WISHFUL THINKING: DEVELOPING AUDIENCES AND ARTS MARKETING PRACTICE IN UK REGIONAL THEATRES (1994-2022)

Abstract

This thesis examines the term audience development as applied in the field of arts marketing, specifically in UK theatres. The research establishes and contextualises the emergence of audience development, situating it within cultural policy discourses around public funding of the arts, understandings of arts marketing practice and alongside the emergence of data-driven approaches to public policy decision-making. Focusing on the period from the mid-1990s to 2022, shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic, I scrutinise the meanings of the term, consider how and why it was developed and reveal how it continues to be a key facet of arts marketing practice. My active role as a practitioner in arts marketing and audience development throughout this period positions my research and informs its methodology. Placing the experience of arts marketing professionals, including myself, at the centre of my analysis, I examine the implications of these discourses and changes for arts marketing training and practice and reflect on the professional experiences of marketers working in this field as a community of practice. This discourse analysis is explored alongside my own professional experience through auto-ethnography and critical reflective practice, and the emerging key themes are further examined through interviews with peer arts marketing practitioners. The research considers the areas of significant disconnect between the aspirations of audience development to increase attendance and broaden audience demographics, and the concrete achievements of practitioners over this period, as statistical measures for engagement and participation show a stubborn stasis. It reveals a lack of confidence amongst marketers in presenting the voice of the audience in strategic-level organisational and creative planning. I argue the role of marketers as advocates for the audiences should be re-examined, along with the environmental and organisational conditions that enable this.

Date of Award	1 Aug 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Abi Gilmore (Supervisor) & Simon Parry (Supervisor)