10 Key Takeaway Messages from 4 Chances for Change - Key Issues in NI Arts & Culture ​(and what we can do)

Here’s some key takeaways from the discussion at our recent 4 Chances for Change event where we put our heads together with the sector on questions we all face.

Engagement

• Approaches like loyalty schemes and theatre tokens already exist, but we’re yet to see an NI-focused initiative widely adopted by the sector. Could a scheme like this be an opportunity to learn about our shared audiences, and making sure we’re getting the most out of them?
• People simply not knowing what’s on is a barrier to engagement, and despite our efforts marketing won’t reach everyone! Could we reward hyper-engaged audience members for bringing new people with them, thus deepening and widening our audiences in one go? Or could we incentivise those already engaged to come even more?

Group Bookings

• Are traditional approaches to family tickets working (2 parents, 2 kids) or do we have more to gain from broadening the scope for group discounts?

Sharing Audiences

• Late Night Art got a mention as a key example of what success could look like. It’s a simple concept – people can come and go as they like and there’s a range of visual arts experiences to choose from. Could we replicate something like this for other artforms?

Pressure from Funders

• The group felt that there can often be a disconnect between the targets set by funding bodies and the day-to-day realities of the sector. There’s a desire in the room for more clarity from funders on what their idea of success look like. What exactly constitutes a diversified audience? Is it even possible to get there?

Audience Supply

• There are issues with how habits are being formed in schools around arts and culture attendance – schools are so overwhelmed that even when organisations offer free tickets, or even transport, it’s not enough to get schoolkids in the door to experience arts and culture. This is frustrating for organisations, as it’s mostly out of their hands.

Cost of Living Crisis

• What approaches might support audiences? As we know, free doesn’t always equal accessible, and some attendees highlighted that making an event too cheap, or free, can devalue it in an audience member’s mind.
• Do concessions work? Asking for proof when offering concessions to unwaged audience members, or those in receipt of benefits, can make both staff and audiences very uncomfortable. This begs the question – do we really need to ask for proof to offer concessions? The group said no.

Pricing Schemes

• A few organisations use pay-what-you-can or dynamic pricing models, others are holding their nerve as last-minute booking sees fewer tickets sold in advance of the event. Could refunds be a potential solution for this? Maybe, but refunds could also be nerve-wracking for organisations who still have financial targets to meet.
• We need more information, more data on last-minute bookers and what makes them tick!

Maximise Spend

• Habits among audiences are changing, especially among under 30s. Can we shake up programming with different show times, shows on different weekdays, different artforms and content? What about food and drink packages to incentivise ancillary spend?
• Some organisations are already innovating when it comes to programming, especially festivals. One festival told us about using sample itineraries to help them imagine how someone might move between different venues in one day of the festival and attend as much as possible. Could we try this for multiple venues? What would that look like in terms of programming and communication?

A Sense of Occasion

• One attendee pointed out that people are paying even more for high-end experiences nowadays, including travel costs and sky-high ticket prices. People want to feel a sense of occasion when they go out, so how can we replicate this feeling for arts and culture experiences closer to home?

• We're conscious that not all of the chances for change were touched on during the discussion, but particularly want to address that the group discussion didn't touch on d/Deaf and Disabled audiences. We're keen to centre d/Deaf and Disabled audiences in conversations at future events.

You can watch the full presentation in the video below.

If you'd like to receive the full event notes, e-mail eve@wewillthrive.co.uk.