Arts institutions today are facing the challenge of playing a civic role in society, not just as cultural providers, but as spaces of citizenship and critical engagement. This study examines how notions and practices of public engagement are developed in the context of the Barbican Centre, using its foyer and public spaces as a lens through which to analyse institutional approaches to spatial strategies and public programming.
Adopting an interdisciplinary approach and drawing upon theories from the fields of audience studies, cultural policy, sociology of culture, curatorial theories and social geography, the study discusses the shift from audience engagement to new paradigms of publics, the potentials and challenges of public programming and engagement strategies, as well as the civic role of art institutions as public spaces of mediation in society.
Alongside a comprehensive literature review on key theoretical issues, a case-study (Pilot case study: Foyer Projects) approach investigates changes undertaken by the Centre in the last decade in relation to audience engagement, spatial strategies and public programming, against the backdrop of wider cultural policy shifts (London and the UK). This will include the analysis of annual reports, policy and other documents (2006 – 2015) as well as a process of qualitative data collections from one-to-one audio interviews with members of staff from different departments, to explore what the role of the public and the experience of audiences mean from the perspective of the arts institution.
The study aims to provide a broader understanding of how ideas and practices of audience engagement are developed in the public spaces of the Barbican Centre, identifying new models of relationships between the arts institution, its publics and the wider urban context. The outcomes of this research which will be of interest to those involved in working in, or researching, multi-arts centres in urban contexts.