Respond in Practice 1

Respond in Practice brought together learning around developing and sustaining culturally diverse audiences from a variety of sources and initiatives, into a structured and resourced enabling programme.

Participating Organisations:

• Akademi - South Asian Dance UK
• Architecture Centre Network
• Improbable
• London Philharmonic Orchestra
• London Print Studio
• London Symphony Orchestra
• Lyric Hammersmith
• Poetry Translation Centre
• Rambert Dance Company
• Talawa Theatre Company

To be eligible, organisations had to be in receipt of annual funding from ACE of at least £100,000, and fulfill a number of criteria around commitment to developing diversity, openness to change, and senior organisational support. Organisations applied to Audiences London to take part and are making a small financial contribution to participate. The selection panel included an ACE representative and another advisor.

The Programme
Each successful organisation appointed a champion to be the lead person taking part in the programme. The first events are ?Inspiration' sessions at which champions and their colleagues are introduced to key organisational behaviours that are associated with growing and sustaining diverse audiences. These sessions introduce the behaviours from a theoretical viewpoint and offer vibrant practical examples and case studies.  

Over the next 6-9 months champions will be developing and delivering a viable action plan for their organisation. They will be supported in this by a professionally facilitated action learning set which will enable them to share experience and solve problems. Support from Audiences London will include advice at optional surgery sessions before or after learning set meetings and a small budget will be available to each organisation for Audience London's time or other resources.

Evaluation and dissemination
An external evaluator will analyse both the efficacy of the approaches taken by organisations and the effectiveness of the project structure. These findings, together with the experiences of participating organisations will provide the basis of a Symposium in early 2009 and a series of bespoke surgeries.