This document summarizes a workshop that explored who should be the main targets for learning content arising from an R&D fund aimed at achieving step changes in how the arts engage with and experiment with new technologies. The workshop used personas to represent different audiences and had participants help complete and rank the personas based on their influence over coming barriers to change. 10 personas were described representing people like a private foundation director, marketing officer, creative digital agency director, and others involved in the arts.
2. This document
If an objective of the overall R&D Fund is to achieve a step
change in how the arts engage with and experiment with
new technologies, this workshop was an exploration of who
the main targets should be for the learning content arising
from the fund.
The workshop used personas to explore the different
audiences which participants helped complete and also rank
as to who were the most influential when it came to
overcoming current barriers to change.
This document is a work in progress.
3. Role
Age
44
Characteristics
Passionate, popular, always looking for the next thing
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Private Foundation Director
retweet a message about a project her foundation has supported
Least likely to...
get back to you in reasonable time
Charlotte
If only my trustees
could see how
different cultural
experience could be in
the 21st century
Frustrations
Influencers
Needs
My board just
don’t get digital
projects enough to
fund them
Other foundation
directors
Better stories to
tell
Wants to fund
risky work
Artists
To bring her
4. Role
Age
27
Characteristics
Always online, Apple obsessive, loves design blogs
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Marketing Officer at Leading Regional Theatre
attend a social media meet-up (especially if there’s free stuff)
Least likely to...
be able to influence her chief executive
Eve
Frustrations
I love the theatre but
I’m not sure how much
longer I can work
here given how behind
the times they are
Influencers
The theatre’s
website and IT
infrastructure is
out of date
Digital stuff at
the theatre is
limited to
marketing &
comms
Blogs like the
Guardian and
Ideas Tap
There is no
budget or
interest in her
ideas
Her boss knows
less about digital
than her
Her marketing
friends
Needs
A space to test
out her creative
ideas
5. Role
Age
31
Characteristics
Ideas person, well networked, started coding at puberty
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Director, Creative Digital Agency
own an iPad mini
Least likely to...
not live in Bristol, Brighton or Stoke Newington
Paul
Frustrations
Commercial projects
pay well but what I
really want to do is
just make artvant
When he
approaches arts
orgs he never
gets to talk to the
chief executive
Influencers
Leading digital
thinkers
Artists
Needs
More permission
to be creative
6. Role
Age
47
Characteristics
Environmentalist, left British Council job to move back home
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Director Arts Council East West
attend a Tacita Dean private view
Least likely to...
comprehend the sales figures of Modern Warfare 3
Rachel
Frustrations
I know that digital
stuff is the future.
I’m just not quite
sure how to get there
When I talk about
digital strategy I
don’t really
understand what
I’m saying
Influencers
Arts leaders
Colleagues
Journalists
Needs
TO be more
comfortable
talking about
digital
7. Role
Age
40
Characteristics
Respected, canny, always with a Moleskine at hand
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Director of leading dance company
want to know the bottom line on your project idea
Least likely to...
admit that digital stuff makes her feel old
Rebecca
Frustrations
It’s SO exciting & full
of potential...
I really must find the
time.
Keeping
‘traditional’
work going while
attempting to
innovate.
Not knowing who
to talk to.
Feeling outmoded
Never having the
and like the
right equipment
world is running
- hardware &
while I’m
software.
walking.
Influencers
Other dance
companies - often
international.
Funding bodies.
Emerging
choreographers /
dancers.
Needs
Better
understanding of
audience
behaviours &
expectations.
Risk-free time &
space to work with
innovators.
Digital coproducers.
8. Role
Age
37
Characteristics
Digital enthusiast, cross-disciplinary, more ideas than time
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Theatre Director
Host a TEDx event in his venue
Least likely to...
cancel your lunch appointment
Tim
Frustrations
Come on (arts)
world: catch up.
Influencers
Not enough coproducers to make
amazing digital
work with.
Difficult finding
assistant
producers to
bring in to
manage projects.
Innovation gurus
& journalists
Hard to get
funding for highrisk experimental
work without predefined outcomes.
No room for
failure - & this
is all about
experiment!
MIT
Needs
Other ‘digital
arts companies’
Space to try
things out
Higher profile /
showcasing
More people to
work with!
9. Role
Age
46
Characteristics
Anti-digital, passionate, has worked here for over a decade
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Head of Education & Outreach, major international festival
roll her eyes every time the word Twitter is mentioned
Least likely to...
have vintage festival posters on her office wall
Jackie
Frustrations
The main focus of my
work is taking the arts
into schools and
communities, I’m concerned
about the lack of success
of digital projects.
Digital will dilute
her ability to do
her normal job
She doesn’t know
any good digital
project examples
Influencers
Festival colleagues
The learning
curve is a
burden & digital
constantly changes
Educator
Needs
Confidence that
digital projects
understand the
art form
10. Role
Age
62
Characteristics
Conservative, highly connected, financially oriented
Most likely to...
Persona Name
Museum Board member, ex-head of KPMG
play golf with the a member of the Cabinet
Least likely to...
have met any staff members other than those at board level
Iain
Frustrations
We have a responsibility to
maintain the quality of
collections available to us. Those
collections are our core
business, ensuring good visitor
numbers. All other projects
are secondary to that.
Devices in
museums
endanger a
quality visitor
experience
Influencers
Ex-colleagues and
clients who he
sees at events
Needs
Detailed value
proposition &
financial model
before he can
support a project
11. Role
Age
29
Characteristics
Connected, curious, inventive
Most likely to...
Persona Name
In-house digital lead for large regional visual arts gallery
be jealous of his university friends working in funded start-ups
Least likely to...
thinking setting up a Groupon deal is a good idea
Simon
“I know that tweeting and
managing the digital estate and
databases is my job but there’s
so much more we could do with
digital”
Frustrations
Constantly having
digital ideas
knocked back
Line manager has
no digital
experience
Influencers
Developers he
meets at meetups,
conferences and
hackdays
Needs
Agency and a safe
space to try
things out