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Some of the most rewarding arts experiences can arise from spur-of-the-moment decisions, writes Megan Friel. Are venues doing all they can to offer serendipitous opportunities to engage?

My colleagues and I have been considering programming that invites drop-in visitors to experience performing arts without having purchased a ticket in advance. This line of thought was realized both personally and professionally when I had the opportunity to travel to Norway earlier this year to conduct observational research at Globusfestivalen, an annual festival celebrating culinary traditions and performances from around the world. The festival format provides ample avenues for drop-in participation and we observed a wide range of intentionality and planning among attendees. Some attendees had carefully curated their experience, purchasing advanced online tickets for food booths and meeting friends at pre-selected programs. For other attendees, the Festival seemed to have piqued their interest by chance. While they may have stumbled upon it, they walked slowly through, taking in all of its sights and sounds. Because the Festival created opportunities for spontaneous participation, it was able to reach individuals who might never have sought out the experience.
I myself was pushed towards a new experience through impromptu participation the day after the Festival...Keep reading on Wolf Brown

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Dropping In (Wolf Brown)