The Performing Arts in Croatia
Commissioned in the framework of IETM Rijeka, this mapping aims to serve as an introduction to the complex and rich contemporary performing arts scene of Croatia. It brings key information on the historical foundations of the sector and highlights some of the key players of today's contemporary scene.
Readings for the session Zero waste event
FRESH PERSPECTIVES 4: Art for the Planet's Sake. Arts and Environment
Tapping into a different instinct and rationale than political rhetoric, corporate sales-patter and scientific data, art prepares us for this change - not in calculations but in humanity. This publication explores how.
Zero waste guidelines for events and festivals
Bringing concrete examples from the Adriatic area, this book brings advice on how to reduce the impact that waste generated at events has on the environment.
Readings for the session Forces of the market, take 2: IETM’s role and imagined audiences
The forces of the market
This IETM Porto workshop tried to articulate the challenges that art professionals in different countries face when making and touring their work. The workshop also looked at the different ways art markets function across countries, different opportunities, constraints, regulations that come along, and the concept of an art market itself.
Readings for the session Talk of the Day: For democratic cultural policies
Cultural democracy in practice
The cultural democracy notion stemmed from the belief that many cultural traditions coexist and none should dominate over the others as the “official” or “high” culture. The speakers of this session in IETM Hull presented several projects to explore how cultural spaces can better embody democratic processes and welcome diversity.
Lectures for the session What are contemporary arts for audiences?
There is either fucked up art or no art at all
A master’s thesis about “fucked up art” written by a student in Brno has had the media in an uproar. But what does it signify?
Open rehearsals changing audience perceptions
Whether online or in person, open rehearsals are becoming a regular event for professional dance companies in Australia and overseas. Where, previously, open rehearsals were reserved for company donors and, in some cases, student groups, the past decade and a half have seen open rehearsals opened to the general public as a strategy for audience development and education.
Motivation trajectory of attending performing arts: the role of knowledge
This study concerns the attendance motivations for cultural services based on the audience’s level of knowledge.
Lectures for the session Who is in the room?
Are We On Stage to Reflect the Audience or Create It?
Sylvia Botella interviews sociologist Éric Fassin about his views on the connection between sociology, the performing arts, and politics in the age of populism.
What do you know about me?
Where do your audiences go when they’re not with you? Leo Sharrock considers his own ‘elsewhere data’ and what can be learnt from it.
Why audiences attend
After collecting more than 100,000 survey responses, Leo Sharrock and Helen Palmer can reveal the main reason people attend the arts.
The Together Project - Producers' Toolkit
This toolkit brings insights into what worked and what didn't work in terms of community engagement for a Strategic Touring project called Together, featuring shows from Unlimited Theatre and RashDash.
Lectures for the session Immersive creative processes
Creative Storytelling: Transmedia & Transdisciplinary Storytelling
Transmedia storytelling is about building a narrative world through multiple channels. The experiments shown in this session from IETM Amsterdam create an alternative reality for and with the audience. Strong emotional connection and truly immersive experience – what does that mean for theatre, television, the arts and the audience?
Readings for the sessions Rural audiences and AREA focus group
Fields of Vision. Other voices, rural places, global stories
This Satellite Wales report summarises the discussions held during the meeting on the plurality of the concepts of rural, identity, territory, and culture, and brings concrete case studies on inspiring arts projects taking place in rural areas.
Artistic creation outside the urban areas
This session at IETM Porto featured some examples of artistic creation and community arts in the rural areas and looked into such aspects, as: local authorities’ understanding of the importance and support for arts in rural area is crucial to achieve sustainable results; it is counterproductive to underestimate your audience.
Producing in the margins
How is performing art inspired, produced and experienced in the peripheries of mainland Europe? What challenges and opportunities does geographical remoteness bring? This IETM Porto session showcased some examples from Portugal, Slovenia, Norway and Lithuania.
Meanwhile in the Countryside
IETM Brussels session "Meanwhile in the Countryside" shed some light on experiences, practices and methods of undertaking art projects in rural areas. The session has also challenged the notion of bringing culture to the countryside, claiming that there is already a culture, and a deeply rooted one.
Lectures for the session Programming with the audience
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Proactive Audiences in the Performing Arts
This book gives an important place to the controversies surrounding the question of participation in the cultural and artistic fields.
Lectures for the session Please turn off your cell phone
IETM Hull Talk of the day: Biscuits Beyond Borders - A Call to Action with Jess Thom
In her IETM Hull keynote address, Jess Thom calls for breaking down the unspoken social rules in cultural spaces that prevent a broader section of our societies from participating in the arts.
In Praise of Cell Phone Users
Jonathan Mandell looks at the recent cell phone fury, especially among prominent performers, and offers a different take on theatre etiquette.
Audiences Behaving Badly – And What We Should Do About It
This article summarises the main argument Dr Kirsty Sedgman puts forward in her book The Reasonable Audience, which examines all aspects of audience behaviour and the theatre etiquette campaigns, from the 19th century through today.
