• Kay E. Sherwood, and others
• Wallace Foundation

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21 August 2009In the midst of hard economic times, it is clearly more challenging for arts organisations to take the long view and continue to devote time and effort to building new audiences. But this report on a gathering of representatives from more than 50 Wallace-funded arts organisations in six US cities concludes that participation-building efforts and the resulting lessons are more vital than ever to the long-term health of arts organisations and the entire arts sector.

Especially in hard times, the report says, it’s essential for leaders of arts organisation to take careful stock of the long-term influences and challenges affecting the arts sector such as demographic shifts and new technologies that are creating entire new “spaces” for people to come together and experience the arts. The report describes how organisations are responding creatively to those challenges using such means as market research, re-branding, and drawing audience-building lessons from other sectors such as professional sports.