Theory of Creativity

What can we learn from the culture sector crisis during the pandemic? In this episode I speak with Ben Walmsley, one of the world’s preeminent thinkers on the cultural sector to discuss the importance of learning from culture in crisis. Ben is the Director of the Centre for Cultural Value in the UK, as well as holding the roles of Professor of Cultural Engagement and Director of Research and Innovation in the School of Performance and Cultural Industries at the University of Leeds. Ben’s research encompasses arts management, arts marketing, audience studies, and cultural policy with a focus on audience engagement and enrichment, change management in the arts, and cultural value and leadership. Ben and I discuss his hugely ambitious research project into the impacts of Covid-19 on the cultural sector. With an impressive national research team, Ben and his colleagues undertook a vast amount of research and gathered case studies to determine how the pandemic impacted the workforce, audiences and organisations within the arts sector.We discuss some of the key findings from the Culture in Crisis report, specifically how the pandemic shone a light on existing negative trends within the arts and cultural industries. There is still a great need for more inclusion, representation, and equality. Ben talks about why digital is not the answer to audience development and how since the pandemic, cultural organisations are more active in stimulating everyday creativity.As we discuss the pandemic’s impact on cultural organisations, Ben shares why networks are the key to resilience within the arts sector. We talk about what it means to take a regenerative approach and how we must learn to work with our biological rhythms and produce less, not more. We discuss the need for better HR in the culture sector, to promote healthy and balanced workplaces, encouraging creativity and time for intrinsic evaluation.This was such an inspiring and thought provoking conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Resources mentioned: www.culturalvalue.org.ukCulture in Crisis ReportSupported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focused on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience. CONNECTConnect with Tandi Palmer Williams:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: @thepatternmakersTwitter: @tandi_willFacebook: @thepatternmakers.com.auVisit the website of research agency Patternmakers:https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/To hear more Theory of Creativity episodes:https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/theoryofcreativityStay in the loop with all the latest research, tools and resources for growing cultural organisations. Subscribe for the monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Updates: http://eepurl.com/gnwrUf 

Marketing the Arts during a pandemic has led marketers to throw out their reliance on traditional methods of marketing and embrace a new approach. The way audiences buy tickets has completely changed and has led to the need for a higher level of planning pre-production. The uncertainty surrounding whether people will feel comfortable leaving their homes to see a production, visit an art gallery or museum, or attend a concert has been at an all-time high leading to many empty seats and creating a logistical headache. My guest today is Amy Maiden, managing partner of Anthem. Amy was previously the Chief Strategy Officer of the Australian Arts Marketing Agency and the prior General Manager of Australian Theatre for Young People. She is an absolute wealth of information and experience and is here to share it with you today. In this episode, we are discussing marketing the Arts in uncertain times. Amy talks about the significant shifts that have occurred in sales patterns, how this has affected the planning and preparation of events, and how she teaches her own team to remain responsive and not to panic. We explore the current trends in marketing, the rise in digital marketing and the importance of focusing on the whole experience and feel for the audience. People will remember how they were made to feel and it’s vital for the brand that they’re driven to return in the future or purchase subscriptions.Amy talks in detail about utilising social media to effectively market productions and events by telling a story. Content is king and the audience will shy away if they’re hit with a direct sell. In order to emerge out of these unpredictable and difficult pandemic times with a strong Arts sector, Amy shares how everyone must embrace each opportunity to test, learn and try new things. Resources mentioned: Anthem: https://www.anthemco.com.au/ Seth Godin’s Blog: https://seths.blog/ Creative Partnerships Australia: https://creativepartnerships.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20129-CPA-Beyond-Sponsorship-Report__FA.pdf Creative Partnerships Australia: https://creativepartnerships.gov.au/news-blog/giving-attitude-private-sector-support-survey-2020/ Substrakt - A guide to social media for the arts: https://substrakt.com/journal/a-quick-guide-to-social-media-for-the-arts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/ Supported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focused on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience. CONNECTConnect with Tandi Palmer Williams:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: @thepatternmakersTwitter: @tandi_willFacebook: @thepatternmakers.com.au<

