Area Cultural Groups Adjust to Changing Audience Patterns

Patricia Horn

2007, 7 pages. The William Penn Foundation, Two Logan Square, 11th Floor, 100 North 18th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 988-1830, www.williampenfoundation.org

In the wave of recent media innovations, how do arts institutions compete? This monograph, published by the William Penn Foundation, takes a close look at the ways arts institutions are adapting to changing audience interests. For example, how is the Free Library of Philadelphia responding to competition from bookstores, Amazon.com, video games, Google, NetFlix, public radio, and everything else that provides alternatives to going to the library and reading books? Arts institutions are finding that reaching today's audience demands constant experimentation, flexibility, and interactivity. Several arts institutions from the Philadelphia area are profiled, each with unique ways of adapting their programming to the changing interests of their patrons.