“Let me just say really simply that cultural meltdown is the order of the day. There’s not one theatre or opera company that can sell out anything anymore. For one thing that’s because the middle class is being destroyed right in front of our eyes.”
Category: AUDIENCE
Is It Really Lack Of Time That Keeps People From The Arts?
“Either we’re asking people to give up leisure time to attend arts or to designate some leisure time to the arts, depending on whether they see the arts as a leisure activity. Regardless, the onus is on us to communicate why it is worth that time.”
The Hot New Performance Space? Your Living Room
“Living rooms are just the best way to do that. It’s a space where a group of people can comfortably exist on its own terms – they can sit on chairs, if they want, or pig-pile on the carpet, which we prefer. People can clap when they want to, and play the air violin if they’re so inclined. There are no invisible institutional strictures that inhibit the way in which we want to participate.”
Study: Going To The Theatre Is Scotland’s Favorite Live Arts Activity
“Theatregoing is the second most popular cultural activity in Scotland after the cinema, according to a survey that shows that 32% of Scots went to the theatre in 2013.”
Problem: TV/Video/Movie Producers Don’t Have A Reliable Way To Measure Who Is Watching
“The fact that we don’t have the ability to look at a telecast of a show or the flight of a series…and don’t understand the (audience) behavior is really sad.”
Cincinnati Symphony Had Bigger Audience, Balanced Budget In 2014
“Even as many American orchestras around the country are struggling, tens of thousands of people flocked to Music Hall last year to hear Brahms, Beethoven and Boyz II Men. Cincinnati is the smallest city in the nation that still supports a full-time, 52-week orchestra. The nation’s fifth oldest orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony is one of just 14 year-round orchestras in America.”
A ‘Pay What You Decide’ Trial Works So Well That A Theatre Decides To Use It For 6 Months
“Turpin explained that although the scheme would encourage bigger audiences through potentially lower prices, it is more important to remove the gamble involved in seeing new work at the theatre.”
Keeping Music Alive
“Making sure our music survives is about a lot more than just writing it down. It has to do with teaching our harmonic language and melodic style to those who learn from us. It has to do with nuance, experience, storytelling, and subtlety.”
Report: Watching TV With Subtitles Is A Bad Experience
User feedback said live subtitles made viewing “frustrating, and, on occasion, unwatchable.” The report highlighted “serious recognition errors” in subtitling software, which led to mistakes such as the phrase “be given to our toddlers” translated as “be given to ayatollahs”.
What Does An Orchestra Engaging With Its Audience Look Like?
“No more music stands. No more physical barrier between musicians and audience. Musicians free to look at the audience, to make eye contact (if the lighting allows them to see anyone’s eyes). To smile. To show how much they love the music, and love playing it. (And if they don’t love it, or love playing…that’s another long discussion of orchestra culture.)”