A new membership organisation providing a forum for cultural practitioners across Europe to share ideas and good practice in audience development will be launched in York next month. The Audiences Europe Network (AEN) aims to create opportunities for senior practitioners to explore policy issues and engage in debate, as well as supporting professional development.
The network will be launched at a conference examining the theme of ?Bridging the gap between culture and the public?, with conference speakers including Claude Fourteau, Assistant Director of The Louvre, and Nick Starr, Executive Director of the National Theatre. During a pilot phase, staff exchanges, masterclasses and training events have taken place involving The Netherlands, Belgium and the UK, including Rotterdam Festivals (pictured) whose expertise in developing young audiences was shared with UK arts organisations. w: http://www.audienceseurope.net