Lectures for the session Talk of the Day: Cultural polis and the haunting spirit of the non-audience
Audience Explorations: Guidebook for hopefully seeking the audience
This publication invites you to explore the complex and fascinating subject that is the audience, to question 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.
Lectures for the session Digital community - opportunities and challenges
Virtually Performing the Space
The goal of this session in IETM Budapest was to discuss the opportunities and risks created by social media platforms, which can also be used by the performing art sector. Can the digital tools enable their users to express what they want and how they want?
Who's afraid of the digital?
A cultural operator and an expert of online surveillance engage in a lively dialogue about the potential and the risks of new technologies and social media - and about existing alternatives to the current trends.
Social Media Toolkit for Cultural Managers
This social media manual approaches useful hints and tips which have been drawn together from a series of workshops that took place in June 2016 by Christopher Hogg and colleagues. Aimed at arts and culture organisations throughout the EU, this manual will help to explore how companies can expand their online brand so as to push both the reach and significance of their current efforts.
Meaningful audience relations
Digital platforms enhance audience engagement in museums and galleries but can the same be done in the performing arts? Ben Walmsley discusses a research project in contemporary dance.
Readings for the session Participatory governance
Mind the gap: audience, governance and policies
Why should we do participatory work? Is it possible for cultural institutions to manage cultural democracy? What are the power structures underlying participatory practices? To what extent is the participatory agenda aligned with the neoliberal agenda? These questions were at the heart of this IETM Munich session.
Readings for the session Education, mediation, empowerment
Arts & Culture Remain Less Important To Younger Generations
Data suggest that audiences do not “age into” greater concern about arts and culture. If organizations want people to care, they need to work to change people’s cause priorities.
Create to Connect: Toolkit interviews
In this series of interviews, artists that engaged with the Create to Connect project share their experiences and thoughts on finding new ways to the audience and with the audience.
Risks and opportunities of Active Spectatorship
This paper looks at some of the events that are contributing to the development of the notion of “participations” and “active spectatorship” in the performing arts sector.
The Creative Europe programme, a conversation with Mr. Karel Bartak
Giuliana Ciancio talks about audience development and the Creative Europe programme with Karel Bartak, former head of the Creative Europe Culture Unit at the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (2016).
Lectures for the session The evaluation challenge
Look, I'm priceless! Handbook on how to assess your artistic organisation
This toolkit aims to guide you through the key steps of evaluation, whether you have chosen to do it yourself or if a funder or decision-maker asks you to do so and provides you with pre-conceived tools.
Mapping of Types of Impact Research in the Performing Arts Sector (2005-2015)
This mapping provides a state-of-the-art of the models adopted in different countries to measure the impacts of the performing arts on individuals and societies.
The Art of Valuing: Opening Speeches
This report from the opening speeches of our Satellite in Brussels summarises different approaches to comprehending and measuring the impact and value of arts and culture.
The Art of Valuing: Panel Discussion
This report from the panel discussion of our Satellite in Brussels summarises different approaches to comprehending and measuring the impact and value of arts and culture.
Valuing the arts
Three key questions were at the heart of the discussion at our Satellite in Paris: Which new arguments in favour of the public funding for the arts and culture? How to involve experts from the artistic field in the decision-making processes? What are the valuable indicators for evaluating the arts? This report summarises the key findings of the meeting.
Beyond the numbers
Should we defend the arts’ case over and over again? This report from IETM Sofia explores how it is in our interests to reflect on the measurable and immeasurable components of culture that go beyond the economic effects.
Readings for the session Culture of consent and consensus
Responsible Theatremaking: Content Warnings and Beyond
Sydney Isabelle Mayer discusses the importance of terminology when it comes to “trigger” warnings, how artists can best offer warning for their shows, and what it means to create a responsible theatremaking process.
Readings for the session Art vs Funding: never-ending battle or a chance for a shared vision?
If funders really wanted to support artists, what could they do?
There is constant criticism of bodies who fund art. Artists often feel that they are speaking a different language to funders. This IETM Hull report features some concrete ideas on how funding systems could be better aligned with artists' needs.
Readings for the session Art & activism
Art and Civic Movements
This IETM Brussels session explored the tensions between the artist as both a romantic outsider and an activist insider. Each panelist had an experience in engaging with civic movements.
FRESH PERSPECTIVES 3: The Art of Disobedience. Arts and Politics
The third issue of the Fresh Perspectives series takes us on a journey through crucial topics such as arts in conflict zones, arts and citizenship, ethically controversial sources of funding for arts and cultural boycott.
General readings
Whose story is this, anyway?
The objective of this session at IETM Valencia was to discuss the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in the performing arts today. Rather than providing final answers, the session aimed at exploring the key questions and identifying central themes.
IETM Rijeka articles series
In preparation for the meeting, we commissioned a series of articles with a view of bringing fresh ideas and alternative approaches to the theme of audiences.