The performing arts sector faces systemic and structural challenges that have been present long before Covid-19. These include low financial security, low job security, working contract to contract, a highly casualised workforce, freelancers that aren’t protected, and no access to paid leave or sick leave. The pandemic has shined a light on the prevalence of each one of these and has enlightened the general public to the complex problems workers in the performing arts have been facing consistently. To talk about cultivating and fostering mental wellbeing in the arts sector, I am chatting with Tracy Margieson. Tracy is from the Arts Wellbeing Collective at the Art Centre Melbourne. The Arts Wellbeing Collective is a mental health and wellbeing program specifically tailored for the performing arts industry. It has grown rapidly, since its pilot in 2017, to become a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive sector-wide initiative.  Tracy discusses the founding of The Arts Wellbeing Collective and the gap it filled in the industry helping and supporting people working in the arts. She goes on to talk about how the pandemic has impacted the performing arts sector and the mental health determinants that influence people in the arts far more than people working in the general public. Using this evidence-based research and knowledge, The Arts Wellbeing Collective works with hundreds of organisations to improve the wellbeing of their employees. Together they identify the challenges and design preventative initiatives to promote positive mental health. This will look different for every company and depends on how they visualise their ideal healthy workplace. Tracy and her team encourage leaders to examine the cause instead of just treating the symptoms to effect true change. This episode is full of useful information that we can utilize as artists to protect and preserve our mental health. You’ll feel energised and inspired to improve the wellbeing of not only yourself, but the people around you. If this interview raises any issues for you, or if you or anyone you know is struggling with mental ill-health or needs support, call or visit the online resources below:Support Act Wellbeing Helpline - 1800 959 500, https://supportact.org.au/get-help/wellbeing-helpline/Lifeline – 13 11 14, lifeline.org.auBeyond Blue – 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au/forums Resources mentioned: The Arts Wellbeing Collective: https://artswellbeingcollective.com.au/Active Hope Article: https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/how-active-hope-may-help-sustain-us-through-the-uncertainty-20210824-p58ljg.htmlThe Audience Outlook Monitor: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/covid19Tips and Tactics for Sustaining Audience Engagement through the Pandemic: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/tips-and-tacticsMuseums Association Reporting on New Research: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2021/08/culture-more-in-demand-than-pubs-on-the-high-street/

In many ways, racial equity is one of the most important challenges of our time. We have certainly made progress in this space, but there is more work to be done. Our guest today is a powerhouse and champion of cultural diversity and racial equity in Australia’s art sector. Lena Nahlous, Executive Director at Diversity Arts Australia, joins me to discuss the Creative Equity Toolkit, an incredibly valuable and practical resource to help organisations make headway in this area. With a long list of achievements working with migrant and refugee communities and a range of roles in community and cultural development, Lena took on her role at Diversity Arts Australia to help influence change at a systemic level. The Creative Equity Toolkit is a curated collection of easily accessible resources, language prompts and practical checklists, helping organisations make real cultural change from within.Lena talks about how the toolkit works, the topics it includes and how to navigate through the numerous resources available. We talk about what meaningful progress looks like in an organisational setting, and how this must be done first in order to create a real shift in our society. We discuss how important it is to have an action plan with tangible goals, responsibilities, an allocated budget, and review processes in place and how diversity and inclusion is an ongoing journey because things are always shifting.  There is always more to learn but every small step we take has a ripple effect. Keep listening, keep learning. LINKSThe Creative Equity Toolkit: https://creativeequitytoolkit.org/   Colour Cycle Podcast:http://diversityarts.org.au/project/the-colour-cycle/Stop Everything! on Apple PodcastsThe Towards Equity Research Overview Diversity Arts AustraliaLinkedIn: Lena NahlousSupported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focussed on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience. CONNECTConnect with Tandi Palmer Williams:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: @thepatternmakersTwitter: @tandi_willFacebook: @thepatternmakers.com.auVisit the website of research agency Patternmakers:https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/To hear more Theory of Creativity episodes:https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/theoryofcreativityStay in the loop with all the latest research, tools and resources for growing cultural organisations. Subscribe for the monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Updates: http://eepurl.com/gnwrUf 

