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The structure of support for audience development activity across the UK and England in particular, has always been somewhat amorphous, characterised by notable regional strengths, but also significant gaps ? like London, for example, where a fledgling audience development agency has only just this year been established.
Agency re-branding and mergers are a recent feature of the scene, with both Audiences Yorkshire and most recently Creative Arts East having joined forces with other agencies to give themselves strategic regional strength. But as some agencies are being born and growing, including the brand new Wolverhampton Arts Marketing (p3), others are falling by the wayside, and not always for the reasons you might think. MAX (p3) is both solvent and thriving, but uncertainty about long-term funding has persuaded its Board to wind the company up, leaving its supportive clients without a valued resource, whilst empathising with the organisation facing such uncertainties in the wake of the funding system re-structuring. Midlands Arts Marketing, cast adrift by its regional arts board and finally allowed to sink last year ? thus far without resurrection - (ArtsProfessional issue 8, August 27, 2001) is another victim; but whatever East Midland?s Arts? intentions for re-establishing a central audience development service in the region might be, now would not be an easy time to do it. As the waters settle in the wake of the ACE/RAB merger over the next few months, it will be interesting to see how the new unified organisation sets about ensuring that effective audience development services are available across England. Agreeing what audience development is all about would be a useful first step ? but given the range of views on the subject, eloquently highlighted by Tim Brinkman (p7), finding a consensus could prove to be the biggest stumbling block.