Check these resources for specially adapted and created tools, more information about our experiences, advice from elsewhere and the theories behind ACED.
Exploring the background to the process
Alessandra Gariboldi, President of Fondazione Fitzcarraldo and lead on the Adeste+ project reflects on Audience Development as it has been conceived and developed by the Adeste partnership
How design thinking has shaped ACED
Find out more about how Google applies design thinking -
Resource sharing business innovation techniques and design thinking applied to organisations
Why collaborative, design thinking helps us solve problems effectively and for a better society. Popular TED Talk from Tim Brown.
Mercedes Giovinazzo of Interarts, Spain, talks about the need to recognise the importance of culture in the European Project
Find out more about the whole project
See all the partners here
Find out more about our Connect Audiences project, where many of the ideas and approaches in ACED were developed
Macarena Cuenca of Deusto University talks with opera practitioners about becoming more visitor centred at the Adeste+ Waterfall seminar programme in June 21
Macarena Cuenca of Deusto University talks with opera practitioners about becoming more visitor centred at the Adeste+ Waterfall seminar programme in June 21
Checklist organisational readiness
Role of the Task Force and Changemaker
The Audience Agency's Anne Torreggiani introduces the main principles and process underpinning the ACED model in this presentation (given at the Adeste+ Summer School in 2021). You might use aspects of this presentation to introduce the programme.
We discovered that it was helpful to make sure the role of the Task Force was clear across the organisation. We used RACI to help us.
ACED in Poland
When was the last time you went to a contemporary art gallery? How many times this year have you seen a theatrical performance? How much time do you spend during the week talking about culture and art?
A view on the increasing use of design thinking to solve problems of inclusion and access to arts and culture
Our research into innovation practice and cultural organisations highlighted the importance of modelling inside the organisation the change you want to see outside, among your users, stakeholders and visitors. In other words being inclusive begins at home. In the wash-up of their first ACED cycle, the task force at The Mercury Theatre really picked up on this factor.
Questions to ask about your organisations, its plans and the place of your community and audiences. You could use the questions in a workshop/ discussions at the Unfreeze stage.
Use this tool to plot a "map" of the audience experience - what's good and bad about it, for all audiences or specific target groups. It could be a useful analysis tool.
Tool to help you consider and plot your organisations purpose and outlook
Find out more about Lewin's model and the concept of "unfreezing", or getting ready for change.
We found journey mapping a helpful tool to think about how we could improve audience's total experience.
Introduction to journey mappin
Background reading and more on the place of empathy in ACED
Create a believable, “flesh and blood” person to represent your target audience.
Prompts to help you carry out research to test and validate your assumptions
Try this simple exercise to help a team build empathy with first-time visitors.
Try this more complex, 2-part exercise with a group to promote empathy with first-time visitors. Don't tell participants what the 2nd part of the activity is until they have completed the first.
Use this tool to plot a "map" of the audience experience - what's good and bad about it, for all audiences or specific target groups.
Melting Pro's Antonia Silvaggi explains why and how empathy is the driver behind ACED. See her presentation by way of an introduction to Step 3.
A great, wise little talk on the difference between "empathy" and "sympathy".
Alessandro Bollo's presentation at the Adeste+ Summer School 2021 shows how the Polo '900 is organised to serve its diverse publics
Design gurus' Ideo on the deifining role of empathy in Design Thinking
Simple introduction to this approach to understanding the whole experience
A more complex guide to plotting a journey map
Dave Gray's update on Xtrane's useful empathy mapping tool, much repurposed and used in the cultural sector
ACED in Poland
When was the last time you went to a contemporary art gallery? How many times this year have you seen a theatrical performance? How much time do you spend during the week talking about culture and art?
A view on the increasing use of design thinking to solve problems of inclusion and access to arts and culture
Canvas to help create a strong "How Might We...?" question
A tool to help you focus on the needs your experience design should respond to.
A user needs statement can help you bring a lot of research and intelligence together in a way that can help generate great ideas and unlock your team's creativity. Follow Macarena Cuenca's presentation for an insightful introduction to making your user needs statement fly
Use this tool to help you come up with more and different ideas, either as part of Ideation or in adapting your prototype
Use this tool to select good design candidates following ideation. A "convergent thinking" too.
Some tips and hints on ideation workshops
Follow Ilidio Louro's presentation to learn to ideate like a pro. Designer/ architect Ilidio is now a director of Adeste+ partner Mapa das Ideas and has led ideation workshops with many organisations and partners. In this session he shares the process and tips.
Use this tool to define what you want to test and learn
Use this tool to select the best design candidates to take forward
Niels Righolt (from the Danish Centre for Arts & Interculture) offers a presentation here that will show you how to apply the theories and practice of prototyping to an arts and cultural setting. Use this presentation to show when and how to use prototyping in ACED and for lots of great tips.
Advice on running a sprint to test a prototype
Harinera ZGZ has been working on a collaborative process prototyping experiences to promote participation, diversity and inclusivity. They decided to focus on young audiences and followed a series of workshops based on the ACED process. Harinera is a space for community culture and they needed to adapt the toolkit to specific needs. See the video to hear more about how.
Practitioners and participants tell their story
ACED in Poland
When was the last time you went to a contemporary art gallery? How many times this year have you seen a theatrical performance? How much time do you spend during the week talking about culture and art?
A view on the increasing use of design thinking to solve problems of inclusion and access to arts and culture
Use this tool to plot the "map" of the experience you want to offer and/or develop
The audience development cycle and how ACED makes is more rapid and audience-centred
Use this matrix to help you form an audience development plan - and to help you decide where and when to use ACED in future
Article exploring the difference between a campaign plan and lasting audience development plan
Simple step-by-step guide to audience development much used in the UK
Collaborative study commissioned from the EU (and involving many Adeste partners) into changes in audience development practice.
Some great resources on co-creative practice from the Creative People & Places network in the UK
How Harinera in Zaragoza used the ACED blueprint to build a younger audience
A tool to help you develop your strategy and continue to use ACED to innovate and build relationships
Resources on becoming more audience-centred from the Connect programme
Resources on community involvement and co-creation from the UK network
ACED in Poland
When was the last time you went to a contemporary art gallery? How many times this year have you seen a theatrical performance? How much time do you spend during the week talking about culture and art?
A view on the increasing use of design thinking to solve problems of inclusion and access to arts and culture
From Adeste+ Summer School 2020 talk by Macarena Cuenca, University of Deusto.
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