Workshop brought to you by The Space, in association with Arts Council England.

Head of Audiences for The Space Rob Lindsay, and Head of Distribution Sarah Fortescue were joined by Tongue Fu producer Liz Counsell for a day that covered:

 

Understanding existing and potential audiences

You may already have an appreciative following, but how can you enrich those relationships online? How can you combat the algorithms that control social media, and make them work for you? And how can you connect with people who you know will love you and your work, but who simply haven’t found you yet? We discussed ways to audit your existing online presence, and think about ways to reach out further.

 

Choosing distribution channels

With so many platforms, from your own website or Instagram account to partnering with a content channel, how do you make the decisions on where best to focus your efforts? We shared the steps you can take to develop an effective online distribution plan, and to ensure that your energies and resources are being spent in the right areas.

 

Creating content that audiences love

Using case studies and examples to illustrate, we looked at appealing, engaging content created by arts organisations, artists and others, deconstructing what worked and how they did it. Liz Counsell revealed how spoken word company Tongue Fu have learned to punch above their weight online; they’re a tiny team, but it hasn’t stopped them generating tens of thousands of online views.

 

Across the day presentations and case studies were be mixed with practical exercises, so delegates could develop a plan for building audiences that’s specific to their own work or circumstances.

 

Information about the BFI’s Young Audience Fund:

We were also joined by Jackie Edwards, Head of Fund for the BFI Young Audiences Fund, to talk through the opportunities of the fund for UK based content producers who are interested in reaching audiences aged 0-18.

 

The Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF) (2019 to 2022) was established to support the creation of distinctive, high-quality content for audiences up to the age of 18 for delivery on Ofcom regulated, free to access, public service platforms with significant UK audience reach.  This £57M Fund from UK Government and administered by the BFI supported production and development of content that has public service broadcast values – that entertains, informs and reflects the experiences of children and young people growing up in the UK today.