My guest today is Morwenna Collett, an accomplished Sydney-based consultant, leader and facilitator working in the arts. Morwenna is sought after nationally and internationally for her expertise in diversity, access, and inclusion. Fuelled by her own lived experience as a musician with disability, Morwenna is passionate about increasing accessibility within the music industry.In this episode, Morwenna shares how her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis whilst studying at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music opened her eyes to the fact that the arts was not set up for inclusion. Morwenna shares why she believes music hasn’t made as much progress in the area of inclusion as other sectors and the different types of barriers that organisations need to navigate in order to advance.We talk about the difference between diversity and inclusion, the imperatives for change and how art has a pivotal role in helping the community understand and break down the barriers for people with disabilities.Morwenna discusses some of the research she has found and the 5 key pillars to success in making organisations more accessible. She shares some examples of impactful work and how artists with disabilities are creating some of the most exciting, groundbreaking and risk-taking work out there.LINKSWebsite: https://www.morwennacollett.com/ Resources that Morwenna recommends: https://www.morwennacollett.com/resourcesTwitter: @morwennacollettLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morwennacollett/Morwenna’s article on ‘Building a musically inclusive future’ in Limelight Magazine: Free Strategy Tool LibraryStorythings newsletter: https://storythings.com/newsletters/ Supported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focussed on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience. CONNECTConnect with Tandi Palmer Williams:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: @thepatternmakersTwitter: @tandi_willFacebook: @thepatternmakers.com.auVisit the website of research agency Patternmakers: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/To hear more Theory of Creativity episodes:https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/theoryofcreativityStay in the loop with all the latest research, tools and resources for growing cultural organisations. Subscribe for the monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Updates: http://eepurl.com/gnwrUf 

My guest today is Andrew McIntyre, co-founder of MHM (Morris Hargreaves McIntyre), one of the world’s biggest and best consultancies specialising in the culture sector. He joins me today to discuss psychographic culture segments, which reveal how a person’s value system and beliefs shape their engagement patterns and the type of messaging they are receptive to.Andrew discusses how psychographics help to understand deep-seated values and cultural beliefs and the role people perceive culture will play in their lives. We talk about COVID-19, the online experience for the different segments and what he believes organisations should focus on moving forward. Stay tuned toward the end of the episode for a new segment where I share the most clicked item in our latest newsletter and why people found it so interesting. LINKSAndrew’s Twitter: @mhmandrew MHM Culture Segments https://mhminsight.com/culture-segments‘The Unusual Suspects’ Data Warehouse R&D Report Digital R&D Fund Data GuideAndrew’s thought leadership series ‘Culture in Lockdown’: PART 1: We can do digital, can we do strategy? PART 2: The 7 Pillars of Audience-focus PART 3: Covid Audience Mindsets Creative Victoria Audience AtlasAudience Outlook Monitor Australia - Key Findings March 2021 The NFT craze, explained in the Los Angeles Times Supported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focussed on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience. CONNECTConnect with Tandi Palmer Williams:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: @thepatternmakersTwitter: @tandi_willFacebook: @thepatternmakers.com.auVisit the website of research agency Patternmakers: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/Stay in the loop with all the latest research, tools and resources for growing cultural organisations. Subscribe for the monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Updates: http://eepurl.com/gnwrUf 

The pandemic has been a crisis on many levels. What started out as a health crisis, Covid made waves throughout the globe, hitting us with massive social and economic implications. With many arts and cultural institutions completely shut down, cultural professionals have been forced to rethink how they work and what role they play in people’s lives. In the midst of the loss and unknown, the pandemic has presented us with a great opportunity to reflect on what really matters. In this space, organisations have begun to transform the role they play in their communities, bringing about fundamental change and addressing critical issues such as inequality and social justice.In this episode, I’m joined by Steven Wolff, Director of AMS Planning & Research, an organisation committed to the value of arts, culture, and entertainment in communities. Steven discusses the importance of cultural ‘anchor institutions’ and how their success should be measured by the quantum of entanglement with their communities.We explore the role these institutions play in communities and what successful anchor institutions will look like post-pandemic. Steven talks about switching the question from focusing on the “what” to the “why” we do what we do, and shares some practical advice for what people in director roles can start doing to make this shift.We discuss how vital institutions aren’t defined by their scale but by how entangled they are in their communities, what this looks like and what some cultural institutions have been doing to take advantage of the opportunities that this crisis has presented.This episode is absolutely jam-packed with inspiring, thought-provoking and really vital discussion for the time we are in. We explore the tools, techniques and ideas we can harness to build a thriving arts and culture sector post-pandemic. Who knows, we may even herald in the next renaissance.----Supported by Creative Victoria, Theory of Creativity Season 2 is focussed on 'Real Change and Renewal'. Tune in on the first Tuesday of the month as Patternmakers Managing Director Tandi Palmer Williams speaks with experts in audience trends, strategic planning, organisational change and resilience.LINKS:Steven’s Paper “The Long Runway”: https://www.ams-online.com/long-runway/ The strategic triangle: https://www.anzsog.edu.au/resource-library/news-media/the-strategic-triangle-how-to-approximate-a-compelling-measure-of-public-value-in-government AMS Website:https://www.ams-online.com/CONNECT:Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: @thepatternmakersTwitter: @tandi_willFacebook: @thepatternmakers.com.auVisit the website of research agency Patternmakers:https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/Stay in the loop with all the latest research, tools and resources for growing cultural organisations. Subscribe for the monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Updates: http://eepurl.com/gnwrUf 

