Creating participatoryevents for new audiences

AimsAudience

Stories/toneFormats

SchedulingBudgetsPeople

LogisticsPublicity

EvaluationGo for it!

11 stepsNB – despite appearances, these steps are not linear! Many will need to happen in parallel.

• What are you trying to achieve by putting on this event?

• What will have changed once it is finished?• For example…

To attract a new audience To grow a reputation To test new ways of doing things

• Your aims are your bedrocks! Keep returning to them throughout the planning process to check you are still on track

• Use them in decision making – which path will best fulfil the aims?

Aims

Audience• Identify your new audience. Start by thinking about

your current audience: demographics are useful as a starting point (e.g. gender, age, ethnicity, socio-economics, disability, postcodes). Are there audiences in your locality who are missing?

• Identify the target audience you want to attract now E.g. under 5s, families, young people, young

professionals, older people, BAME audiences

• Find out what new audiences want! Talk to them directly, to gatekeepers (e.g.

community group leaders, teachers, local council community teams) and to other local venues

• Think about how many people you aim to attract

Stories/tone• What stories of your sites do you want to tell?

• How can you make this most relevant and appealing to your target audience? Consider elements that all people experience across

history and geography – e.g. food, fashion, play, love, death

Consider the well-known cultural references you can tap into e.g. Victorian galleries and Sherlock Holmes

This isn’t dumbing down! But expanding your site’s stories to speak to a broad audience

• What tone will this audience find most appealing? Make it entertaining! You are competing for people’s

time and money Let audiences ‘learn through stealth’

Formats• What formats will appeal to your target audience

and enable you to reach the numbers you want?

• What formats will communicate your stories most effectively?

• How will you enable audiences to participate, get hands-on, and interact?

For example… Workshops, creative activities, demos, pop up

talks, performances, Q&As, storytelling, dress up

Drop in, carousel of activities, tasters

Scheduling• What are the best days and times for your

audience to access?

Will they be available? (Is it term time or schools holidays? What about evening and weekends for workers? )

Will they be able to access your site? (Is there public transport available? Will it be off-peak - e.g. for seniors to qualify for free travel?)

• How long should it last?

Budget• Know how much is available – then you can ‘cut

your cloth’ accordingly

• Your budget may well be tight, but get creative and it can s-t-r-e-t-c-h

• But don’t underspend either! Plan what money you have and what you want to get for it, recognising where you need to be frugal and where you can afford to pay out

People• Who can help you develop and deliver these

events?

• Draw on the expertise of creative practitioners and freelancers. They can further assist you to identify ‘Stories/Tone’ and ‘Formats’ for your target audience

• Look to the talent of your local community e.g. choirs, art clubs, drama groups, who might do a showcase. This is a great way to have a community input, maintain broad appeal and gain local word of mouth

Logistics• How will you deliver these events? How many staff /

volunteers do you need to do so?

• Which spaces are most appropriate? Are there conservation regulations to consider? Will everyone be able to see and hear? Does it have sufficient plug points/ undercover

areas/ places to sit/ etc etc? Where are the nearest toilets / catering / retail

points?

• Risk assess and ensure the safety of people, buildings and objects

• Consider access for all, including physical access for people with mobility issues and prams

Publicity• Like the proverbial tree in the wood, there’s little point

putting on events if audiences don’t know about them!

• Use your marketing channels (e.g. leaflet, website, social media, e-newsletter)…

• …But look beyond too – new audiences aren’t likely to visit your website yet (they’re new!) E.g. posters; local press, listings and bloggers Are there partners (other venues, businesses) locally

with whom you can cross promote?

• How will audiences know this is a great and appealing event? Exciting copy, highlighting the key messages Fun-looking images, reflecting the new audience you

want to attract (otherwise how will they know it’s for them?)

• How will you know whether you achieved the aims, and attracted the audience, that you set to do at the start? Audience feedback – ask them what they

thought Monitoring data – e.g. head count, postcode

analysis Observation Reflective discussion with internal and external

collaborators

• Evaluation shouldn’t be an afterthought – plan it in advance!

Evaluation

Go for it!• Run your event – and enjoy it! It’s time to test

and learn…

• Use the opportunity to observe and talk to visitors, particularly new audiences – it will help you design future events

• Evaluate: what went well? What would you improve next time? There’s always something…

• And don’t forget to celebrate your achievements!

Case Study:Strictly Georgian

Kensington PalaceDecember 2014

• Designed to attract a new audience of local young professionals, and with the additional aim of piloting a big seasonal event at the palace

• Focused on the theme of entertainments at Kensington Palace in Georgian times, with dance classes, talks, live performances, dress up, carol singing and festive refreshments

• Developed and delivered with internal and external experts and costumed interpreters

• Hosted on a Tuesday evening, 6.30-8.30pm, with a ‘carousel’ to enable multiple activities at once

• Promoted through HRP marketing channels as well as local press and listings.

• Evaluated through feedback forms, monitoring data, observation and reflection.

• See what happened in the video at www.hrp.org.uk/learning/adults/events-and-projects

• Audience feedback on their favourite aspect of the evening:

The fun and jollity and dancing (attempts!)

The dancing lesson and the comedy aspect of the other two talks

The wine, costumes, play acting, music The cook's talk - very informative,

amusing, audible and comfortable The actors, educational and

entertaining. Loved every minute of it!