Work is beginning on 'Arts Audiences', a project devised and managed by the Arts Council and Temple Bar Cultural Trust.  This important project seeks to clarify and address issues around audience development and experience in the arts, recognising that in constrained economic times, it is of greater than ever importance that arts organisations maximise engagement with, and revenue from, their audiences.

To focus on this challenge in a practical way, the guiding principle of the project will be to look to increase capacity in organisations with a view to achieving demonstrable gains in audience engagement and participation.

The project will, as well as foregrounding thinking about 'audience' for its partner organisations, carry out project work illustrating good practice in audience development, marketing and customer service. The planning phase of the project will be complete at the end of March 09 and you can keep up-to-date with developments on the Arts Council website.

RTÉ will participate in the project as associates, with particular input and expertise in audience research and reach, and invaluable assistance as to how audiences are informed about the arts.

The Project Director is Una Carmody, based in Temple Bar Cultural Trust ucarmody@templebar.ie.