The latest news and views from thrive.

Bringing you the latest news on audiences in the cultural sector.

BLOG 13th November 2024

The Grass Isn’t Greener: The challenges for Grassroots Music Venues

Grassroots venues play a vital role in maintaining the longevity of the music sector. In this blog, Eve explores the challenges facing local grassroots music venues and what could be done to support their long term success.

BLOG 3rd October 2024

Putting a ring on it- why can’t we commit?

Our annual benchmarking report Foundations shows consistently each year that the vast majority of customers do not return the following year. And they don’t come more than once during the year. It sounds like we have a commitment problem. Áine explores how to use data to better understand audience engagement.

BLOG 22nd July 2024

Six Lessons in Bravery from AMA Conference 2024

In early July, Sarah and Maurane hopped over to sunny Brighton for the Arts Marketing Association conference. Maurane was invited over as a speaker and Sarah decided to tag along and mingle with over 750 representatives from the UK’s cultural sector. The conference, themed "Be Bold, Be Brave," featured thirty-five talks over two days. Here are some key lessons in bravery that Sarah learned.
A crowd taking part in a colour run at a festival
BLOG 25th April 2024

Northern Rhythms: Taking a Closer Look at Festivals in Northern Ireland

The Foundations 2019-2023 report was made to study look at the ticketing landscape in Northern Ireland in recent years, including festivals. We learned a lot from it. So, we decided to talk to a few Northern Ireland festivals that weren't in the report. We wanted to find out what they thought about the trends for the next year.
A fairground ride with a neon sign for 'Tickets' in the foreground.
BLOG 11th April 2024

It's on the House: Free events and Complimentary Tickets in NI Arts and Culture

How many tickets for arts and culture events in Northern Ireland are offered at no cost? Insights from our Foundations Report have shed light on this. This prompts us to examine why organisations opt for free events and ticket giveaways. Are there benefits to sharing your valuable, often pricey, work for free?
A busy crowd at a music gig.
BLOG 27th February 2024

Brave new world: A new audience emerging in Northern Ireland post-covid?

Our latest Foundations report, indicates a fresh wave of individuals engaging with arts and culture in Northern Ireland following the pandemic. We wanted to take a closer look at both emerging and diminishing audiences more closely.

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