England’s eight audience development agencies are in talks about a possible merger to establish a new national organisation by April 2013.
The proposal is being spearheaded by Audiences London and All About Audiences in the north of England. It has been endorsed by the board of Audiences UK, the network of audience development agencies. The national agency has provisionally been titled Audiences Plus.
Anne Torreggiani, chief executive of Audiences London, said negotiations were ongoing with all of England’s agencies.
Audiences London is also in “advanced talks” with Audiences South West about a possible merger. Audience development agencies lost out when Arts Council England (ACE) announced its new national portfolio funding in April; none of the seven agencies in England that had been receiving ACE funding under the regularly funded organisations system were given national portfolio status.
Torreggiani said the proposal to create a national agency would help address the loss of ACE funding by pooling expertise and making back-office savings. “The long-term plan is to retain local values that each agency brings and to have a network of local agents who report to offices in London and Manchester,” she added.
All About Audiences chief executive Ivan Wadeson said: “Audiences Plus will build on best practice from individual audience development agencies and Audiences UK to evolve a range of nationally available products and services to encourage and deliver excellence in public engagement.”
The proposal is being spearheaded by Audiences London and All About Audiences in the north of England. It has been endorsed by the board of Audiences UK, the network of audience development agencies. The national agency has provisionally been titled Audiences Plus.
Anne Torreggiani, chief executive of Audiences London, said negotiations were ongoing with all of England’s agencies.
Audiences London is also in “advanced talks” with Audiences South West about a possible merger. Audience development agencies lost out when Arts Council England (ACE) announced its new national portfolio funding in April; none of the seven agencies in England that had been receiving ACE funding under the regularly funded organisations system were given national portfolio status.
Torreggiani said the proposal to create a national agency would help address the loss of ACE funding by pooling expertise and making back-office savings. “The long-term plan is to retain local values that each agency brings and to have a network of local agents who report to offices in London and Manchester,” she added.
All About Audiences chief executive Ivan Wadeson said: “Audiences Plus will build on best practice from individual audience development agencies and Audiences UK to evolve a range of nationally available products and services to encourage and deliver excellence in public engagement.”