Arts are for everyone...

One of the challenges of being an arts presenter is having the discipline to make choices. As example, I came across a strategic plan for an organization that identifies five primary target audiences for its services and programs: Families with Children,  Boomers (age 40-60), Young Professionals, Students K – 12, Seniors and the Disabled.The programming plan identifies theater, dance, music and comedy events, a speaker series as well as a film series. There's also an art gallery, a storytelling festival and classes for children as well as adults. It also serves as a rental facility. Many organizations share this ambitious strategy, that I refer to as "Arts for everyone".


There is value in creating programming that seeks to appeal to everyone. The experience of sharing a communal moment can be very enlightening and meaningful. As arts organizations we want to be relevant to everyone in the community, to share what we so passionately believe in, but as Bill Cosby is quoted  - "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."

The Ticket Buyer Segmentation study by Wolf/Brown model gives an indication how challenging an arts for everyone strategy would be. Using Gardner's Multiple Intelligence's, the study creates a matrix of preferences that segments ticket buyers into 10 ticket buyer preferences. Some segments correlate to performance disciplines while others represent cultural dimensions.

Behind "the arts for everyone" strategy is the need to build community through the arts, but we often forget that the community will be constrained to those interested in the benefits intrinsic to the arts discipline/activity we program. Organizations with arts for everyone strategies often end up reflecting the preferences of the leadership, which of course can vary greatly. The result is often conflict and compromise that diminishes effectiveness.

It's not that you can't serve multiple constituents, but it does mean to do so effectively will require organizational capacity and leadership aligned with the multiple communities to be served. Organizational complexity doesn't eliminate making choices, it just makes choices more difficult to make.