Family focus for audience development funds

Support for activity that increases family and cross-generation audiences is being given the highest profile in Arts Council England’s new strategic funds for audience development activities. Up to three “high impact initiatives” running for up to three years will be commissioned by ACE with a view to ensuring the arts play a greater role in supporting intergenerational activities and providing opportunities for young and old to spend time together. The projects will specifically aim to get families to try new arts activities together, make arts events and spaces more family-friendly, make it easier for people with young families to keep attending and participating, and challenge any preconceptions that ‘family’ or ‘child-friendly’ implies art which may not be exciting or good quality. Other funds have been earmarked for a major push to improve the understanding of audiences, with cash being allocated to developing national approaches to collecting, sharing and applying audience data and intelligence. Support is also being given for projects that aim to raise and maintain standards of best practice in marketing and audience development, including the creation of marketing tools, and the provision of resources and training to increase attendance and participation.