Arts organizations care deeply about their audiences, but strengthening these relationships is a challenge. Audiences no longer attend passively, subscribe yearly, or donate magically. The key to true engagement is fostering two-way relationships that last a season, a decade, or maybe even a lifetime. Technology aids cultivation by tracking information and readily serving audiences online, but there is no substitute for personal interaction. Both require time, resources and above all, planning and follow through.

We provide clients the understanding, tools and strategies to intentionally build relationships with their audiences and donors. Being on the front end of national trends in the areas of audience engagement; arts in civic engagement and assessment; and fundraising leaves clients with up-to-date solutions.

• Engaging Dance Audiences.
  We are managing Dance/USA's new $1.9 million pilot program that enables the dance field to explore methods of engaging audiences, learn from peers, and share the learning nationally. As partners with Dance/USA, we are encouraging the dance field to embrace the use of new technology; better understand its relationships with audiences; and build capacity in areas that are critical to the field's future. We've played a leading role in the design of the program, and are now responsible for its administration and evaluation (2008-present). Read the press release about Engaging Dance Audiences' grantees, our report on submissions for Engaging Dance Audience's Call for Ideas, or a summary of our report on submissions.
• Arts and Civic Engagement.
  Through the Arts and Civic Engagement Initiative of Americans for the Arts Animating Democracy, we are investigating the ways arts organizations engage audiences to become more politically and civically engaged and how to measure this impact. We are developing online tools on outcomes and indicators as part of an evaluation framework for arts-based civic engagement practices in the US (scheduled to launch in the fall of 2009).
• Learning About Audience Response.
  Commissioned by Americans for the Arts to evaluate and write a field study on the artist Rha Goddess and the Hip Hop Mental Health Project, to explore methods of evaluating audience response to Low, an emotionally charged performance. This field study measures changes in attitude toward mental health as a result the performance. (to be released in late summer 2009).
• Innovative Evaluation Tools.
  Conducted evaluation on behalf of the Covenant Foundation of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange's Small Dances About Big Ideas, a theatrical work that takes a challenging look at the capacity of the law to address genocide. The evaluation explored he reactions of Jewish educators, classroom teachers, and general audiences in three cities to Small Dances - sometimes to tears, sometimes to greater insight and sometimes to action - through unique survey instruments.
• Marketing to Presenters.
  Conducted research to expand the Artist Booking Service of Joe's Movement Emporium, an education and presenting organization. Through interviews and online research, developing a marketing plan and new website content to increase bookings for almost 30 affiliated artists, thereby increasing both earned revenue streams and Joe's reach into the community.

Plan well. Then, Fund It.
Learn how cultivating relationships can lead to success in fundraising.