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Critical Mass: Theatre Spectatorship and Value Attribution
‘Theatre Spectatorship and Value Attribution’ was an AHRC-supported research study initiated and undertaken by the British Theatre Consortium, looking at how theatre audiences value the experience of attending performances. The focus was on the self-reported description of experiences of individuals who attend the theatre, which were gathered mainly through online questionnaires, interviews, and creative workshops. We also tapped memory by asking some subjects about a performance they saw one year ago. The research project took place between September 2013 and May 2014. Our partners in the project were the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Young Vic, and Theatre Royal Plymouth (Drum). Over 300 surveys were completed, 31 interviews undertaken and 3 workshops held. The resulting report, Critical Mass: Theatre Spectatorship and Value Attribution can be accessed via the button below.
During the course of the research project, members of the British Theatre Consortium posted blogs about their own theatre experiences: reflecting on subjects such as memory, childhood encounters with theatre performance, audience participation, theatre and political change, imagination, value and meaning.
At the end of the research study, three public events sharing the findings of the research – ‘Unrestricted View: What do Audiences Value in What They See?’ – were held at the project’s partner theatres.
A culminating conference was held in London at the end of the project: ‘The Roar of the Crowd: Theatre Spectators & Cultural Value’ (see Conferences tab).
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