Abstract:

Greater London Arts is the strategic development agency for the arts in London. They decided to produce an Arts Plan for London which would provide, for the first time, a single vision for the arts. In developing the plan, research was conducted among Londoners to establish their use of the arts and, in particular, barriers which prevented enjoyment of the arts. This paper describes the findings of the research and how the Plan was developed, taking these findings into account. The paper concludes that, although the arts have traditionally been producer - led, they need to find a more even balance between the needs of the producer and those of the consumer if the number and range of people using the arts is to increase. It shows how research is the means of providing this shift of emphasis.