Purpose This paper aims to explore the motivations behind performing arts consumption and provide actionable insights for arts marketers to enhance audience engagement through targeted strategies. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research methodology was applied using 5 focus groups comprising 26 participants from Athens, Greece. Groups were formed using purposive and snowball sampling, based on criteria including age, gender, education level and frequency of cultural consumption. Thematic analysis was used to extract motivational categories and decision-making factors. Findings Six main audience segments emerged: get stimuli, socialiser, art seeker, entertainer, fans and education seekers. The dominant motivation was to “get stimuli,” followed by socialising and temporary entertainment. Entertainment motivations were typically passive, addressing emotional needs such as escapism and relaxation. Key decision-making factors included the performance’s content, contributors and the reputation of the cultural organisation. Motivations were often overlapping, but dominant drivers varied per individual. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its single-city focus on Athens and the cultural context of Greek consumers. Although not generalisable, the findings offer insights that can inform broader qualitative or quantitative cross-cultural studies. Originality/value This research contributes to limited literature on Greek performing arts audiences by identifying specific consumer motivations and linking them with strategic marketing recommendations. It revisits and updates past theoretical models within the context of contemporary societal, financial and technological changes, providing a useful framework for cultural marketers and policymakers.
PurposeThis paper investigates the profile and digital engagement behaviours of Chinese performing arts audiences during the COVID-19 lockdown, assessing the potential impact of digitalized theatre on future international outreach.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a triangulation methodology, this empirical research integrates quantitative and qualitative data collected through a survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews. The paper explores the under-studied Chinese performing arts market and its young audience through the quantitative and qualitative data.FindingsThe findings reveal the distinctive characteristics of Chinese performing arts audiences, who are notably younger and more predominantly female than their extensively researched European counterparts. Despite their familiarity with digital formats, Chinese audiences express a strong desire for the resumption of live performances, particularly international productions. Although digital performances are shown to have been embraced during the pandemic for their accessibility and novelty, they are generally perceived to be cinematic experiences rather than true replacements for live performance.Practical implicationsPractically, the research suggests that performing arts organizations can use digital engagement strategically as a precursor to expensive physical tours, particularly in the dynamic Chinese market. However, it highlights the limitations of digital accessibility in diversifying the socio-economic composition of the audience, especially the Chinese audiences' participation with "uncertified" digitalized performance content, emphasizing the necessity for more inclusive digital outreach strategies.Originality/valueThe paper's original contribution lies in its empirical exploration of the digital engagement and demographic profiles of Chinese theatre audiences during the pandemic, providing valuable insights into audience behaviours and preferences, and the potential for international cultural exchange in the digital age.
Purpose This research investigates the audience and their motivations for participating in Chinese theatre productions in the UK, aiming to guide future audience targeting and engagement strategies for unfamiliar cultural productions and ultimately improve the current imbalanced global cultural exchange. Design/methodology/approach Action research is applied as the methodology to study three Chinese theatre productions in the UK. The researcher collaborates with practitioners to work on marketing the productions. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews, observation and deep hanging out, are employed for the fieldwork, engaging 60 participants. Findings The research examines participants in Chinese theatre in the UK beyond demographic features. Engaging audience reception theory and cultural memories, participants are portrayed through their lifestyles and previous cultural experiences and knowledge. Typically, they are regular theatre-goers with a strong interest in novel and authentic cultural experiences. While immigrants are naturally inclined towards their home culture, motivating attendance remains challenging. Key motivations include new experiences, aesthetic enjoyment and cultural inheritance and education. Practical implications The research provides a detailed portrait of the participants and motivations for foreign productions, illuminating the future of cross-cultural participation, especially promoting cultural productions from non-Western contexts. Originality/value The originality of the research lies in its focus on foreign cultural participation in the context of cross-cultural exchange, as it aims to increase audience outreach for touring productions from non-Western cultures. The findings regarding audience motivation provide novel insights into the intersection of cultural exchange, audience segmentation and marketing strategies for foreign cultural productions.
