Glasgow Cultural Enterprises: The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
| Organisation |
Glasgow Cultural Enterprises |
| Project |
Action research project exploring barriers to classical music attendance and to cross-over music attendance |
| Artform |
Music |
| Location |
Glasgow |
| Application type |
Full project |
| Date |
2000/01 |
| Status |
Completed |
| Grant |
£29,900 |
| Total project cost |
£43,975 |
Glasgow Cultural Enterprises (GCE) is one of Glasgow’s largest arts organisations. It manages The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (GRCH), City Halls and the Celtic Connections Festival. Glasgow Cultural Enterprises was created in March 1988 in order to establish and run the new Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Glasgow City Council with its own fundraising capabilities, it was later registered as a charity in 1992.
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (GRCH) is Scotland’s largest purpose-built concert venue. It acts as a presenting venue as well as programming its own events which include an international concert series and the annual Celtic Connections festival. It is also a successful conferencing and meetings venue.
Action research project exploring barriers to classical music attendance and to cross-over music attendance comprising a series of ticket promotions, customer telephone survey, focus group sessions with a sample group of attenders, and an industry survey.
Through the project, GRCH sought to achieve:
- An in-depth understanding of the classical music marketplace in Glasgow and the West of Scotland
- An increased awareness in Glasgow of what is on at the Concert Hall
- Larger audiences for classical music
- Cross-over attendance from popular to serious classics
- Cross-over attendance from Celtic to classical
- Higher attendances at classical events maintained in the future
- Research and market information that could inform the development of a coherent arts strategy for Glasgow.
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The project focused on the Concert Hall’s tenth anniversary week when a variety of classical concerts were being staged. A standard GCRH promotional campaign (direct mail, broadsheet advertising, PR week, print) ran alongside a campaign with a far broader reach than was normally possible involving tabloid and radio advertising, posters and PR stunts. Both campaigns were supported by a series of promotions for free and heavily discounted tickets run in The Herald, Evening Times and Sunday Mail. |
When claiming tickets, customers were asked to give personal details and information on their frequency of classical music attendance. This information provided the database for a telephone survey and a sample group who would be invited to attend further events. An industry survey with a number of orchestras and music groups responsible for marketing classical music in Glasgow was also conducted.
The project was undertaken by GRCH in conjunction with the PR and advertising agency Citigate Smarts and McArthur Research.
There was an excellent response to the promotional activity, with all 225 free and 125 heavily discounted tickets taken up. 60 customers took part in the telephone survey which was undertaken shortly after the anniversary events. The following key themes were identified from the detailed report produced:
- Customers were attracted to the concerts first by price (many were free) and secondly by the specific programme and artist being presented
- Customers tend to have a low-risk attitude to attending concerts
- The emotional aspect of the concert, and the sense of going somewhere special, are important.
- Newspaper advertising was the most successful promotional tool, closely followed by tabloid editorial features.
The sample group consisted of first time classical music attenders who were invited to a RSNO concert featuring baritone Willard White, and light classical attenders who attended an Endellion String Quartet Beethoven recital. Focus group sessions were held before and after the concerts. Overall, people enjoyed the concerts, especially those attending the RSNO concert. The Endellion attenders were rather less enthusiastic and typically described their experience as educational rather than enjoyable. Both groups felt that the difficulty of knowing what concerts to attend, and how to develop a knowledge and better appreciation of classical music, made unfamiliar classical events less accessible. The Concert Hall concluded that it is easier to win people over with more popular classical concerts. The likelihood of their enjoying a classical concert is directly related to its ‘difficulty’ and whether previous knowledge of the music is needed.
The industry survey indicated an interest in co-ordinating data and research, and sharing best practice ideas. There was some support for more centralised ticketing and selling, but also some mistrust.
Three key areas for further development have been identified:
- Product – the provision, and appropriate promotion, of ‘accessible’ classical music
- Education – the provision and promotion of facilities to develop an understanding and appreciation of classical music
- Collaboration – music venues and organisations working together to provide a coherent ‘route through music’ for new/developing concertgoers.
Jane Donald
Head of Sales and Marketing
The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
2 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3NY
Tel: 0141 353 8016
Fax: 0141 353 8001
E-mail: janedonald@glasgowculturalenterprises.com
Web: www.glasgowculturalenterprises.com and www.grch.com |