Dumfries and Galloway Council Arts Team 2001 Summary About the organisation Project summary Aims and objectives of the project About the project Outcomes and lessons learned Contact details Summary Organisation Dumfries and Galloway Council Arts Team  Project An audience development pilot programme across Dumfries and Galloway Artform Multi artform Location Dumfries and Galloway Application type Full project Date 2001 - present Status In progress Grant  £67,500 Total project cost  £94,000  About the organisation Dumfries and Galloway Council Arts Team was formed in 1996 as part of Dumfries and Galloway Council and is now part of Cultural Services. It has strategic responsibility for arts provision and development across the region.  Much of its work is economically and socially driven, given the large rural area, a sparse and scattered population and the relatively low rates of pay and high unemployment in the area.  The Team works closely with Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association who take the lead responsibility for performing arts provision and related community activities, and with the Schools Services Creative Education Arts Team (CREATE). Project summary The project that was originally funded was one that would employ an audience development animateur to establish and undertake an audience development initiative in Dumfries and Galloway.  However, after further consultation and discussion with the Scottish Arts Council, it was agreed instead that the Arts Team would employ marketing consultants Morris Hargreaves McIntyre to undertake a pilot audience development project across the region. Aims and objectives of the project To identify clusters and gaps in provision in the region through an arts audit analysing the artform, location and audience size of every event held in 2000 and 2001 To understand the region’s arts audience through a major research programme To offer free marketing training to 25 local arts organisations. To develop the audience through a series of audience development campaigns to test what works To use the findings of the pilot to produce strategic recommendations for a long-term audience development strategy About the project By January 2003, Morris Hargreaves McIntyre had conducted an extensive research programme comprising four community consultations, ten focus groups, 20 interviews with teachers, 25 mystery visits, 50 questions with tourism staff, 300 questionnaires with tourists and 1,000 interviews with the public.  They had also met with over 50 arts promoters; undertaken two training sessions; and were in the process of completing the arts audit.  (A full report of this research is available.) Outcomes and lessons learned Key findings to date include: 80% of local people attend arts events and 95% would consider attending, statistics which indicate a much higher willingness to consider attending arts events than elsewhere in the UK 72% of residents have hosted visiting friends and relatives in the last three years and 29% took their visitors to arts events.  This produces an additional 38,000 arts visits every year. The interim report submitted by the consultants has highlighted several issues in relation to strategic planning which will inform the development of a new strategy for arts development in Dumfries and Galloway. These include: Developing the infrastructure to include a data base and on-line ticketing resource for the region Improved staffing and a network of District Publicity Assistants. Contact details Rebecca Coggins Cultural Services Manager - Arts Dumfries and Galloway Council Gracefield Arts Centre 28 Edinburgh Road Dumfries DG1 1NW Tel:  01387 262084 Fax:  01387 255173 E-mail: rebeccac@dumgal.gov.uk