Why Audience Development, and why now?
The COVID-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning beginning in May 2020 has encouraged Celebrity Series to closely examine elements of our business model that serve as barriers for inclusivity, including:
- Price accessibility, particularly for younger audience members;
- Geographic access for audiences outside of Boston/Cambridge and the immediately surrounding suburbs;
- Historical underrepresentation of BIPOC audiences among the Celebrity Series subscriber base, and among the larger arts-going audience in Boston; and
- The lack of community for newer audience members at Celebrity Series performances.
As a first step in addressing these barriers, Celebrity Series has centered the concept of “authentic welcoming” as an organizational value, seeking to make Celebrity Series performances a place where all people can feel a sense of belonging and connection through the performing arts.
By supporting the Audience Development Fund, you will make possible the following activities:
- A $35 under 35 program crafted to provide Boston’s young professionals with a sense of community and belonging at Celebrity Series performances.
- Engaging more partners and influencers in BIPOC communities to continue driving new audiences to Celebrity Series performances, particularly those historically underrepresented at Celebrity Series’ performances.
- Increasing the number of complimentary/reduced-price tickets for first-time attendees to popular performances by subsidizing top-tier ticket pricing for new attendees at their first CelebritySeries performance
- Enhancing group-sale and student-rush initiatives through grassroots marketing efforts, outbound sales, and enhanced publicity.
- Doubling down on our social media outreach and targeted advertising by exploring new platforms, groups, and methods of outreach.
- Targeting specific marketing and audience engagement investments to welcome new ticket buyers at our first suburban venue, Groton Hill Music Center.
For more information on the Audience Development Initiative, and to learn how to
support, please contact Emily Borababy at eb@celebrityseries.org or 617.733.3294. To make a gift, please click here