Following a high profile recruitment campaign, arts marketer Alison O’Hara has been chosen to take the reigns as Director of Audiences North East.
Audiences North East, the regional audience development agency launched in 2005, is dedicated to increasing the number and range of people engaging with cultural activity in the North East. The agency was created in response to demand from cultural organisations both large and small for an organisation they could join that would serve the interests of North East cultural providers and audiences alike.
Alison O’Hara is uniquely positioned to step into the Director role, as she had been working with Audiences North East as Marketing Manager since January 2006, previously having worked in the communications team at the Arts Council.
Says Alison:
“The North East has enjoyed a burgeoning cultural renaissance over the past decade, with the construction of landmark venues and attractions such as The Sage Gateshead, the Gala Durham, The Alnwick Garden and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art. At Audiences North East we aim to support the continued evolution of the cultural landscape of the region by offering our members a wide range of research, development, marketing and promotional opportunities, all of which are tailored to meet the specific needs of the cultural sector and develop its potential audience.
Essentially, we act as a champion for the cultural sector, and my vision is that we will help to inspire a revolution in the way that local people perceive and engage with the arts.”
Janet Archer, Chair of Audiences North East says:
"Audiences North East’s Board is unanimous in its excitement at the appointment of Alison O'Hara to this key post. She has a deep understanding of audience development needs in the North East and a real commitment to working in partnership within the region to drive new levels of cultural engagement."
Since its launch Audiences North East has carried out market research for a range of cultural organisations, developed the cultural portal website whatsonnortheast.com, commissioned a bench marking survey to determine baseline data on attendance and motivations for attending cultural activities and delivered marketing training sessions for MLA North East in partnership with Tyne & Wear Museums.