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This diploma master thesis deals with the use of new media and implementation of current online communication trends in the czech theatre environment. The first part defines most important terms and describes the features of the main platforms in online communication. Than follows a comparative analysis of the social media communication of five czech theatres - Jihočeské divadlo in České Budějovice, Slovácké divadlo in Uherské Hradiště, Městské divadlo Zlín, Moravské divadlo in Olomouc and Klicperovo divadlo in Hradec Králové. The next part presents the results of the online survey, which was carried out in cooperation with one of the analyzed theatres, Jihočeské divadlo. This research focused on online audience and their online and offline participation. Based on the research, some recomendations for the communication strategy of Jihočeské divadlo were formulated.

Since the early 2000s, Social Media has become part of the everyday activity of billions of people. Museums and galleries are part of this major cultural change - the largest museums attract millions of Social Media 'friends' and 'followers', and museums now use Social Media channels for marketing and audience engagement activities. Social Media has also become a more heavily-used source of data with which to investigate human behaviour. Therefore, this research investigated the potential uses of Social Media information to aid activities such as exhibition planning and development, or fundraising, in museums. Potential opportunities provided by the new Social Media platforms include the ability to capture data at high volume and then analyse them computationally. For instance, the links between entities on a Social Media platform can be analysed. Who follows who? Who created the content related to a specific event, and when? How did communication flow between people and organisations? The computerised analysis techniques used to answer such questions can generate statistics for measuring concepts such as the 'reach' of a message across a network (often equated simply with the potential size of the a message's audience) or the degree of 'engagement' with content (often a simple count of the number of responses, or the number of instances of communication between correspondents). Other computational analysis opportunities related to Social Media rely upon various Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques; for example indexing content and counting term frequency, or using lexicons or online knowledge bases to relate content to concepts. Museums, galleries and other cultural organisations have known for some time, however, that simple quantifications of their audiences (the number of tickets sold for an exhibition, for example), while certainly providing indications of an event's success, do not tell the whole story. While it is important to know that thousands of people have visited an exhibition, it is also part of a museum's remit to inspire the audience, too. A budding world-class artist or ground-breaking engineer could have been one of the thousands in attendance, and the exhibition in question could have been key to the development of their artistic or technical ideas. It is potentially helpful to museums and galleries to know when they have inspired members of their audience, and to be able to tell convincing stories about instances of inspiration, if their full value to society is to be judged. This research, undertaken in participation with two museums, investigated the feasibility of using new data sources from Social Media to capture potential expressions of inspiration made by visitors. With a background in IT systems development, the researcher developed three prototype systems during three cycles of Action Research, and used them to collect and analyse data from the Twitter Social Media platform. This work had two outcomes: firstly, prototyping enabled investigation of the technical constraints of extracting data from a Social Media platform (Twitter), and the computing processes used to analyse that data. Secondly, and more importantly, the prototypes were used to assess potential changes to the work of museum staff information about events visited and experienced by visitors was synthesised, then investigated, discussed and evaluated with the collaborative partners, in order to assess the meaning and value of such information for them. Could the museums use the information in their event and exhibition planning? How might it fit in with event evaluation? Was it clear to the museum what the information meant? What were the risks of misinterpretation? The research made several contributions. Firstly, the research developed a definition of inspiration that resonated with museum staff. While this definition was similar to the definition of 'engagement' from the marketing literature, one difference was an emphasis upon creativity. The second set of contributions related to a deeper understanding of Social Media from museums' perspective, and included findings about how Social Media information could be used to segment current and potential audiences by 'special interest', and find potential expressions of creativity and innovation in the audience's responses to museum activities. These findings also considered some of the pitfalls of working with data from Social Media, in particular the tendency of museum staff to use the information to confirm positive biases, and the often hidden biases caused by the mediating effects of the platforms from which the data came. The final major contribution was a holistic analysis of the ways in which Social Media information could be integrated into the work of a museum, by helping to plan and evaluate audience development and engagement. This aspect of the research also highlighted some of the dangers of an over-dependency upon individual Social Media platforms which was previously absent from the museums literature.

