Disconnected Bodies
Experts in Innovative Arts Marketing. Audience Engagement & Psychology Consultants.
Public Engagement Strengthening
For rejected project grants.
Section re-write and supporting documentation to strengthen project grant applications that have been rejected due to public engagement sections being ‘comparatively weaker’.
From our experience many applications are being rejected due to public engagement sections being comparatively weaker. In order to address this weaker link and allow for the application to be re-submitted in a stronger position we’ve developed our Public Engagement Strengthening offer.
Designed as a hassle free option, you’re provided with a full supporting document outlining those audiences you wish to reach, how you’ll go about doing this, the value they’ll receive from your work and the experience you intend for them to have.
In addition, we offer a full re-write of the public engagement section of your application, written in such a way that overcomes the challenge of conveying a project’s public value within the tight character limit. Both the re-write and supporting document clearly address ACE’s feedback and their wider audience engagement targets.
Our Work and Arts Council England
Disconnected Bodies are Nominated Support Workers and have been previous Suppliers with ACE.
Working to ACE strategies and objectives, we align the work of those who come to us to ensure the public value of that work is being demonstrated clearly.
We have worked to understand ACE Project Grants, the requirements and how we can contribute our expertise to strengthen applications.
We offer our knowledge of audiences to make suggestions of where a project’s public engagement planning is falling short and how best to move forward.
Our goal is to enable more people to participate in exciting and brilliant culture experiences, in many cases the first step to achieving this is through funding being secured.
In the words of ACE.
The importance of understanding audiences for grant applications.
ACE state that all grant applications must be supported by a ‘strong audience development, marketing or communications plan’.
Fully realised audience engagement documents also work to demonstrate the health and vision of an organisation; encouraging and reassuring other funders. By clearly demonstrating your commitment to access and inclusion alongside realistic monetary forecasts; these documents can support capital funding bids for the same reasons.
Why audience engagement planning is important.
An audience development plan should show how you will fulfil ‘Goal 2: For Everyone’ which can be defined as the aims to:
- Reach more people
- Increase range/social diversity
- Attract the least/less engaged
- Increase depth and quality of experience
By using audience engagement planning you can improve how you serve existing audiences and find new ones.
Grant applications must demonstrate…
- An understanding of your audience’s needs and preferences.
- A focus on who you want to reach and how you will reach them.
- Deeper relationships with existing audiences, encouraging them to try new experiences.
- Outreach to new audiences, particularly people or communities you may not currently be reaching.
- Public involvement in decision making and co-creation opportunities.
- Support of the public in making informed choices about the kinds of arts and cultural activities they want to attend.
Goal 2: For Everyone.
“Contributing to Goal 2 covers greater and broader access for more people; engaging the least engaged; quality of experience and use of digital technologies. An audience development plan should help most organisations to create strategies to do something relevant and appropriate towards each of these goals.
As part of an organisation’s audience development plan you should describe ongoing approaches to ensuring and demonstrating that people within any of these groups are not excluded from your activities, in alignment with the organisation’s mission and business plan and with reference to their equality action plan”.
Book a Free 30-Minute Video Consultation.
A complimentary consultation to discuss your requirements or any current engagement sticking points you may be facing.
We’re happy to provide free guidance that may resolve your questions within the half hour, or happy to discuss how we can work together longer term.