Purpose - Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are reshaping art markets and gaining strong stakeholder interest. While research has examined their applications in art ecosystems, their role in advancing Web3D markets remains unclear. Design/methodology/approach - A systematic literature review was conducted to investigate the impact of NFTs on the Web3D market and its impact on stakeholders, analysing 89 systematically selected articles. Findings - The results of the study show that NFTs in the Web3D context can enhance privacy and trust through blockchain technology and protect intellectual property and ownership rights while influencing market dynamics, behaviour and investment strategies. Originality/valueAs the Web3D ecosystem grows, ongoing research and collaboration are critical to developing strategies that ensure sustainability, transparency and innovation in digital arts. This study is the first step in exploring these dynamics. Highlights - NFTs utilise robust blockchain technology, enhancing privacy and trust by safeguarding intellectual property within digital art ecosystems in Web3D spaces.Tokenised art significantly impacts market dynamics, behaviours of market actors and investment strategies in Web3D spaces.Exclusive NFT communities offer significant social returns.Continuous research is vital to developing robust policy frameworks and standards, ensuring environmental and social sustainability, transparency and innovation in digital art ecosystems.
PurposeTransformation has become a commonly employed phrase in the field of community music. However, there has been little critical examination of its employment. This study aimed to explore how and why community musicians and project participants used this concept to describe their experiences of community music-making programmes.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methodological approach was utilised for this study. This included conducting an extensive literature review to establish a conceptual framework of transformations meaning within community music literature. Additionally, a historiography of the use of transformation in cultural policymaking and community music practice was developed to examine how this concept has gained prominence in the discourse. Alongside this, a case study was conducted on a music-making programme for adults with a mental health diagnosis to investigate the practical application of the concept of transformation.FindingsThe research reveals that musicians and participants often use “transformation” as a metaphor to articulate the personal impacts of community music programmes. These impacts include enhanced self-confidence, a greater sense of control and shifts in how individuals perceive themselves. The widespread use of this term is influenced by the messaging of funders and policymakers, who use the concept of personal transformation to rationalise funding for arts and cultural initiatives.Originality/valueThis research provides a new perspective on transformation and its meaning in community music practice. Additionally, it highlights the interconnection between community music activity and cultural policymaking, a relationship that has yet to receive much attention from scholars across both fields.
PurposeThe accelerating popularity of the art and handicraft sector in recent years has attracted notable academic attention. Several studies examined the potential of this sector to generate positive outcomes for the associated communities. However, what is currently missing from the line of scholarly discussion is a comprehensive understanding of the experiential value of such marketplaces for consumers. The present study, therefore, seeks to explore the dimensions of visitor experience at traditional art and handicraft markets and identify how such marketplaces facilitate the fulfillment of an individual’s deeply embedded psychological needs and promote well-being through positive emotions and self-empowerment.Design/methodology/approachStudy data was obtained through semi-structured interviews, field visits and on-site observations conducted at the Dilli Haat, INA, Delhi, India. The conceptual framework of self-determination theory (SDT) is employed to analyze the perspectives of the visit experience of 35 visitors who arrived at Dilli-Haat.FindingsFindings indicate that visitors’ interest in participating in the traditional art and handicraft market was influenced by their fundamental psychological needs. By offering an opportunity to experience autonomy, competency and relatedness, such marketplaces can contribute to generating positive emotions and lead toward visitor well-being.Originality/valueStudy outcomes added a new perspective on the less studied subject of traditional art and handicraft market consumption. Findings contribute to enhancing the understanding of visitors’ experiences and the role of the traditional art and handicraft market in the context of well-being. Further, the current study highlights the influence of market attributes on visitor satisfaction and positive experience and offers useful implications for the efficient performance of such marketplaces.
