Abstract
Abstract This research article examines the current situation of audiences in Thailand who attend non-mainstream contemporary theatre and dance, focusing on the barriers to building audiences for this type of performance. Mixed methods were used to collect data from various target groups, including qualitative methods like in-depth interviews, and focus groups for contemporary theatre and dance companies and arts spaces, and quantitative data gathered from audience questionnaires and surveys. The study revealed that many theatre and dance companies or groups run by artists often put more emphasis on their performance-making than on their organization or management. Such a production-centered emphasis often neglects the importance of two-way interaction between artists and audiences and shows insufficient appreciation of audiences in developing their performances and programs. The inattention of many performance companies or groups to their current and potential audiences and to techniques to build and develop them is widespread, but not universal. However, a few groups have worked to create and manage their performances based on audiences’ perspectives, thus both removing barriers to performance participation as much as possible and motivating transactional relations with audiences. Audience responses from these companies has led to greater audience engagement and improved audience appreciation.
Highlights
Few people in Thailand have systematically tried to understand audience development concepts or practices
Many artists, non-mainstream theatre or dance companies and academics have focused on the model of “audience education”
Criteria for selecting interview subjects for the qualitative methods emphasized non-mainstream performing arts organizations, contemporary theatre and dance groups or companies, arts spaces, producers and independent theatre makers or dancers based in Bangkok or outside it
Summary
Few people in Thailand have systematically tried to understand audience development concepts or practices. Many artists, non-mainstream theatre or dance companies and academics have focused on the model of “audience education”. It is common to see clichés like “We need to develop our audiences; they have to be educated in arts appreciation!” in the Bangkok theatre community, especially when few people attend productions. Performance groups often interpret the feedback from their productions as signs that audiences often do not understand their performance or do not appreciate their work. Audience education is surely one important part of audience development, but it is not enough. Emphasizing this aspect exclusively has likely led to small audiences and financial losses for some theatre productions.
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