Your Invitation for Spotlight on Arts Audiences Symposium
- Rozsa Foundation
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Join Stone-Olafson, Rozsa Foundation, Mass Culture, and invited panelists as we wrap up the two-year Alberta research project with the Spotlight on Arts Audiences Research Symposium.
Monday, November 24
9:30 am to 4:00 pm
As the pandemic receded, the Alberta arts and culture sector continued to experience a decline in engagement and audiences. We contracted research firm Stone-Olafson to conduct in-depth research on the current attitudes, behaviours, motivations, and barriers of arts audiences in the province. Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Foundation, Edmonton Arts Council, and Edmonton Community Foundation all stepped forward to help fund this project.
This work was developed for the arts sector exclusively and built on research that began in 2020 into the Creative Economy. It was designed to provide specific, relevant and reliable facts to support leaders in the arts and culture sector in making decisions and building strategies. The project has run for two years with six waves of in-field research and results.
Each wave of research has been presented to the community in Calgary and Edmonton, with experts from the sector helping make sense of the findings and provide insights and examples from their work. This final presentation will include these aspects, and also summarize the lessons learned over the course of the study and equip participants with tools and perspectives to carry this work forward in their organizations.
On November 24, the full-day symposium at cSPACE in Marda Loop will:
dig into the final 6th Wave of research on Alberta arts audiences;
explore trends and themes that emerged over the project, including retention strategies, breaking through the noise to reach new audiences, and navigating the new cultural experience landscape;
teach you how to use your own research to ask the right questions and get results you can use;
examine how national arts data can supplement your research to create powerful narratives;
hear from industry experts outside the arts who specialize in retention and loyalty;
unpack how audiences themselves describe the essential value of the arts in Calgary and Alberta.
Lunch will be provided, along with ample time for networking and conversation.
Given the limited space, and to minimize no-shows, we are charging $20 per participant. However, we do not want this fee to be a barrier, and if you need assistance or an exception, please contact Lisa.
For those unable to attend, the results and presentation from Stone-Olafson will be added to our website (rozsafoundation.com/spotlightonartsaudiences) in early December. We will also be planning a second research symposium to take place in Edmonton in the new year, and will release more information and an invitation in early 2026.
Questions? Please reach out to Lisa Mackay with any questions or concerns. To register, please follow the link below to Eventbrite.
