“There is an interesting link to be made between art and populism. Populism is not only something that embeds itself into actual politics; it is also a disease affecting the art world. In many institutions the focus on popularizing the programs is so big that one wonders whether the emphasis is still on the art that is being shown, or on the mediation between the art and the audience. There has been a shift from what is being shown to how something is being communicated. Yet this communication is often bypassing or reducing what the artistic work is about and the potential experience the work of art can create.”
Category: AUDIENCE
Building Broadway Audiences With $10 Tickets At A Time
“We knew if we were going to get extremely reduced ticket prices for the kids, then it would require a lot of bridge-building to all of the producers. After all, you’re asking for them to make an investment in their future, and, when they’re not sure they’re going to be open next month, it is really hard to think about the future.”
Rules Of The Road For Classical Music Concerts?
“To my colleagues who work in classical music, I have a request. Let’s stop with the rules. If there is in fact something wrong with classical music, consider that it has everything to do with how we talk about it and nothing to do with anything else. And, if you are hearing music by Bach in a church performed by an internationally-known soloist who has been performing this music for nearly seven decades, being reverential is OK, not snobby or elitist. Likewise, some guidelines in the program may be entirely appropriate for a roomful of teenagers new to classical music-going.”
In A World Run By Algorithms Is There Any Place For Ideas?
“Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have done an astonishing jobs of connecting hearts and minds throughout the world, but they’re also filled with escalating sophistry, falsehoods, and vicious personal attacks that frequently displace intelligent conversation.”
A Successful Amateur Theatre? It’s All About Motivating The Volunteers
“In a recent survey we carried out, 74% of people who said they were interested in volunteering would do it to have fun; 56% to spend time with like-minded people; 52% to give back to their community; and 48% to feel useful. Volunteers clearly want more out of their experience than just freebies. In fact, for an organisation like LTO, free tickets would probably lead to a financial crisis if we gave them away to all our volunteers.”
Bringing The Audience Inside The Orchestra
Adding dozens of chairs, the orchestra lets ticket-holders sit among the musicians, following underneath Bernard’s baton instead of staring at his back. “There’s a lot of talk about how classical music is stuffy and there are a lot of rules. And that’s kind of a deterrent to enjoying classical music. The question is – how do you turn classical music performance into more of an experience?”
Does Interactive Art Make For A Richer Experience?
“Poor interactive shows come across like a desperate plea for attention from Generation iPad. But this doesn’t have to be the case. We’re just scratching the surface of the technological possibilities. And as for the interactivity haters there will always be shows hat expect you to sit down and shut up rather than asking if you want Hamlet to a) be or b) not be.”
How Much Time Do People Really Spend Looking At The Art In Museums?
Isaac Kaplan looks at the research that’s been done on the question over the past 16 years – and finds that the answer has hardly changed over that time span.
Why The Minnesota Orchestra Has Its Concerts Broadcast On Radio
“I get feedback along three themes,” said Brian Newhouse, when asked why MPR continues to do these live broadcasts. “First is the person from Warroad, who says they’ll never be able to get to downtown Minneapolis. Second is the listener who says they attend the concert on Saturday night but love to hear the interviews with artists and the inside information they pick up on the Friday broadcast. “The third is the person who says, ‘I listen on Friday night to see if I want to go on Saturday.’ ”
In The Age Of Trump, Should The Arts Be Refuge Or Resistance? (Why Not Both?)
Peter Dobrin: “The good news is our Facebook news feeds have made it nearly impossible to ignore injustice. The bad news is injustice is inexhaustible, and we are not. So turning it off and looking for escape in the theater, gallery, library reading room, or concert hall has greater appeal than ever. The best news of all, though, is that sitting in the presence of art is both escape and an act of confrontation with the barbarians, however you might define them.”