Effecting sector-wide changeWorkshop B, Sept 27th Learning Event

This document

If an objective of the overall R&D Fund is to achieve a step change in how the arts engage with and experiment with new technologies, this workshop was an exploration of who the main targets should be for the learning content arising from the fund.

The workshop used personas to explore the different audiences which participants helped complete and also rank as to who were the most influential when it came to overcoming current barriers to change.

This document is a work in progress.

Persona Name

Charlotte

If only my trustees could see how different cultural experience could be in the 21st century

Role Private Foundation Director

Age 44

Characteristics Passionate, popular, always looking for the next thing

Most likely to... retweet a message about a project her foundation has supported

Least likely to... get back to you in reasonable time

Frustrations Influencers Needs

My board just don’t get digital projects enough to fund them

Other foundation directors

Better stories to tell

Artists To bring herWants to fund risky work

Persona Name

Eve

I love the theatre but I’m not sure how much longer I can work here given how behind the times they are

Role Marketing Officer at Leading Regional Theatre

Age 27

Characteristics Always online, Apple obsessive, loves design blogs

Most likely to... attend a social media meet-up (especially if there’s free stuff)

Least likely to... be able to influence her chief executive

Frustrations Influencers Needs

The theatre’s website and IT infrastructure is out of date

Blogs like the Guardian and Ideas Tap

A space to test out her creative ideas

There is no budget or interest in her ideas

Her marketing friends

Digital stuff at the theatre is limited to marketing & comms

Her boss knows less about digital than her

Persona Name

Paul

Commercial projects pay well but what I really want to do is just make artvant

Role Director, Creative Digital Agency

Age 31

Characteristics Ideas person, well networked, started coding at puberty

Most likely to... own an iPad mini

Least likely to... not live in Bristol, Brighton or Stoke Newington

Frustrations Influencers Needs

When he approaches arts orgs he never gets to talk to the chief executive

Leading digital thinkers

More permission to be creative

Artists

Persona Name

Rachel

I know that digital stuff is the future. I’m just not quite sure how to get there

Role Director Arts Council East West

Age 47

Characteristics Environmentalist, left British Council job to move back home

Most likely to... attend a Tacita Dean private view

Least likely to... comprehend the sales figures of Modern Warfare 3

Frustrations Influencers Needs

When I talk about digital strategy I don’t really understand what I’m saying

Arts leaders

TO be more comfortable talking about digital

Colleagues

Journalists

Persona Name

Rebecca

It’s SO exciting & full of potential...I really must find the time.

Role Director of leading dance company

Age 40

Characteristics Respected, canny, always with a Moleskine at hand

Most likely to... want to know the bottom line on your project idea

Least likely to... admit that digital stuff makes her feel old

Frustrations Influencers Needs

Keeping ‘traditional’ work going while attempting to innovate.

Better understanding of audience behaviours & expectations.

Never having the right equipment - hardware & software.

Not knowing who to talk to.

Feeling outmoded and like the world is running while I’m walking.

Other dance companies - often international.

Funding bodies.

Emerging choreographers / dancers.

Risk-free time & space to work with innovators.

Digital co-producers.

Persona Name

Tim

Come on (arts) world: catch up.

Role Theatre Director

Age 37

Characteristics Digital enthusiast, cross-disciplinary, more ideas than time

Most likely to... Host a TEDx event in his venue

Least likely to... cancel your lunch appointment

Frustrations Influencers Needs

Not enough co-producers to make amazing digital work with.

Innovation gurus & journalists

Space to try things out

Hard to get funding for high-risk experimental work without pre-defined outcomes.

Difficult finding assistant producers to bring in to manage projects.

No room for failure - & this is all about experiment!

MIT

Other ‘digital arts companies’

Higher profile / showcasing

More people to work with!

Persona Name

Jackie

The main focus of my work is taking the arts into schools and communities, I’m concerned about the lack of success of digital projects.

Role Head of Education & Outreach, major international festival

Age 46

Characteristics Anti-digital, passionate, has worked here for over a decade

Most likely to... roll her eyes every time the word Twitter is mentioned

Least likely to... have vintage festival posters on her office wall

Frustrations Influencers Needs

Digital will dilute her ability to do her normal job

She doesn’t know any good digital project examples

The learning curve is a burden & digital constantly changes

Festival colleagues

Educator

Confidence that digital projects understand the art form

Persona Name

Iain

We have a responsibility to maintain the quality of collections available to us. Those collections are our core business, ensuring good visitor numbers. All other projects are secondary to that.

Role Museum Board member, ex-head of KPMG

Age 62

Characteristics Conservative, highly connected, financially oriented

Most likely to... play golf with the a member of the Cabinet

Least likely to... have met any staff members other than those at board level

Frustrations Influencers Needs

Devices in museums endanger a quality visitor experience

Ex-colleagues and clients who he sees at events

Detailed value proposition & financial model before he can support a project

Persona Name

Simon

“I know that tweeting and managing the digital estate and databases is my job but there’s so much more we could do with digital”

Frustrations Influencers Needs

Constantly having digital ideas knocked back

Developers he meets at meetups, conferences and hackdays

Agency and a safe space to try things out

Role In-house digital lead for large regional visual arts gallery

Age 29

Characteristics Connected, curious, inventive

Most likely to... be jealous of his university friends working in funded start-ups

Least likely to... thinking setting up a Groupon deal is a good idea

Line manager has no digital experience