AMERICAN THEATRE | Meet Audiences Where They Are

What could more relevance look like? More than half of Americans (55 percent) want arts and culture organizations to become more inclusive and community-centered; this desire is 10-15 percent higher among BIPOC Americans. Specifically, the public wants greater diversity of voices and faces, a focus on local collaborations, organizations that treat employees fairly, and an effort to be friendlier to all people. It’s notable that these changes are largely about the culture, connectedness, and values of organizations rather than the kinds of content or format of the art presented. But those aspects weren’t exempt from desired changes among survey respondents: 41 percent of the public said they wanted more casual, fun, child-friendly experiences, and 29 percent wanted more reflective and innovative content.

Values alignment: Most performing arts attendees believe that ongoing work by cultural organizations toward greater equity is important (71 percent), according to WolfBrown’s research on audience attitudes about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). But very few were aware of actions already taken by organizations to serve a broader public (25 percent) or to be more inclusive (27 percent). For theatres advancing DEI, it might be valuable to expand the ways that practice is shared, given the importance of this kind of values alignment.

Welcoming experiences: Ensuring a welcoming experience for all was a key priority among attendees and the general public, as seen in the WolfBrown study and in Culture Track. Key strategies for welcoming Black and Latine audiences specifically into theatres were identified in research conducted by Slover Linett with Signature Theatre. These approaches include cultivating an informal and casual environment, providing clear direction within a space to avoid attendees feeling lost or uninformed, having friendly staff at every touch point, and creating a space where someone won’t feel alone as a minority in theatre spaces. 

Location: There are steep drop-offs in the likelihood of folks attending events as little as a mile away from cultural organizations. The likelihood of traveling longer distances to performing arts venues is even lower for BIPOC households and those with lower income levels. When people travel longer distances, they tend to choose venues in neighborhoods that reflect their own demographics. Many theatres have multiple permanent venues, as well as pop-up performances in communities; these strategies for reducing travel burdens are critical to consider when advancing audience growth.

Community orientation: Reflected in the extent to which arts organizations served needs through both artistic and educational work, community orientation is a critical cornerstone of financial and operational success for high-performing arts and culture organizations relative to their peers. Wallace Foundation-supported research found that to reach an accurate understanding of what constitutes meaningful work for a community, arts institutions must seek ways to participate deeply in that community by listening, learning, and building relationships over time.

This moment of change offers an opportunity for theatres to rethink how they reflect community priorities and engage audiences with even greater relevance in the future. We know that sharing cultural experiences has immense power to meet emotional, social, cognitive, expressive, and practical needs, and that it facilitates a better quality of life within a community. In this moment of change, the survival of theatre companies may depend upon their ability to be more inclusive, radically welcoming, and deeply relevant to new communities.

Dr. Jen Benoit-Bryan is research director of SMU DataArts.