On the record: an account of regional non-theatregoers' responses to a selection of plays toured to northern Australia in 2004-2005

When groups of regional non-theatregoers experience a selection of plays and then report that most enjoyed them, could understand them, could relate to them, and would like to see more of them, the obvious questions to ask are “Why were they non-theatregoers? and how can we ensure that they now return?” This paper details regional non-theatregoers’ (or new audiences’) reception of plays to demonstrate how theatre is perceived by the recently-introduced. By better understanding new audiences and their reception of plays, more effective decisions can be made to impact on the creation of new work, the programming of seasonal repertoire, and the marketing of plays with this significant segment of the community in mind. Likewise, the non-theatregoers’ introduction to ‘the world of theatre’ enables them to directly experience live plays and to become more knowledgeable about what the theatre has to offer and how they might engage with it

Understanding new audiences: an audience reception study of 'non-theatregoers' attending La Boite Theatre Company's 1998 season

The primary aim of the project was to expose audience perceptions of La Boite Theatre's 1998 season; secondly, to test and to refine the methodology; thirdly, to discover the reasons why participants do not regularly attend theatre productions. La Boite Theatre is a professional company seen to be positioned between the larger State company and smaller professional and amateur companies in Brisbane. It is a theatre-in-the-round and so its spatial dynamics are conducive to audience participation and close involvement with the drama. In 1998 La Boite Theatre's season of plays was as follows: The John Wayne Principle, Emma Celebrazione!, The Conjurers, Speaking in Tongues, X-Stacy, and A Beautiful Life. The 1998 La Boite Theatre audience reception study contained three groups of twelve participants. All were non-regular theatregoers. In each group there were two of each gender in the 20s, 30-40s, and 50+ age groups earning a variety of incomes. An outline of this study, its success as an industry collaborative venture, and some results will be presented

Regional voices talk theatre: audience development for the performing arts

[Abstract]: Audience development is somewhat of a ‘buzz word’ within the Australian performing arts sector at present. However, rather than actually engage with audiences and with non-attenders to discover how to best service the community, most performing arts organisations approach audience development from a product-centred viewpoint. In direct contrast to this, the Talking Theatre project (2004-2006) was implemented in regional Queensland and in the Northern Territory in Australia as an audience development initiative focused on the consumer. The project sought to assist performing arts centres (PACs) to better engage with their local communities and to build new audiences for the future. In particular, the research aimed to understand non-attenders; their reasons for non-attendance, and their reactions to a range of live performances they experienced under study conditions. The Talking Theatre project provided the vehicle for introduction, communication and relationship building to occur to assist in attitudinal and behavioural change. The non-attenders enjoyed their experiences at the PACs and have begun attending performances outside of study conditions. Limited awareness of the performing arts’ relevance to their lives combined with a lack of positive peer influence to attend, were the chief deterrents to attendance for the participants in the study

New Audiences' Reception of Plays: Before, During and After

This paper provides insight into the reception of non-theatregoers to a selection of plays performed in Queensland and the Northern Territory in 2004 and 2005. This data was collected and analysed as part of a three-year regional audience development project: Talking Theatre: An audience development programme for regional Queensland and the Northern Territory (2004-2006). The research was funded by the Australian Research Council, N.A.R.P.A.C.A. , Arts Queensland, Arts Northern Territory, and the Queensland University of Technology. 'Talking Theatre' sought to build new audiences both in the short and long terms for performing arts centres (P.A.C.s) participating in the project. The research endeavoured to develop a profile of non-theatregoers in regional areas, to understand their reasons for non-attendance, and to discover their reactions to live performances, and to the PACs which presented them.The conference was sponsored by A.D.S.A., the Department of Performance Studies, the School of Letters, Arts and Media, and the Faculty of Arts of the University of Sydney

Talking theatre: an audience development programme for regional Queensland and the Northern Territory 2004-2006

