Program Planning Guide and Workbook
A comprehensive guide to program planning.
This workbook forms parts of the CircuitWest Venue Manager’s Toolkit as part of the CircuitWest Audience Development Project coordinated by Country Arts WA and funded by LotteryWest. It has been developed through various stages in response to requests for Program Planning workshops from WAPAC, APACA and individual clients organisations. It has now been adapted for the needs of CircuitWest Venue Managers.
Recommended pre-reading material:
Alan Brown: Artistic Vibrancy + Creativity in Programming
The Wallace Foundation: Building Arts Organisations that Build Audiences
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance: Research into Action: pathways to new opportunities
What is ‘programming’?
You might be wondering what we mean by ‘programming’ in this context. For managers of local community based arts centres or local government managed arts programs, ‘programming’ refers to the decisions you make about what events you will offer your community.
Some venue managers have a background in the arts sector, and are familiar with the types of events that are available on the various state and national touring circuits. Some have developed relationships with particular producing organisations (i.e. arts organisations that produce work and offer it through touring programs) that come each year or every couple of years to their community.
Other venue managers have come to the role from outside the arts sector and have to develop their knowledge of the types of arts events that are available and where to find them.
This guide aims to help venue managers both with and without arts backgrounds to work through the process of developing a Program Plan for their venues.
To begin completing your own programming workbook click here.