PurposeWith the rise of new generations of audiences, the marketing environment of theaters has undergone significant changes. The study investigates how transmedia storytelling, fan economy and social media marketing influence new audiences' curiosity and drive their attendance intention at theater performances.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized an online questionnaire, collecting 1,032 valid responses from participants predominantly aged 18-30 (62.02%). Respondents from mainland China completed measures on five main variables.FindingsThe study reveals that curiosity played a mediating role in the influence of transmedia adaptation and social media marketing on attendance. Specifically, transmedia adaptation and social media marketing both positively impact attendance through curiosity. However, idol starring does not significantly affect either curiosity or attendance.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include potential recall bias due to a high proportion of respondents with prior theater experience and preliminary measurement scales for idol starring. Future research could explore the interactions between transmedia adaptation and social media marketing and consider cross-cultural studies.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that transmedia adaptation and social media marketing can effectively attract and engage new theatergoers.Social implicationsBy targeting new audiences, this research highlights how modern marketing strategies can enhance audience engagement and accessibility of performing arts in China.Originality/valueThis research provides novel insights into new audiences' decision-making process of their first visit to the theater. It offers a unique perspective on attendance behavior, addressing gaps in understanding audience engagement in performing arts.
PurposeThis study explores the global phenomenon of BangTan Sonyeondan (BTS), a Korean singing group, from an under-researched art and entertainment market perspective. We introduce a research model to delineate the impacts of leadership motivation, socio-technological practices and global prominence outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical foundation clarifies the research context, justifying the relevance of key concepts, linking them to primary research questions and forming the basis for a well-structured empirical investigation. Our research model presents the flows of leadership influence, training practices, technology use and global prominence outcomes. Utilizing a survey instrument, we gathered data from BTS fans and analyzed the empirical findings.FindingsBTS’s success is attributed to unique factors: (1) upstream flow of leadership influence; (2) process flow of internal service training and technological excellence, fostering stakeholder enthusiasm. The results indicate that service empowerment leadership is crucial in driving talent development and appropriate technology use, enhancing brand reputation. Fan loyalty and collective passion are key moderators in these dynamics.Research limitations/implicationsWhile focused on BTS, our findings have broader applicability in entertainment organizations, underscoring the relevance of socio-technological theory in understanding phenomena similar to BTS’s success.Practical implicationsLong-term brand performance in service organizations extends beyond financial metrics and necessitates empowering service leadership, training for key performers, technological infrastructure and managing personal interactions and group dynamics.Originality/valueThis study is unique in applying a leadership motivation perspective and socio-technological theory to BTS’s long-term success, utilizing BTS fans’ views to examine and assess their success factors and outcomes.
PurposeTo determine the impact of advergame specific factors on players' brand recall and brand attitude by conducting two experimental studies.Design/methodology/approachTwo 2 x 2 x 2 experiments were conducted in this study.FindingsIndividuals with high-cognition-demand reported superior brand recall for an advergame with prominent brand placements and low game-product analogy and a more favorable brand attitude for a prominently placed game with high game-product analogy than the low-cognition-demand individuals. Individuals with high advertising literacy reported higher brand recall but less favorable brand attitude for games with less game-rapidity but high product-involvement than those with low advertising literacy.Practical implicationsThe research outcomes are highly significant for the marketing specialists, as choosing a communication tool that best fits the advertised product with regard to the content of the media is a planning stratagem that has been broadly used by the media designers.Originality/valueThis research mainly adds to the literature of online advertising, exclusively the advergames by probing the impact of game-specific and gamer-specific factors on brand recall and brand attitude. Also, this study supports comprehending the moderating roles of cognitive demand and advertising literacy on players' cognitive and affective brand responses.
Purpose Assessing performance art has shifted toward an audience-centric approach, with various factors impacting audiences’ holistic experiences in a theater. Existing theater marketing research has predominantly focused on servicescapes, leaving a research gap regarding audiences’ spatial experience within theater buildings. Design/methodology/approach To address this gap, this case study collected crowdsourced data from mainstream social media platforms, including rating scores, textual reviews and reviewer-uploaded photos. The aim was to explore to what extent the theater architecture design impacted audiences’ theatrical experience. The old and new facilities of the case study theater were compared, and a series of quantitative and qualitative techniques were applied for data analysis, including statistics, content analysis, sentiment analysis and thematic analysis. Findings The study identified five major themes in social media review: the show, architectural design and attributes, staff and service, neighborhood and amenities, and financial consideration. Comments about theater architecture constituted a substantial portion of reviews, with seating comfort, intimacy and stage visibility being frequently discussed features. Seven subthemes related to architectural design emerged as key contributors to audiences’ spatial experiences, including aesthetics, design and spatial configuration; the bar and lobby; the new facility; seats; sets and stage; acoustics; and intimacy and atmosphere. Originality/value The study places the individual experiences of audience members as central and uses an inductive approach to analyze their self-generated data. The research results offer valuable insights into theater design and confirm the belief that architectural design has a significant impact on the overall theatrical experience of audiences.
