Are we living in the age of risk aversion?
New research from The Wallace Foundation highlights how so-called "conversion" strategies generally fail. These are where fine arts organizations program a special series, perhaps a collaboration between an up-and-coming chef and an orchestra, for the purpose of attracting new (younger!) audiences. The aspiration is that these younger attendees will cross over to "regular" programming... and there is simply no evidence that such a thing happens at scale.
According to the Pew Research Center, attitudes toward cohabitation (as opposed to marriage, or prior to marriage) have shifted dramatically over just a few generations. For well over half of "cohabiters" the major sticking point is tied to money. Living together has clear financial benefits, but we know that a legal marriage can actually undercut a couple's financial capacity, especially if their earnings are low enough that they qualify for public assistance. (https://lnkd.in/eUiN2i_d, https://lnkd.in/egsGCYCA)
Last, the public sector workforce has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, but Governing's latest newsletter highlights how uneven the return has been. See: “In school districts, we hear a lot about how a school might have all their teaching positions filled but have no substitutes,” says Sara Hinkley, program director of an education center at the University of California, Berkeley.?
So, the full-time roles are attractive, but the precarious substitute jobs are plainly not.
How do we grapple with an increasingly risk-averse adult workforce? Can we do anything to make social and economic risks less off-putting?
A new report from the Wallace Foundation on performing arts organizations debunks the idea that hooking target audiences with special programming will turn them into subscribers.
NEA Research & Analysis Director Sunil Iyengar looks at what else we can learn from the study.
Performing Arts “Crossover” Strategies Fail to Diversify Core Audiences, According to New Report
arts.gov
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