Audiences Wales will work with over 200 arts organisations – including theatres, galleries, museums and touring companies - to raise marketing skills, provide information for the public and run programmes to encourage greater attendance and participation levels. A recent Arts Council of Wales survey, Arts In Wales, showed that 76% of the population of Wales attend an arts event once a year or more often, with one in five taking part in an arts activity. The aim of Audiences Wales is to increase the numbers of people who gain enjoyment from the arts. Joanna Davies, Chief Executive of Audiences Wales, said, “Increasing access to the arts in Wales is vitally important, and Audiences Wales is poised to play its part. As regular arts attenders and participators ourselves, we know the huge benefits that can be gained from listening to live music, attending an event at a theatre, reading a piece of Welsh literature or taking part in an arts workshop. There’s so much to be enjoyed in Wales, and the quality of work being produced is of such a high standard, we want to help everyone to enjoy it and become more involved.” Jane Clarke, Director of Operations at The Arts Council of Wales (ACW), said: “ACW is pleased to have facilitated the creation of Audiences Wales through our Lottery funded sustainability programme. “Audiences Wales will be key to the delivery of our own Audience Development Strategy and the measure of this new organisation’s success will be an increase in arts attendances and participation across all the communities of Wales.” Audiences Wales has been established as a result of a merger between Cardiff Arts Marketing, Marketing the Arts in Swansea and Carmarthenshire and Valleys Arts Marketing. The company was supported through the merger process as part of the Arts Council of Wales’s Pilot Programme for Sustainable Organisations, and has received substantial investment in order to ensure that it can put in place innovative and exciting audience development programmes. The agency is also firmly supported by fourteen local authorities across South and West Wales, and has plans to expand into Mid and North Wales in the near future. Audiences Wales will be providing marketing support to arts organisations, and also running public information programmes. A brand new website will shortly be launched – www.whatsonwales.co.uk / www.galwgargymru.co.uk - which will provide news, information, listings and special offers on arts events all over the country. Audiences Wales is an independent arts marketing agency which provides marketing advice and services to organisations across Wales. Audiences Wales is supported by grants from 14 Local Authority partners: Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Bridgend County Borough Council Caerphilly County Borough Council Carmarthenshire County Council City and County of Cardiff Council City and County of Swansea Council Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Monmouthshire County Council Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Newport County Borough Council Pembrokeshire County Council Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council Torfaen County Borough Council Vale of Glamorgan Council The Arts Council of Wales continues to be a major partner and funder in the work of Audiences Wales. |
| Audiences Wales web site: www.audienceswales.co.uk |
| Joanna Davies e-mail: joanna@audienceswales.co.uk |
Thursday, April 6, 2006 |
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