PurposeTo understand how three features of online consumer reviews - the strength of persuasiveness in online consumer reviews (argument quality), the number of online consumer reviews (volume of reviews), and source credibility - are related to the behavioural intentions in the movie consumption context. Besides, the present study aims to explore intergenerational differences (X, Y, and Z) in the patterns of association between three characteristics of online consumer reviews (argument quality, volume of reviews, and source credibility) and an individual's choice of a movie intended to be watched.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample (n = 518) was recruited from a population of users of IMDb living in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis were used to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results revealed that argument quality, the volume of reviews, and source credibility of movie-related online consumer reviews are positively related to the intention to watch a movie for all three generational cohorts (X, Y, and Z). Regarding biases in processing information cues, our findings indicate that movie viewers from all three generations (X, Y, and Z) make inferences between source credibility and argument quality. However, biases in the relation between the volume of reviews and the argument quality were found only among X-ers and Y-ers but not among Z-ers.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to the eWOM research stream by examining the role of different characteristics of online consumer reviews (argument quality, the volume of reviews, and the source credibility) in movie consumption. Moreover, it sheds light on how argument quality, the volume reviews and the source credibility interact with the behavioural intentions of different generations and whether these interactions exhibit similarities or differences across three distinct generation cohorts: X-ers, Y-ers, and Z-ers.
PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the relationship between watching dance and mood enhancement considering potential differences across gender and age brackets.Design/methodology/approachExploratory research was undertaken through a personal survey, using a structured questionnaire on a large sample of young participants between 18 and 35 years old, split into generational cohorts (Millennials or Generation Y and Centennials or Generation Z). Quota sampling (gender and age) was the method used to select respondents.FindingsResults show that after watching dance, more positive mood changes were observed in general. However, they were stronger among women and younger Millennials. These findings are important as they open a new area of study; show the effects of culture on people; and help design programming strategies to enlarge audiences.Originality/valueThe effects of specific forms of arts and cultural participation on people’s moods have been analyzed from a diversity of disciplines. In the case of dance, studies have tested this relation among practitioners (active participants) but not among viewers (attendees) as this paper does.
Purpose This article explores the applicability of participatory action research (PAR) on two levels: on the one hand, as a participatory evaluation method for community engagement and community development; on the other hand, as a tool to link ex ante and ex-post evaluation that situated at various stages of the policy cycle. Design/methodology/approach Through a practice-based case study of the community engagement process of Valletta Design Cluster, this paper aims to illustrate how PAR can offer collaborative and continuous evaluation by facilitating social action through a practical, situative, context-bounded, responsive and transformative framework. Findings The study explores how PAR can contribute to cultural sustainability by linking community development with participatory evaluation, and it offers new perspectives on the applicability of PAR as a tool to link ex ante and ex-post evaluation, situated at various stages of the policy cycle. Research limitations/implications Although based on a single case, the paper demonstrates that the method has the potential to be applied in various contexts, as it helps to foster local ownership and to develop future cultural strategies, thus providing a base for cultural sustainability. Originality/value The novelty of this study is to link evaluation – a majorly top-down and ex ante approach – with participatory planning. PAR-E offers a continuous participatory framework for the whole European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) cycle, as well as serving as a tool for empowerment and community development.
Purpose Socioeconomic aims and impacts are an explicit part of the UK City of Culture (UKCoC) application, bidding, delivery and evaluation stages. This article engages with existing debates on evaluating cities of culture and introduces perspectives from critical data studies to examine the collection and analysis of different data for the purposes of the CoC application and evaluation processes. Design/methodology/approach The meta-methodological concept of accompanying researcher is used to analyse the experiences of researchers based within a city bidding for UKCoC 2025 in dialogue with the evaluation reports from past UKCoC host cities. Findings Findings are analysed under three themes: defining data morsels; local histories and infrastructures of data generation and sharing; and resources, capacities and expertise for data generation and evaluation. The discussion examines data still to be generated and/or brought into relation; tensions around data and measurement; and how constructing an evaluation baseline is generative—creating new organisations, relationships and practices. Practical implications The conceptual and methodological approach and empirical findings will be relevant for academic, policymakers and practitioners engaging with cultural evaluation. Originality/value In focussing on the bidding stage in real time through the accompanying researcher position, this article presents original empirical insights into the process of creating a baseline for cities of culture evaluation. The conceptual originality of this article is in using critical data studies to explain strategies of data generation and analyse data relations and frictions.
