Talking theatre is more than a test drive: two audience development methodologies under review

Scollen, Rebecca (2009) Talking theatre is more than a test drive: two audience development methodologies under review. International Journal of Arts Management, 12 (1). pp. 4-13. ISSN 1480-8986

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Abstract

Test Drive the Arts (Morris Hargreaves McIntyre) and Talking Theatre (Scollen) are two successful audience development methodologies committed to building new audiences from non-attenders. This paper details the two methodologies to explain their similarities and differences, and to examine these in relation to the findings of case studies in the United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand and Australia. Although Test Drive the Arts has helped performing arts organisations in the UK to retain 30% of the new audiences who participated in their program, the New Zealand pilot of this scheme in 2007 has fallen well short of the mark. Talking Theatre has retained 30% of its participants as returning new audiences for performing arts centres in regional North-Eastern Australia by placing strong emphasis on post-performance audience reception, and by investing more in mutually beneficial relationships between new audience members and performing arts organisations.

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Item Type:	Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	Deposited with permission of Managing Editor.
Depositing User:	Dr Rebecca Scollen
Faculty / Department / School:	Historic - Faculty of Arts - No Department
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2009 05:56
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2015 03:25
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Talking Theatre; Test Drive the Arts; new audiences; non-theatregoers; audience development; reception studies; performing arts
Fields of Research :	19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing > 1904 Performing Arts and Creative Writing > 190404 Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services > 1505 Marketing > 150503 Marketing Management (incl. Strategy and Customer Relations) 20 Language, Communication and Culture > 2002 Cultural Studies > 200203 Consumption and Everyday Life
Socio-Economic Objective:	C Society > 95 Cultural Understanding > 9501 Arts and Leisure > 950105 The Performing Arts (incl. Theatre and Dance)
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/4695

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