Change Within Change.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis forced a change of plans, and perhaps of thinking too. The ADESTE+ Summer School and Conference, originally due to take place in Rijeka, Croatia, adjusted to new circumstances and took place online, dealing with a range of questions and issues old and new.

The central concept remained the same – looking at what cultural institutions need to do or change in order to become more audience focused. The concept of audience development is transversal, extending from the framing of cultural policy to issues of cultural rights, access and participation. Increasing cultural participation is a crucial challenge for an inclusive and open European society, and growing audiences depends on the ability of a cultural organisation to place the audience at the centre of its practice. However, this theme has taken on greater significance and new urgency as the crisis forces us to address the role of cultural organisations in this changed world. Now more than ever our actual or potential audience has to be at the forefront of our thinking.

This new situation has allowed reaching people from around the world. The debate about ‘virtual versus physical’ will rumble on for a long time yet, but whilst we missed being in the beautiful Croatian National Theatre with its roof painted by Ernst and Gustav Klimt and the excitement of the European Capital of Culture, it would have been difficult to host the 700 people that took part in the online version.

Indeed, there were participants from 60 countries in 6 continents (we missed Antarctica), and more than 50 external speakers / contributors. It meant that the debates were enriched by many cultural perspectives, views and types of practice, addressing the important topic of audience development, cultural democracy and the change this demands for organisations. The circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic brought an extra dimension and urgency to the discussion, hence the title of the series – ‘Change within Change.’