How can design thinking help cultural institutions deliver greater social value?In Episode 5 Tandi is joined by Lisa Baxter, founder of The Experience Business, for a deep dive on qualitative research, customer empathy and social purpose. We talk about how to facilitate meaningful conversations between arts organisations and communities, and how that insight can inform everything from our brand values, to our programming, marketing communications, and engagement programs.This episode covers:Why audience experience is at the core of why organisations receive public fundingHow qualitative research puts the humanity into research and why it’s a good idea to have arts professionals sit in on research groupsThe techniques that arts professionals can use to more intensely explore the audience experienceHow the gap between booking a ticket and seeing a show can be used to create greater audience valueHow arts organisations develop their customer knowledge, customer empathy and audience sensibilityThe five-step process of Design Thinking that organisation can applyHow arts organisations can find their core purpose through conversation, art and creativity exercisesWhy thinking about extracting value from the market is the putting the cart before the horseWhy arts organisations should ‘do their homework’ about what’s going on in their communitiesHow arts organisations can understand their operating context and the aspirations of their visitorsLisa Baxter FRSA is the founder/director of The Experience Business, working across the UK and internationally in supporting the design of optimal audience experiences.A pioneer in her field, and an avowed audience champion, Lisa uses innovative facilitative and qualitative research methods to help arts organisations conceive, articulate, design and understand their experiential value propositions. She is increasingly in demand as a speaker on the subject of audience experience design, including keynotes at the Australia Council for the Arts Marketing Summit (2013), the City Cape Town Arts and Cultural Indaba (2015) and the Federation of Scottish Theatres (2017) and the up and coming Connected Audiences Conference in Vienna. Lisa has also guest lectured at the Universities of Leeds, Groningen (Netherlands) and Deakin University, (Melbourne).A specialist in researching audience and customer experience, she has collaborated with the University of Sheffield on an AHRC/ACE funded programme around innovative methods of enquiry into the audience experience and is published on the subject.Clients include the National Football Museum (Manchester), the Swiss Science Centre (Zurich), Rockhampton Art Gallery (Queensland, Australia), BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (Gateshead), Imperial War Museum North (Salford) and the National Coal Mining Museum for England (Wakefield).For more details, including the full transcript of the conversation, you can head to the episode webpage: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/podcast-episodes/episode5Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams & Patternmakers on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatternmakers/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tandi_willFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/the