Purpose García and Cox (2013) have clarified that there is an urgent need for comparative studies of city/capital of culture (COC) events. With the ambition to foster exchange and learning, knowledge production concerning cultural initiatives requires to think beyond the individual case study of a singular event. Simultaneously, the two scholars observe comparability and context-sensitivity between events as a major issue in these particular canons of research. Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon the research experience of the project, this article experiments with a novel reading of city/capital of culture events. Findings Beyond the singularity of a case study but with attention to context-sensitivities, the article proposes a relational reading practice to study the culture-led event framework. The author illustrates the proposed approach with material collected in ethnographic fieldwork in the cities of Donostia/San Sebastián, European COC 2016, and Hull, UK COC 2017. Originality/value By using one case study as a metaphorical pair of glasses framing the investigative perspective on the other, an analytical relationship between two COC events is established, fostering a broader prism of analysis and connected learning.
Purpose - It is well known that culture is a catalyst for change, helping economies respond to societal problems and demands and that culture is where people turn to in moments of crisis. In this case study around designing and implementing evaluation methodologies/frameworks for Coventry UK City of Culture 2021, it is suggested that in English public policy and within publicly invested arts there is a maturation of thinking around recognising/measuring the public value of culture including its social value. The purpose of this paper is to chart the recent policy of justifying cultural expenditure with social value claims and highlight challenges for evaluating activity within Coventry UK CoC 2021 as a change in wider policy is taking place. Design/methodology/approach - This paper provides creative insights into the design and implementation of the evaluation methodologies/frameworks for CoventryUKCity of Culture 2021. The authors of this paper as the collective team undertaking the evaluation of Coventry's year as UK City of Culture 2021 bring first-hand experiences of challenges faced and the need for a cultural mega-event to evidence its value. Findings - The case study aims to address the concepts of measuring value within cultural events and argues that a paradigm shift is occurring in methods and concepts for evidencing the aforementioned value. Research limitations/implications - The case study within this paper focuses on the build-up period to the UK City of Culture 2021 year and the thinking and logic behind the creation of the evaluation/measurement framework and therefore does not include findings from the actual cultural year. Originality/value - It is acknowledged that there are papers examining measuring and evidencing the "value" of cultural mega-events, the authors bring real-life first-hand experience of the concepts being utilised by them on the ground in the delivery and evaluation design of Coventry, UK City of Culture 2021.
Purpose During the evaluation of European Capital of Culture (ECoC) Aarhus 2017, the evaluation organisation rethinkIMPACTS 2017 formulated a set of “dilemmas” capturing the main challenges arising during the design of the ECoC evaluation. This functioned as a framework for the evaluation process. This paper aims to present and discuss the relevance of the “Evaluation Dilemmas Model” as subsequently applied to the Galway 2020 ECoC programme evaluation. Design/methodology/approach The paper takes an empirical approach including auto-ethnography and interview data to document and map the dilemmas involved in undertaking an evaluation in two different European cities. Evolved via a process of practice-based research, the article addresses the development of and the arguments for the dilemmas model and considers its potential for wider applicability in the evaluation of large-scale cultural projects. Findings The authors conclude that the “Evaluation Dilemmas Model” is a valuable heuristic for considering the endogenous and exogenous issues in cultural evaluation. Practical implications The model developed is useful for a wide range of cultural evaluation processes including – but not limited to – European Capitals of Culture. Originality/value What has not been addressed in the academic literature is the process of evaluating ECoCs; especially how evaluators often take part in an overall process that is not just about the evaluation but also planning and delivering a project that includes stakeholder management and the development of evaluation criteria, design and methods.
