A new audience development organisation has been formed to promote and develop arts and audiences in the east of Scotland. Audiences East Scotland (AES) will work with its member organisations, including Aberdeen Performing Arts, Arts and Theatres Trust Fife, Byre Theatre, Caird Hall, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee Rep Theatre, Horsecross (which includes the Perth Concert Hall, pictured), Fife Contemporary Art and Craft, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Scottish Dance Theatre. AES, which has recently appointed a project manager to further its aims, joins audience development agencies and programmes in Scotland, including the Edinburgh and Glasgow agencies and Growing Audiences North East. AES Chairman Derek Allan said that the organisation’s success “will be directly measured by audience growth”, which would in turn raise the profile of the arts in the East of Scotland.