Arts organisations’ current websites are unlikely to draw a new wave of previously unengaged audiences to the arts, according to Arts Council England (ACE). This is because those groups who are least likely to have access to digital technologies are also least likely to engage with the arts. Among those who do have online access but little interest in the arts, few are likely to look for arts experiences online, and if they do stumble across them, are unlikely to stay.
These are among a range of conclusions drawn from two recent reports looking at the impact of digital opportunities for the arts sector, the Digital Content Snapshot by MTM London and Consuming Digital Arts by Synovate. The Snapshot provides an evaluation of the websites of 869 Regularly Funded Organisations that will receive ACE funding of £1.3 billion between 2008 and 2011. The report argues that the majority of RFO sites attract relatively small audiences, have content that may be hard for audiences to discover, and are probably not regarded as particularly notable by their audiences. The study found that 94% of arts organisations’ websites focus primarily on encouraging the public to engage with a live experience, with over two-thirds of those sites having limited content or functionality. 4% were categorised as being ‘multi-platform cultural institutions’, with websites that promote live experiences as well as providing a stand-alone online resource or experience. Less than 1% were assessed as being ‘online specialists’, having a site for which online is the primary medium for delivering or distributing content.
The report also considers the opportunities provided by the debate about public service content stimulated by the Digital Britain Review (AP197). While it notes that 93% of sites are ‘very limited’, ‘limited’ or ‘fair’ in terms of their production values, originality of content, interactivity and discoverability, 7% are good or excellent. It concludes that for those looking to improve, the examples of good practice come from major cultural institutions with strong brand names, and small, digitally literate organisations with a focus on the visual arts, music, moving image and multimedia. Read more about digital innovation on p7.