The purpose of this research is to identify best practices for public relations professionals when engaging with a Millennial performing arts audience, focusing on Hon and Grunig's relationship management theory (1999) and Kent and Taylor’s theory of dialogic communication (2014) to build interactivity in a digital space. Performing arts organizations have successfully engaged with previous generations, but are facing new challenges when communicating with millennial audiences. Changing demographics have led to a stagnation and decline of performing arts attendance as the millennial generation has come of age. This massive population has new priorities for spending and consumption of entertainment, and social media is their preferred channel of communication as opposed to print and broadcast media. The researcher distributed a survey to patrons of the Orlando Shakespeare theatre to identify their perspectives of current public relations practices. Results from 148 respondents indicated that the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre maintains strong relationships with Millennials (N=6) and non-Millennials alike, as made evident by their practice of Baumgarth's cultural consumer behaviors (2014). However, a larger sample of Millennial patrons is necessary to determine best practices for the specific population. The primary product of this research is the creation of a theory-driven survey that can be used to effectively measure the depth of a performing arts organization's relationship with its patrons, and a case study exemplifying a successful organization.

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Two topics currently lead the debates in the museum sector: audience development and the use of digital media. This study addresses these debates by investigating how gamified mobile applications can support engagement with museums’ topics. It examines the online audience and their motivations for the use of media. It uses “MuseumStars” - which can be characterized as a museums quiz app for remote use - as a case study. Based on the uses and gratifications theory the study uses a mixed-methods approach. An online survey and two focus groups were conducted. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and qualitative content analysis. The findings show that the main user motivation is to learn new things and to prepare or substitute a museum visit. In contrast to other research on mobile gaming, the connection to the physical space played a crucial role in using the application, while competition was less prominent. The findings also demonstrate that to better accommodate the audience's needs content is key. Hence, it can be concluded that digital media per se will not enhance engagement without the right presentation of the content: It must be translated to the media in an appropriate way to support the uses and gratifications of the audience and thus enhance engagement with museums’ topics.

This thesis follows a research at the Mineralogy and Petrology Museum of the University of Athens (Greece). The purpose of the research is to examine how digital technologies can support museums in attracting new visitors during the economic crisis, and provide design suggestions. The research was conducted under the interpretive paradigm using the ethnographic methodology and the participatory design approach. The staff, volunteers and artists related to the museum participated in interviews, thinking aloud sessions and a workshop. In addition, several observations were conducted during guided tours of visitors. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings provided themes of identified issues and opportunities concerning the implementation of digital technologies in the museum, such as the underlying policies of the University of Athens, the role of the museum in society, material in the collections that attracts visitors, the importance of the staff in guided tours and the technologies currently being used. Suggestions were put forward during the workshop and were elaborated later on. The thesis aspires to contribute to studies that concern the sustainability of cultural establishments that are being afflicted by the economic crisis currently veils Europe.

