Building audiences for a performing arts organization is a multi-faceted endeavor. But theres one common thread that, to me, is indispensable for helping the performing arts organization create and maintain connections with its audience, its staff and volunteers, and the general community within which it operates.

That common factor may be described as personalizing the performing arts group, whether theatre company, dance company, jazz trio, cabaret troupe, or chamber music ensemble. Personalizing involves putting a face on the company; it is being mindful of the vital role of communications in everything from your box office staffs interface with ticket buying public to keeping your audiences informed of news about your organization and having your staff members participate in other cultural and service associations in the community.

A bill to let counties use sales tax money to help struggling arts groups has had trouble getting traction in the legislature, despite broad support. The measure failed to make last weeks Crossover Day deadline, meaning it could die if not attached to another bill already approved by the House. That would be only the latest blow to the arts in metro Atlanta and Georgia, which are feeling the pain of a weak economy in many ways.

Public arts funding is being slashed. Corporate and foundation giving is down as businesses salve their own red-ink wounds or refocus giving on social causes. Attendance is off for many arts groups. Layoffs are up. A few organizations, such as the Atlanta Opera, are presenting less of their art to avoid production costs they cant afford.

In November 2009, Technology in the Arts launched a survey of arts and cultural organizations learn about their ticketing needs and to gauge how well current ticketing tools are meeting those needs.

Nearly 900 arts and cultural professionals completed the survey to evaluate their satisfaction with over 50 ticketing software tools.

Social media tools are fun, hip, sexy, cheap and easy to use. Its not too surprising that arts organizations are quick to embrace the ever-evolving world of social media. While I believe a social media presence is almost always necessary, when I work with an arts organization or get asked a question about social media tools, my first response is to ask some key questions such as:

Who is your target customer?

What is your current message?

What are your competitors doing?

Are you trying to reach a new market segment?

What are you trying to accomplish?

PRACTICS. See Mobile See Practical is a 3-year project coordinated by the Finnish Theatre Information Centre which joined forces with ten other cultural organisations from six EU-countries with the aim to facilitate the provision of information about EU cross-border mobility in the cultural sector.

Its election time in the United Kingdom. Most polls predict that after 14 years of Labour Government, the Conservative Party will soon reign again in Downing Street. Labour and the current Prime Minister Gordon Brown are so unpopular in the country that it will take more than a small wonder to snatch the electoral win away from David Cameron and the Tories. Although very little is known yet about their actual policies, British voters consider the Conservative Party as more competent and better equipped to tackle present and current challenges in virtually every field of policy. Even cultural policy, a field that has traditionally been regarded as an area of Labour expertise, seems to be falling to the Tories.

Transform, transforming, and transformative are common terms for describing museum spaces, the creation of objects on display, and experiences for visitors. But is there evidence that museums profoundly change visitors through their objects, collections, exhibitions, public programs, and websites?

The Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellowship provides 10 mid-career arts managers with academic training and practical work experience at the nations cultural center, one of the worlds largest and most dynamic performing arts institutions. Fellows study with senior staff in weekly seminars (strategic planning, development, finance, and marketing), and complement that study with practical work rotations in three departments.

Communicating the Museum was created in 2000 by Corinne Estrada, Managing founder of Agenda. The event originally taking place in Paris gathered a group of 15 French-British attendees in order to discuss communication issues. 8 years later, the conference peaked to a record 278 participants from all over the world after being welcomed by some of the most prestigious cultural venues in Europe including Paris, Madrid, Rotterdam, Venice, Malaga, Turin, and Valencia.

Within ten years, Communicating the museum has asserted itself as the leading event for senior museum communication professionals to meet, exchange, network and work on problem solving key-issues.

Arts Management Network, the worldwide network for arts and business, is now active on twitter. Follow http://twitter.com/amnweimar and you will be connected with the latest news from the international arts management scene.

This exciting new collection of essays by leading international museum practitioners focuses on the across-the-board innovations taking place in some of the world's most forward-thinking museums - and charts the new directions museums will need to take in today's increasingly challenging and competitive environment.

Heritage Impact 2010 is the fifth international symposium on the socio-economic impact of heritage organised by the University of Brighton Business School. The symposium on 22 - 23 April, 2010, brings together some of the leading stakeholders in the heritage sector to consider the impact of heritage sites on society and the economy.

Culture Jobs International (CJI) is a new European website that offers a two-fold information: on employment offers and recruitment opportunities in the cultural field in Europe. A service provided by ArtsProfessional, in collaboration with Changing Room, it is intended as a trans-European project to stimulate international cross-border mobility of cultural professionals; it provides a bimonthly publication and a list of job offers for artists and cultural operators.

From march 11th until the 14th, Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is going to be the main stage of the II National Cultural Conference II CNC - were artists, cultural producers, investors, managers and representatives of civil society throughout the country will discuss, refine and formulate cultural public policy area.

by Valerie Beaman, Private Sector Initiatives Coordinator, Americans for the Arts

Securing private funding is more competitive than ever given this current recession. So, how do we make the case for supporting the arts and how do we maintain a vital relationship with the private sector in spite of the funding downturn? How do we define the relevance of the arts to business in the face of urgent and basic social needs?

This one day symposium brings together fundraising and development professionals working in the arts and cultural sectors to explore this changing landscape, learn practical survival strategies, seek out opportunities and generate new ideas to stay financially healthy.

The Brazilian Ministry of Culture established in 2003 the edict for Cultural Points. This action aims to enhance cultural initiatives and projects already developed by communities, groups and networks of collaboration through arrangements with federal entities.

Websites and internet platforms for the exchange of information and dialogue already exist on the web and have been established by different cultural organisations and projects. The European Commission thinks the time is ripe to map the existing online spaces for debate on cultural issues and on the European project. Little is known on how cross-border and cross-sector debate on European culture can be stimulated online in order to help the further development of a common European cultural area for those interested in European culture.

It can be expected that this virtual space and the debates taking place in it could contribute to citizens' awareness and understanding about Europe's culture, its rich cultural diversity and common cultural heritage and help to stimulate intercultural dialogue and develop mutual understanding. It is expected that it could also promote European art, artists, cultural organisations and those working in them.

The European Museum Forum is inviting European museums to take part in the competition for the European Museum of the Year Award 2011 (EMYA 2011). The Award was established in 1977 and is the most prestigious of its kind in Europe. It will be presented for 34th time in 2011. Throughout these years, EMYA has been a dynamic tool for the recognition of innovation, excellence and public quality in museums. It helped to explore the changes in the European museum field and it served as an instrument of international networking, bringing together the most advanced projects and people in the museum profession.

Contrary to the common belief, museums are changing and every year brings an array of new, unexpected ideas, new answers to the question how a museum can serve the community and society. The European Museum Forum ensures that EMYA reflects and keeps pace with these changes, and this year sees the addition of new Judges and Trustee Board Members, covering wider areas of professional interest, with wider international representation.