New Survey Provides Insights Into How Chicago-area Arts Organizations Feel About Virtual Programming
WDCB’s Gary Zidek talks to Ellen Placey Wadey, the program director of Chicago Artistic Vitality and Collects for the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, about the results of a recent survey of local arts organizations.
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“To date, a lot of the content has been for free. Because it’s just the impulse of ‘how do we stay connected with the people that we support’ and now it’s ‘how do we develop new audiences?’ and if something is free, folks will be more inclined to take a chance on it. But ultimately, earned revenue, ticket (sales), are really important to performing arts organizations.” - the Donnelley Foundation’s Ellen Placey Wadey talking about issues associated with presenting virtual content for free.
A look at Fifth House Ensemble’s efforts to make music online.
Twenty-twenty will be remembered as the year of COVID-19. But those in the arts world may also remember it as the year artists, institutions and organizations embraced going virtual. Arts organizations turned to the virtual realm after the COVID-19 pandemic ended all types of in-person events. Theater and dance companies began live-streaming performances, museums created web exhibits and organizations increased their overall online presence.
It’s hard to remember now, but prior to the pandemic, many institutions, venues and arts organizations were resistant to presenting things virtually. Today, almost all arts organization have invested in some type of online programming. But are those entities seeing the engagement they’re hoping for? And how big a role could virtual programming play, even once in-person events start up again?
Those are some of the questions Gary was wondering about as well. Right now, there’s not a lot of data out there because everyone is still coping with the realities of the pandemic. But the Chicago-based Donnelly Foundation was able to shine some light on the topic with a recent survey it conducted of local arts organizations. The grantmaking non-profit asked 61 arts organizations, with budgets under $1 million for insights into their use of virtual programming.
Silk Road Rising is one of several local theaters that have invested in virtual programming.
The survey revealed a spectrum of new information, including:
100% of the arts organizations surveyed presented virtual programming in 2020, ranging from socially distanced concerts and artist talks to livestreamed performances
70% of arts organizations said their virtual programming received far more engagement than anticipated.
You can check out a snapshot of the survey’s findings by clicking here.