Sammanfattning Publikutveckling är ett paraplybegrepp inom den offentliga kultursektorn som blivit alltmer uppmärksammat de senaste åren. Det märks inte minst genom Kreativa Europas studie Audience Development – How to place audiences at the centre of cultural organisations, som presenterades 2017. Samtidigt är begreppet komplext och på många håll finns en osäkerhet kring hur publikutveckling bäst kan tillämpas. Sett ur ett medie- och kommunikationsvetenskapligt perspektiv berör publikutveckling alltifrån strategisk kommunikation, PR och marknadsföring till interaktiva satsningar och olika digitala lösningar. Denna studies fokus ligger på regional nivå och avgränsas till scenkonstområdet i Värmland. Syftet med studien är att belysa publikutveckling genom att försöka reda ut vad som innefattas i begreppet sett ur ett regionalt perspektiv. Syftet är även att undersöka vilka möjligheter eller utmaningar som den regionala scenkonsten upplever i sitt praktiska arbete kopplat till publikutveckling. Vidare syftar studien att problematisera begreppet genom att anta ett sociologiskt perspektiv med hjälp av Bourdieus sociala teori. För att uppfylla syftet söker studien svara på tre frågeställningar: Hur ser de värmländska scenkonstverksamheternas upplevelse och användning av publikutveckling ut? Vilka slags möjligheter och fördelar ser den värmländska scenkonsten i sitt arbete med publikutveckling? Vilka slags utmaningar och problem ser den värmländska scenkonsten i sitt arbete med publikutveckling? Studien antar en abduktiv forskningsansats med kvalitativ metod. Studiens empiri genereras genom kvalitativa samtalsintervjuer med totalt åtta respondenter från fyra olika värmländska scenkonstverksamheter. Det empiriska materialet analyseras i relation till tidigare forskning och teori. Analysen av resultatet presenteras i tematiserad form främst i relation till Kawashimas (2000; 2006) kategorisering av publikutveckling i typerna: audience education, taste cultivation, extended marketing och outreach. Studiens resultat diskuteras även utifrån Bourdieus (1984; 1991) teoretiska begrepp sociala fält, symboliskt kapital, habitus, distinction och doxa. Studiens slutsatser visar att scenkonsten i Värmland betonar vikten av att skapa varaktiga relationer med publiken och lyfter kulturens betydelse för ett demokratiskt samhälle. Utmaningar kopplas främst till bristande resurser och avsaknaden av en samstämmighet kring kvalitetsbegreppet. Scenkonsten önskar bland annat att vara en röst i samhällsdebatten, skapa mötesplatser, värna sin konstnärliga frihet och förbättra det kollegiala samarbetet. Nyckelord: publikutveckling, kulturpolitik, scenkonst, PR, Värmland / Abstract Audience development is a term that has become increasingly used within the publicly financed cultural sector. This can be seen in Creative Europe’s study Audience Development – How to place audiences at the centre of cultural organisations, that was presented in 2017. But the concept of audience development is a complex one, and there is often some confusion as to how it is best applied. From a media studies perspective audience development branches into everything from strategic communication, public relations and marketing, to interactive ventures and digital solutions. The focus of this study is limited to Performing Arts in the region of Värmland. The aim of the study is to focus on the concept of audience development and to clarify what is contained within this concept on the regional level. The aim is also to investigate what practical possibilities and/or challenges Performing Arts operations in Värmland experience in their work connected to audience development. Finally the study aims to, from a sociological standpoint and with the help of Bourdieu’s theory on media and social production, problematize the concept of audience development. To achieve these aims the study attempts to answer three questions: 1) How do the Performing Arts of Värmland understand and use audience development? 2) What possibilities and advantages do the Performing Arts of Värmland see in their work with audience development? 3) What challenges and problems do the Performing Arts of Värmland see in their work with audience development? The study used an abductive approach with qualitative methodology. Empirical material was generated through qualitative interviews with a total of eight respondents from four different Performing Arts operations in Värmland. The gathered material was analysed with the help of existing research and theory. Analysis of the results is mainly presented in relation to Kawashima’s (2000; 2006) categorisation of audience development into the types audience education, taste cultivation, extended marketing and outreach. The results of the study are also discussed in relation to Bourdieu’s (1984; 1991) theoretical concepts of field, symbolic capital, habitus, distinction and doxa. The conclusions of the study show that the Performing Arts in Värmland emphasize the importance of creating lasting relationships with the audience, and uphold the importance of culture for a democratic society. Challenges are mainly connected to limited resources and a lack of consistency when it comes to the concept of quality. The Performing Arts wish to, among other things, be a voice in the public debate, create cultural spaces where people can meet, protect their artistic freedom and improve collegial cooperation. Keywords: audience development, cultural politics, Performing Arts, PR, Värmland

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