Pilot study methods

Life history interviews

52 interviews were carried out by Dr Jonathan Gross (then Research Associate on the project) with audiences for contemporary arts events in Birmingham.

Through the use of specifically developed, semi-structured, ‘life-history’ interviews, we gave audience members an unusually extended and ‘open’ opportunity to articulate their experiences of the arts; to track the development of their cultural experiences, attitudes, tastes and practices over their lifetime; and to articulate these experiences in relation to any parts of their life to which they are connected – such as work, family, education, friendships and other interests.

The way in which these interviews were conducted also gave participants the opportunity to ‘think out loud’ and to answer the same question more than once, in a different way. These methods respond to the considerable challenges that face attempts to articulate experiences of the arts and their value; and create conditions in which the full importance of these experiences – embedded within rich biographical contexts – can be expressed - extract from Pilot Study Report (PDF, 862KB).

Interviews lasted an average of 1h 09 minutes and provided participants with an opportunity to describe their experiences of the arts over the course of a lifetime.

The interview schedule can be downloaded by completing this form.

Pilot study interview participants

52 interviews with 53 audience members (1 double interview)

Note: 4 participants did not give their consent for their data to be used in future research projects, therefore the number of interviews has changed from previous publications where it was reported as 56 interviews with 57 audience members.

Recruited via the mailing lists of the partner organisations as follows:

  • BE Festival: 14 participants

  • BCMG: 20 participants

  • Craftspace: 8 participants

  • DanceXchange: 5 participants

  • Grand Union: 5 participants

  • Unsure / word of mouth: 1 participant

Demographics of the dataset:

  • Age: from 22 to 86 years old.
    16-24 = 5 | 25-34 = 5 | 35-44 = 2 | 45-54 = 7 | 55-64 = 12 | 65-74 = 17 | 75+ = 5

  • Educational history: from school leaver to university professor.

  • Occupation: including civil servants, administrators, community artists, an art therapist, students, a commodity trader, a consultant geneticist, social workers, teachers, and other occupations besides.

  • Type, duration and intensity of previous involvement with the arts, including: recently developed interests in the arts; very infrequent attendance at live events; engagement in amateur art practice; advanced art school education; long-standing and/or extremely frequent arts attendance; membership (or financial support) of arts organisations in Birmingham.

  • Location: 31 participants lived within the Birmingham city council region, 10 lived within the wider West Midlands county, 9 lived further away from the city in neighbouring counties (Shropshire and Worcestershire), with 2 participants in London and 1 in Manchester.

Participant observation

We supplemented these interview methods with participant observation, in order to speak informally with audiences in situ, in the immediacy of their arts experiences; and to observe the uses audiences make of particular organisational spaces. We conducted participant observation at Digbeth First Friday events, at which a number of small and medium sized contemporary art galleries and studios in the Digbeth area of Birmingham open late and invite people to visit a range of venues during the course of the evening.

We also conducted participant observation at BCMG concerts and rehearsals. Members of the BCMG Sound Investors scheme are given access to rehearsals, and – as discussed in the ‘Findings’ section below – for many participants this is a very important part of their overall engagement with BCMG. Being able to speak to people informally – before, after and during these events – provided important additional insight into participants’ experiences of the contemporary arts and the value they place on them.

Audience exchanges

See also: “Audience exchange”: cultivating peer-to-peer dialogue at unfamiliar arts events

We conducted four ‘Audience Exchange’ visits, taking groups of between 8 and 12 people to a performance or exhibition at an organisation presenting contemporary work, and holding a group discussion. Participants were encouraged to sign up for a visit to an art form or an art organisation they are less familiar with, or do not typically visit.

This method has two significant benefits. Firstly, it creates opportunities – in situ – to explore audience experience of contemporary work with which they are unfamiliar. And secondly, it creates conditions in which research participants can share experiences as a group. This allows for important themes and ideas to develop through the group dynamic; encouraging responses to be exchanged, shared, and contradicted; and for matters of shared concern or interest to emerge in ways that only a group conversation can make possible.

15 participants took part in 4 audience exchanges:

  • BCMG Family Concert: Pathways and Places, 8th March 2015 – 10 participants

  • DanceXchange: 21 Years / 21 Works by Vincent Dance Theatre, 18th March 2015 – 8 participants

  • Eastside Projects: visit to Birmingham Show exhibition, 19th March 2015 – 7 participants

  • Ikon Gallery: visit to A.K. Dolven and Nástio Mosquito exhibitions, 19th March 2015 – 6 participants

Organisational interviews

Finally, we conducted interviews with the directors of the five arts organisations with whose audiences we had conducted fieldwork. The reason for this was to explore with senior figures, in strategic roles within their organisations, the ways in which they currently work with their audiences, and what challenges the organisation faces in working with audiences in the future.

This final method allows for the research to bring organisational and participant perspectives into dialogue, putting the project in the best possible position to produce findings that draw on – and respond to – the articulated experiences and concerns of all those with an interest in the contemporary arts, and the organisational conditions and challenges within which these experiences take place.

  • BE Festival – Miguel Oyarzun

  • BCMG – Stephen Newbould

  • Craftspace – Deirdre Figueredo

  • DanceXchange – Linda Saunders

  • Grand Union – Cheryl Jones

Plus informal conversations with Kim McAlesse (Grand Union), Ian Francis (Flatpack), Libby Aldrige (DanceXchange), Sadie Newman (BE Festival), Charlotte Martin (Stan’s Cafe), Tim Rushby (BCMG), Adam Cooper and Kealy Cousins (Sound and Music), Sound Investors group discussion, and BE Next group discussion.