Understanding and Developing
Audiences for Archives
Helen Ball, Head of Engagement
Objectives for today
1. To identify where new audiences can be reached; approaching
by geography, by communities of interest and by subject or
theme.
2. To share good practice in engaging audiences.
3. To demonstrate how you can understand your audiences and
your impact on them, in the context of existing data or by
creating your own systems.
4. To discuss , share and address audience related challenges.
5. To further develop audience development resources for people
working in archives.
m
1. Who you are
2. How long you have worked with
archives
3. Why you are here today
Finding your audience
Finding your Audience
Subject
or theme
Community
of interest
Geography
Recommendations
1. Focus on the benefits for those you’re targeting
A local history archive
A free fun way to find out more about
your street and the area you live
A potential opportunity to access
information about your own family
history (if you are born locally)
A space where you can spend time
learning from others
Features – what it is and what it offers
Benefits – what’s in it for the user/audience
Recommendations, continued.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Make use of large public sets of data
Target where there is ‘active behaviour’
Ask key individuals for advice
Personalise messages and contact details
Have a user-friendly database
Be polite and reciprocal
Think laterally
Engaging New Audiences: What works?
1. Finding out and addressing specific barriers
2. Tailoring content
3. Collaborations
4. Using “public” and different spaces
5. Leading with ideas (rather than insider speak)
Motivations and Barriers
Characteristics
Social
Active
Informed
Busy
“It’s good to have young people, getting young
people’s thoughts and help to organise this because
usually it’s just other people doing it, but they’ve
actually given young people an opportunity to show
their talents, show their ideas and that’s what FUSE
is all about so thank you.”
Sharn, 18, FUSE youth team
Use appropriate techniques
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Mailing Lists
Social Networking
Host Venue
Mystery Shopping
Volunteering Schemes
Community Partnerships
Ambassador Schemes
Shadow Boards/Community Board Members
An engagement approach
Process
1. Desk research
2. Networking
3. Face-to-face / reaching out
4. Tailor activities / offer
5. Develop mechanisms for
on-going dialogue
Outcomes
Demographics, Priorities,
Groups
People, Activity, Culture
People, Interests, History
Short-term offer,
Partnerships, Learning
Communication, Long term
offer, two-way exchange
Useful resources
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archivessector/
audience-development.htm
Culture Hive
Arts Marketing Assocation & The Audience Agency
Case studies, toolkits, research and articles.
http://culturehive.co.uk/
Understanding Audiences
What do you currently do, in terms of –
1. Accessing existing information?
2. Carrying out or commissioning your own research?
Sources of information
Many - particularly,
• ONS Neighbourhood Statistics
• Taking Part Survey
• Area Profile Reports
• Geo-demographic profiling – Mosaic and Acorn
• Arts Audiences Insight Segmentation
• Networks and organisations, The National Archives,
Public Services Quality Group (PSQG)
• Your own primary research
Questions to ask
1. What do you need to know and what would be nice
to know?
2. How much time do you/your team have?
3. How much time are you asking your audience to
give - is it proportionate to the experience you are
giving them?
Examples
Changing perceptions
Has this event changed your perception of this part of London?
Accidental Audiences
2. Know your patch
The overall aim of the project was to create
Tottenham’s first community film showcase during the
weekend of 28th-30th September 2012. This was to be
achieved by creating a project that would give local
people the knowledge and skills they needed to
programme and run their own screening activity.
Further aims of the project were to:
• Engage Haringey residents
• Attract audiences from outside the borough
• Provide skills to local groups to run their own film seasons or
festivals in the future
• Screen locally sourced films
• Leave a lasting legacy
#Tip: Create headlines
1. A project that appealed inter-generationally, with
audience members ranging from 7-75 years old.
2. A project that attracted approximately 250 people
to watch film in the borough during one weekend.
3. A project that attracted new audiences to
Tottenham to watch film; 71% (123 people) of the
170 people that filled in a feedback card told us
they had not watched a film in the cinema or at a
screening in the borough in the last 12 months.
#Tip: Plan your evaluation first
“I have arthritis but I was dancing earlier
so… I guess the arthritis went away!”
Usha Abraham, 64, visiting the UK from India
and pictured far left
Audience Development
activity which is undertaken specifically to meet
the needs of existing and potential audiences and to
help organisations to develop ongoing relationships
with audiences.
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It
•
It
Strategic
has a purpose and is part of an overall strategy.
Evidence-based
is shaped by dialogue with audiences about what
they want and need.
• About relationships
Relationships are mutually beneficial and long-term
rather than one-off and transactional.
• Sustainable
It is based on the resources available and justified in
terms of the return on investment that the
activity/ies will generate.
Organisations need to know...
1. What is our Organisational vision/objectives?
2. What do we currently understand about our
audiences?
3. Where are we now and where do we want to get
to?
4. How will we get there?
5. How will we know if we have been successful?
Helpful step by step guidance
Local Government Association Outcomes Framework
www.tastetheatre.com
www.tastetheatre.com
Thank you
Stay in touch
helen.ball@theaudienceagency.org
@helenrball @audienceagents
www.theaudienceagency.org