What is AEP?
AEP – or the Audience Engagement Platform – is an innovative web-based communications network that is being designed to connect performing artists, and the environments within which they work, with their audiences – patrons, contributors, the media, and potential funders. It aims to be a “one-stop” service for online audience engagement that builds off of the extraordinary technical advances utilized in the commercial and social sectors. AEP is designed as a long-term, arts-wide solution that will facilitate meaningful and productive two-way interaction between those who create art and those who appreciate it.
Who Does It Serve?
A resource to the creative community as well as those who support the arts, AEP will help artists to actively engage their audiences in an on-going dialogue about the work being created, providing the opportunity for arts enthusiasts to go behind the scenes and actually participate in the creative process. In addition, because of its reach, AEP aims to help captivate and cultivate arts donors, maximize media coverage, and provide an unprecedented communication network, going far beyond the traditional confines of artist and audience and in some ways, re-defining what it means to be an audience.
A resource to the creative community as well as those who support the arts, AEP will help artists to actively engage their audiences in an on-going dialogue about the work being created, providing the opportunity for arts enthusiasts to go behind the scenes and actually participate in the creative process. In addition, because of its reach, AEP aims to help captivate and cultivate arts donors, maximize media coverage, and provide an unprecedented communication network, going far beyond the traditional confines of artist and audience and in some ways, re-defining what it means to be an audience.
Why Is It Needed?
Over 40% of all Americans attend performing arts events each year and there are over 6 million artists working in America. While each interacts with his/her own audience base perhaps once or twice a year, their cumulative reach is enormous. Artists have a huge opportunity to engage their audiences through the web, yet with uncertainty about which tools to use and to what degree, artists often feel stranded, frustrated, and static in their audience outreach. AEP will simplify and streamline the various online vehicles available, and create effective and efficient ways of engaging and growing audiences. For audiences it will provide unprecedented and meaningful ways to feel close and involved as a partner in the arts.
Over 40% of all Americans attend performing arts events each year and there are over 6 million artists working in America. While each interacts with his/her own audience base perhaps once or twice a year, their cumulative reach is enormous. Artists have a huge opportunity to engage their audiences through the web, yet with uncertainty about which tools to use and to what degree, artists often feel stranded, frustrated, and static in their audience outreach. AEP will simplify and streamline the various online vehicles available, and create effective and efficient ways of engaging and growing audiences. For audiences it will provide unprecedented and meaningful ways to feel close and involved as a partner in the arts.
How Does It Work?
For artists, arts organizations and theaters, AEP will provide an easy-to-use set of web tools that can be customized to their needs, offering a built-in customer relationship management database, messaging, and incentives center. This platform provides the ability to mobilize audiences, inviting them to engage with the arts as active partners. This synthesis occurs through innovative web interactions that allow emailing, blogging, live-streaming, instant messaging and much more to occur all through one portal. AEP aims to virtually transport the user directly into the creative process, allowing arts enthusiasts to interact with the artists in ways never before imagined.Download the AEP brochure (PDF)Initial funding toward the development of the Audience Engagement Platform is provided in part by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Dance/USA’s Engaging Dance Audiences, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
For artists, arts organizations and theaters, AEP will provide an easy-to-use set of web tools that can be customized to their needs, offering a built-in customer relationship management database, messaging, and incentives center. This platform provides the ability to mobilize audiences, inviting them to engage with the arts as active partners. This synthesis occurs through innovative web interactions that allow emailing, blogging, live-streaming, instant messaging and much more to occur all through one portal. AEP aims to virtually transport the user directly into the creative process, allowing arts enthusiasts to interact with the artists in ways never before imagined.Download the AEP brochure (PDF)Initial funding toward the development of the Audience Engagement Platform is provided in part by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Dance/USA’s Engaging Dance Audiences, and The Rockefeller Foundation.
