelopment.Butultimatelyweneedtoseeagreatercommitmenttoincreasingmediaartsaudiencesonthepartoffunderstorealizethechangeswewouldallliketosee.


BibliographyWalterBenjamin.“TheWorkofArtintheAgeofMechanicalReproduction,”inIlluminations(ed.HannahArendt;trans.HarryZohn).(NewYork:SchockenBooks,1969),p.217‐251.JoanneScheffBernstein.Artsmarketinginsights:thedynamicsofbuildingandretainingperformingartsaudiences.(SanFrancisco:JohnWiley&Sons,2007).CanadaCouncilfortheArts,Research&EvaluationSection.Thearts:audiencedevelopmentandfinancialmanagement:ArtsResearchSeminarno.6,June6th,1986.(Ottawa:CanadaCouncilfortheArts,1988).HillStrategiesResearchInc.ConsumerSpendingonCultureinCanada,theProvincesand15MetropolitanAreasin2005.StatisticalInsightsontheArts,5:3,Feb.2007.(Hamilton,Ontario:HillStrategiesResearchInc.,2007).HillStrategiesResearchInc.FactorsinCanadians’CulturalActivities:DemographicsandCulturalCrossoversInvolvedinBookReading,PerformingArtsAttendance,ArtGalleryAttendanceandMovie‐Going.StatisticalInsightsontheArts,6:3,Feb.2008.(Hamilton,Ontario:HillStrategiesResearchInc.,2008).PhilipR.Holden.Virtuallyfreemarketing:harnessingthepoweroftheWebforyoursmallbusiness.(A.&C.Black,2008).CarolineLang.Theresponsivemuseum:workingwithaudiencesinthetwenty‐firstcentury(Ashgate,2006).MindyN.Levine.Invitationtothedance:audiencedevelopmentforthenextcentury:areportoftheNationalTaskForceonDanceAudiences.(Washington,D.C.:Dance/USA,1997).DonnaWalker‐Kuhne.InvitationtotheParty:buildingbridgestothearts,cultureandcommunity.(NewYork:TheatreCommunicationsGroup,2005).


AppendixA:MediaArtsNetworkofOntarioSurvey:BuildingAudienceDevelopmentCapacitiesofMediaArtsOrganizationsinOntario

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