What role does economics play in the cultural and creative industries?Tandi is joined by PwC’s Chief Economist Jeremy Thorpe for a frank chat about policy and funding. During this episode we cover topics such as how cost-benefit analysis assists with decision making, how economists measure benefit, what “lobbynomics” is, and the power of specialisation in a technology-driven world.The discussion covers:How cost benefit analysis differs from impact analysis and why cost benefit analysis helps people make better decisionsWhy economics the best way for Treasuries to measure benefit compared to social research or qualitative research“Lobbynomics” and how economic analysis is used in lobbying and advocacy to recast an organisation’s narrativeWhy technology is now at the core of every challengeHow to appeal to the bureaucratic heart and the political heart in order to advocate effectivelyWhat the current constrained economic environment means for the artsWhy consumer demand for experiences rather than material goods has affected the marketHow a more globalised world can result in government choosing to consolidate funding in the culture and creative sectorThe power of specilisation in showing defined value and how that can assist with funding.Jeremy Thorpe is PwC's Chief Economist in Australia and a Partner in its national Economics & Policy team.With more than two decades of experience, Jeremy’s experience spans a range of diverse area including: cost-benefit analysis, the valuation of the economic contributions of companies, industries, not-for-profits and specific activities, the economics of copyright and reviews of government programs and regulatory changes.Jeremy also serves on the board of Flourish Australia. Flourish Australia works in local communities to help people on their mental health recovery journey.Previously, Jeremy was the Chairman of the not-for-profit, Viscopy. For a decade he was also Director of a leading Australian-owned consulting firm. Prior to this, Jeremy was economist with Australia’s Department of Treasury and the Productivity Commission.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremythorpeFor more details, including the full transcript of the conversation, you can head to the episode webpage: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/podcast-episodes/episode3Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams & Patternmakers on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatternmakers/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tandi_willFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepatternmakers.com.au/To stay in the loop with the latest research, big ideas and useful tools, you can sign up to get Patternmakers' free, monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Update direct to your inbox each month: https://thepatternmakers.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7f009b1b1f874eddcffa4d79c&id=1408ed145f

What does good leadership look like in the era of cultural democracy?In this episode Tandi speaks with policy consultant John Knell and CEO and Melbourne Fringe Creative Director Simon Abrahams about key shifts currently taking place in the arts and cultural sector.They discuss the particular challenges of leading a cultural organisation today, and how clarity of purpose is the key to resourcefulness.Key points covered:Why ‘conversations’ are replacing ‘marketing’ in arts organisationsHow cultural leaders are different to leaders in other industriesWhy the power of your vision is the key to mobilising resourcesOne powerful tip for becoming a stronger leader and enabling people to flourishWhy today’s cultural organisations need to be platforms for other people’s creativityHow to turn uncomfortable moments into fuel for innovationCulture organisations need to be committed to understanding their past, present and future audiencesHow to think about measuring intrinsic and instrumental valueWhy you should think carefully about your goal before you apply any tool or techniqueJohn Knell is one of the UK’s most influential thought-leaders on organisational transformation. He works with corporate and public sector clients on issues focusing on leadership, employee engagement and future of work. John is the co-founder of Intelligence Agency and was previously Director of Research and Advocacy at The Work Foundation. He has written The Art of Dying and The Art of Living, London’s Creative Economy: An Accidental Success?, Whose Art Is It Anyway? and The 80 Minute MBA. John’s consulting clients have included Microsoft, Tesco, Astra Zeneca, Eversheds, Lloyds TSB, Manpower, and Siemens. John's current clients include The Wellcome Trust, Art Council England, Taylor Vinters, Liverpool Everyman and the BFI.Simon Abrahams is a creative producer and arts advocate with recognition as one of Australia’s arts and cultural leaders. He joined the Melbourne Fringe team in 2015 and is currently the Creative Director and CEO. In the past Abrahams was Head of Programming for The Wheeler Centre and Executive Producer and Co-CEO for Polyglot Theatre. Simon co-founded Theatre Network Australia and was Chair from 2010-2017. Simon’s work has been awarded with the 2015 Melbourne Award (Melbourne Fringe), 2011 Governor of Victoria Export Award for arts and entertainment (Polyglot), three AbaF Awards, the 2014 CHASS Future Leaders Award. Also an actor, Simon appeared in Bron Batten’s The Dad Show.For more details, including the full transcript of the conversation, you can head to the episode webpage: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/podcast-episodes/episode3Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams & Patternmakers on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatternmakers/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tandi_willFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepatternmakers.com.au/To stay in the loop with the latest research, big ideas and useful tools, you can sign up to get Patternmakers' free, monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Update direct to your inbox each month:

