The Connectivity with the Audience - Post-Normal World Shaping Cultural Organizations and Arts Management

The changes in society in recent months due to the covid-19 pandemic, have had a drastic impact on the cultural field. Many artists and art organizations have been forced to think of new ways of presenting artworks by bringing art to where the people are, while the situation in the past has been the other way around. Current circumstances have shown how the most vibrant cultural organizations have been channeling their resources in many novel ways by engaging people on digital platforms and by connecting and strengthening the relationship with the existing audience.

photo by Kari Rosenberg

As digital environments, rethinking of revenue models and pricing have come up in the cultural debate during the covid-19 pandemic, interaction, participation building, audience journey and audience experience behind the connectivity have received less attention. Promoting interaction, designing ways to participate and getting people feeling themselves connected is essential for cultural organizations. During these post-normal times, strengthening and promoting the connectivity can be seen as a key for success in a cultural field.  Shaping connectivity is a tool to make artistic offer more accessible and new revenue models possible. 

As a whole, cultural organizations need to focus more on relationship-driven approach instead of traditional content or transaction-driven ideology. Engaged and dedicated audiences are the key value for all artists, and art and culture organizations. In a post-normal world, maintaining the connection with the audience and promoting long-lasting relationships can be seen as a way for artists and art organizations to strengthen their role and be more engaged, present and relevant with the audience.