Talking Theatre was a three year research project funded by the Australian Research Council, NARPACA, Arts Queensland, Arts Northern Territory, and the Queensland University of Technology. Talking Theatre sought to build new audiences both in the short and long term for the fourteen regional performing arts centres associated with the project. The research endeavoured to develop a profile of non-theatregoers in regional areas, to understand their reasons for non-attendance, and to discover their reactions to live performances, and to the performing arts centres who presented them

Introduction: resistance and resilience

In setting 'resilience' as the theme for ADSA’s 2016 conference, we were conscious of the challenges facing both the entertainment industry and the higher education sector in Australia at the moment, but throughout the region more broadly. We were also aware of the parallels with two other recent ADSA conferences. Namely, the 2014 conference hosted by the Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand with the theme of 'Restoring Balance' and the 2012 conference hosted by Queensland University of Technology with theme 'Compass Points', especially the words of the editors in their introduction to that conference’s proceedings: 'We think the ADSA community too is characterised by the strength, resilience and determination sometimes needed to push through the rough patches to continue to create and report on some of the most meaningful elements of our local, national and international cultural landscapes.

Artistic Freedom or Animal Cruelty? Contemporary Visual Art Practice That Involves Live and Deceased Animals

This paper examines a selection of 21st-century international examples of exhibited visual artworks involving live or deceased animals. It seeks to reveal the risks and benefits of unique encounters with animals through art and to consider the ethical implications of artwork deploying animals. Australian and international animal protection laws are not explicit when it comes to the sourcing of animals for art nor for the direct inclusion of animals in artworks. This lack leads to a variety of artistic practices, some considered ethical while others are viewed as controversial, bordering on animal cruelty. Artwork selection is determined by a focus on high-profile artists who intentionally use animals in their practice and whose reputation has been fostered by this intention. The study provides insight into how the intentional use of ethically sourced animals within art practice can be a method of addressing hierarchal human–animal imbalances. Further, this study identifies unethical practices that may be best avoided regardless of the pro-animal political statements the artists put forward. Recommendations of how to better determine what is an acceptable use of animals in art with a view to informing legal guidelines and artistic best practice are presented

Genetic Sharing with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Diabetes Reveals Novel Bone Mineral Density Loci.

Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is a highly heritable trait, but genome-wide association studies have identified few genetic risk factors. Epidemiological studies suggest associations between BMD and several traits and diseases, but the nature of the suggestive comorbidity is still unknown. We used a novel genetic pleiotropy-informed conditional False Discovery Rate (FDR) method to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BMD by leveraging cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated disorders and metabolic traits. By conditioning on SNPs associated with the CVD-related phenotypes, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, triglycerides and waist hip ratio, we identified 65 novel independent BMD loci (26 with femoral neck BMD and 47 with lumbar spine BMD) at conditional FDR < 0.01. Many of the loci were confirmed in genetic expression studies. Genes validated at the mRNA levels were characteristic for the osteoblast/osteocyte lineage, Wnt signaling pathway and bone metabolism. The results provide new insight into genetic mechanisms of variability in BMD, and a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of clinical comorbidity

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Does the 'Shakespeare' in Shakespeare in the Park matter?: an investigation of attendances and attitudes of the USQ Shakespeare in the Park Festival

In 2010, the annual University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Shakespeare in the Park Festival (SitPF) was held in Queens Park, Toowoomba, Queensland for the seventh consecutive year. This large outdoor theatre event was established to encourage greater attendances to performances of Shakespeare's plays by making them more accessible to the public. Attendance levels at SitPF have grown by 170 per cent since its inception in 2004. In 2009, audience research was conducted to ascertain the barriers to attendance, as well as patrons' opinions of SitPF. Results showed that the primary deterrent to attendance was the fear that the Shakespearean content would not be understood or enjoyed. Only one-third of the 2009 SitPF audience, and of the repeat SitPF patrons, attended primarily because of the Shakespearean content. Interestingly, the Shakespearean content did not play a significant part in the overall enjoyment of the event for either type of SitPF audience