Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this descriptive research study was to stress that an audience development program for the performing arts is urgently needed in Taiwan. By providing background information on marketing concept, as well as the survey data and an analyzed result, this study enabled governmental authorities at local, regional, and national levels in Taiwan to view the ongoing crisis of performing arts program, and to assist them in preparing their administrators in the cultural centers to better organize and staff their marketing function in order to realize a greater return on public investment. Methodology. A descriptive research approach was used to profile the performing arts audience in seventeen cultural centers throughout Taiwan. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire survey. In all, 2,941 valid questionnaires were returned. The returning rate was 49.8 percent. Part of the survey data, along with the information collected from the Bureau of Statistics of the Executive Yuan, the Republic of China were used to compare the personal background between citizens and the performing arts audience. In general, the survey data, along with the findings gathered from the review of relevant literature, were used to describe the concept of marketing for the arts, and to evaluate the performance of cultural centers. Findings and conclusions. This study discovered thirty-one findings in connection with the identified seven study goals and thirteen research objectives such as: (1) what was the audience composition, (2) who composed the majority and who composed the minority of the audience, (3) what was the distance audience traveled to attend a performance, (4) why was the attendance rate of the performing arts programs so low, (5) what were the perceived needs/wants of the audience, and (6) what was the marketing potential of the performing arts programs. Based on these research findings and the information gathered from the literature reviewed, it was concluded that the cultural center in Taiwan would increasingly need analytical and marketing expertise to effectively carry out its job responsibilities. It was also concluded that by adopting the numerous functions of marketing, cultural center in Taiwan would be able to better use marketing to improve its performance and to develop audiences. Recommendations. Through the findings of the literature review and of the questionnaire survey, an audience development plan was developed to urge (1) the arts agencies to adopt marketing concepts; (2) the government to strengthen their relationships with the arts; (3) the citizens to demand the arts from the government; (4) cultural centers to revitalize themselves by various new promotional programs; (5) all the cultural agencies to reach potential audiences by applying marketing techniques.