Audience Architects was founded in 2006 by Carol L. Fox and Niki Morrison and received 501(c)3 status in 2008. Its mission is to build new and broader audiences for Chicago area dance organizations by providing community-wide audience development initiatives for dance performances and instruction, professional development opportunities, and direct service to the field.
Audience Architects grew out of The Chicago Community Trust’s five-year Dance Initiative, which, among other things, funded a multi-year market research study on how to build dance audiences. One of the resultant projects was SeeChicagoDance.com, an audience development website, which launched in 2005 and drives ticket sales for dance in Chicago. With its comprehensive calendar, discount ticket sales program, email newsletter and database of proven dance patrons, the site quickly proved to be a success. It was clear that it needed to continue beyond the duration of the Dance Initiative. With no service organization for dance, a new organization, Audience Architects, was formed.
Based on the success of the site, dance companies began turning to Audience Architects for additional services. In response to the community need, Audience Architects has expanded its programs and initiatives to help dance companies increase their earned revenue through ticket sales and touring income. SeeChicagoDance.com now includes critical reviews/preview articles by the Chicago Tribune’s Sid Smith and the Chicago Reader/Dance Magazine’s Laura Molzahn; user reviews; and enhanced social networking. We have launched a second site, TakeChicagoDance.com, to promote dance classes and social dance opportunities. We provide booking representation at the Midwest and national booking conferences. And, new this year, we administered MetLife’s New Stages for Dance program, re-granting $42,500 to dance companies to provide affordable access to quality venues – an expansion of a program Dance/USA hopes will serve as a national model.
Audience Architects is recognized as a significant force in the community. The Illinois Arts Alliance has invited Audience Architects to represent the dance community for their service organization survey and needs assessment project; the Mellon Foundation invited Audience Architects to participate in Project Audience; we have presented at two Dance/USA conferences; and the MacArthur Foundation has recently awarded Audience Architects significant, multi-year support.