How can cultural organisations make sure their community engagement is meaningful and impactful? In this episode, we talk with Jade Lillie and Lia Pa’apa’a about best practice when it comes to community relationships, in all forms.They cover topics such as culturally and creatively safe spaces, starting a project the way that we want to finish it and the importance of being able to share failure and learn from it.We cover:Why community-engaged practice is so powerfulHow to relinquish curatorial power and create culturally and creatively safe spacesThe reason you need to start a project the way you intend to finish itHow to leave a legacy in the context of finite project fundingThe importance of sharing failures and learning from our mistakesWhy it’s an issue when CACD is seen as a separate artform rather than a way to work all the timeWhy we need to watch out for ‘deficit model’ thinking and adopt a strength-based approach insteadHow practitioners can think about self-awareness and take responsibility to learn about a community before starting work.Jade Lillie been working as an executive and leader in arts, culture, health, community and international development, education and training for the past 15 years. She is a specialist in strategy, community and stakeholder engagement, facilitation, collaboration and partnerships, people and culture.After 5 years as Director and CEO with Footscray Community Arts Centre, she was awarded the prestigious Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship for 2018 - 2019. As the Director, Public Affairs with cohealth, she leads research, policy, advocacy, strategic and government relations, marketing, communications and sponsorship.Read about Jade’s new book project, The Relationship is The Project at www.therelationshipistheproject.comLia Pa’apa’a is a Samoan/Native American woman who works across Australia as artist and community arts worker. Pa’a’a’a started out as a teacher, trained in Indigenous Education. She has spent the last five years working on Indigenous and Pacific festivals in urban, regional and remote Australia. Lia lives in Cairns where she works with the local community to produce contemporary dance shows and is developing her own platform Plant Based Native to investigate the intersections of food/art/community and wellbeing.For more details, including the full transcript of the conversation, you can head to the episode webpage: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/podcast-episodes/episode2Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams & Patternmakers on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatternmakers/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tandi_willFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepatternmakers.com.au/To stay in the loop with the latest research, big ideas and useful tools, you can sign up to get Patternmakers' free, monthly Culture Insight & Innovation Update direct to your inbox each month: https://thepatternmakers.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=7f009b1b1f874eddcffa4d79c&id=1408ed145f

What is the role of audience feedback in an artistically-driven organisation? In this episode Tandi is joined by renowned audience researcher Alan Brown, and Executive Director of Arts Development at the Australia Council, Wendy Were. They discuss how to gather insight from audience surveying, why negative feedback can be for fuel decision-making, and the use of feedback data by funding bodies.This episode covers:The role of audience feedback in artistic decision-makingWhether arts managers should be required to be researchersHow to prepare yourself for negative feedback from audiences and what it meansWhy some artistic leaders are hungry for audience input, and others aren’tThe potential for audience feedback data to be misused by funders and funded organisationsWhy achieving a state of flow is the gateway to impact for audiencesWhere it's really helpful to get audience feedback, and where it isn’tWhy building the critical skills of your audience is a long-term investment in your organisation.Alan Brown is a leading researcher and management consultant in the non-profit arts industry. His work focuses on understanding consumer demand for cultural experiences and helping cultural institutions, foundations and agencies see new opportunities, make informed decisions and respond to changing conditions. His studies have introduced new vocabulary to the lexicon of cultural participation and propelled the field towards a clearer view of the rapidly changing cultural landscape. Alan is the founder of CultureLab, an international consortium of arts consultants who aim to build a bridge between academic research and everyday practice, and to speed the diffusion of promising practice into the cultural sector.Prior to his consulting career, Alan served for five years as Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, where he presented Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and many other artists. He holds three degrees from the University of Michigan: a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Music in Arts Administration and a Bachelor of Musical Arts in vocal performance.Dr Wendy Were was appointed the Executive Director, Strategic Development and Advocacy at the Australia Council for the Arts in 2014. Previously CEO at West Australian Music, Business Advisor with the Creative Industries Innovation Centre, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Sydney Writers’ Festival. Wendy also holds a PhD in Literature.Wendy has wide-ranging experience in arts management, curation and business development and a track record in championing the development of sustainable career paths for Australia’s artistic workers. She has worked in the sector for 20 years. For more details, including the full transcript of the conversation, you can head to the episode webpage: https://www.thepatternmakers.com.au/podcast-episodes/episode1Connect with Tandi Palmer Williams & Patternmakers on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tandiwilliams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatternmakers/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tandi_willFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepatternmakers.com.au/To stay in the loop with the latest research, big ideas and useful tools, you can sign up to get Patternm