S2:E1 Knowing your audience: lessons from West Kowloon – Kingsley Jayasekera in conversation with Adrian Ellis

02/03/22 • 61 min

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Summary:
In this episode, our host Adrian Ellis speaks with Kingsley Jayasekera, former Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, at the West Kowloon Cultural District. They reflect on his near decade-long experience in Hong Kong and discuss the importance of cultivating arts audiences through creating holistic customer experiences – and using social media for outreach and engagement.

After, Adrian is joined by Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They highlight the challenges of audience development, including the ethical issues of data collection and privacy.

References:

West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), an integrated arts and cultural quarter in Hong Kong that was first proposed in 1996 – one of the largest cultural projects in the world.
Sadler’s Wells, a globally-renowned dance organisation and performing arts venue based in London, England.
Xiqu Centre, a performance venue dedicated to Chinese opera in WKCD – opened in 2019.
Art Park, a green space in WKCD that welcomes visitors to relax and play.
M+ Museum, a new museum in WKCD exhibiting twentieth and twenty-first century visual culture encompassing visual art, design and architecture, and moving image – opened in 2021.
Digital wayfinding at West Kowloon Cultural District: a case study on how digital wayfinding and digital maps are used to elevate visitor experiences at WKCD.
Hong Kong Palace Museum, a planned museum exhibiting artefacts from Beijing’s Palace Museum in WKCD – expected to open in July 2022.
High Line, a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.

Bio:

Kingsley Jayasekera is a communications and marketing professional with extensive experience in both the commercial and subsidised culture and entertainment sectors. Until late 2021, he worked as Director, Marketing & Customer Experience at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong. He is a regular international speaker on branding and marketing for the arts. He has also served on the board of Audiences London (now the Audience Agency UK), Dance East UK, East London Dance and the Gate Theatre, London and the Advisory Panel for the Ticketing Technology Forum.

After, Adrian is joined by Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. They highlight the challenges of audience development, including the ethical issues of data collection and privacy.

References:

West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD), an integrated arts and cultural quarter in Hong Kong that was first proposed in 1996 – one of the largest cultural projects in the world.
Sadler’s Wells, a globally-renowned dance organisation and performing arts venue based in London, England.
Xiqu Centre, a performance venue dedicated to Chinese opera in WKCD – opened in 2019.
Art Park, a green space in WKCD that welcomes visitors to relax and play.
M+ Museum, a new museum in WKCD exhibiting twentieth and twenty-first century visual culture encompassing visual art, design and architecture, and moving image – opened in 2021.
Digital wayfinding at West Kowloon Cultural District: a case study on how digital wayfinding and digital maps are used to elevate visitor experiences at WKCD.
Hong Kong Palace Museum, a planned museum exhibiting artefacts from Beijing’s Palace Museum in WKCD – expected to open in July 2022.
High Line, a public park built on a historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side.

Bio:

Previous Episode

S1:E12 Developing and revitalizing communities – Veronica Smith in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato

Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Veronica Smith, author of When Communities Disappear. They discuss the interdependent relationship between economic and community development, and emphasize the imperative need to build and sustain healthy communities by being authentic and enabling access to resources.

After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Adrian Ellis to discuss key takeaways. Through reflecting on Stephanie’s experiences with community development, they concur with the need to build diverse coalitions to foster local ownership and policy decisions that are informed by the plurality of place histories.

References:

NAACP, a U.S.-based grassroots activism organization for civil rights and social justice
When Communities Disappear: The Unspoken Truths of Community Revitalization Ideologies and Policies in the United States – a book by Veronica Smith
Matter of Truth, City of Providence’s report on present and historical racism and discrimination in Rhode Island

Bio:

Veronica Smith is a businesswoman, economic philosopher, and self-proclaimed Master of Community. As the CEO and Founder of Impact Community Partners, Veronica delivers strategic advisory, community, and economic development services to public and private sector clients. She is an engaged leader in her community who has been mentoring women and girls in the Sacramento region for a decade, given her strong belief that when women are economically and politically empowered, they can transform their own communities.

Next Episode

S2:E2 We Are Dallas Arts – Lily Cabatu Weiss in conversation with Stephanie Fortunato

Summary:
In this episode, our host Stephanie Fortunato speaks with Lily Cabatu Weiss, Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District. They talk about the importance of collaboration amongst cultural leaders and institutions, especially in times of crisis. Lily shares how an ongoing dialogue between Dallas arts and cultural leaders enabled unprecedented resource-sharing, knowledge transfer, synergy, and increased support from all stakeholders – culminating with the We Are Dallas Arts initiative. After, Stephanie is joined by fellow host Criena Gehrke to discuss key takeaways. Despite the challenges involved in sustaining collective action and vision, they acknowledge its power to produce impactful change.

References:

Lily Weiss was at the Brooker T Washington High School for 36 years, first as a teacher and then as Artistic Director.
The Dallas Arts District is the largest contiguous urban arts district in the nation, spanning 118 acres. It aims to transform the Dallas Arts District into a dynamic destination for locals and tourists alike while creating a fulfilling urban experience.
Ordinance No. 17710, passed by the Dallas City Council on February 16, 1983 – setting the legal bases for the Dallas Arts District
The Dallas Museum of Art was the first institution to move into the district.
The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center was the second institution to move in.
Trammell Crow Center is an iconic office tower located in the heart of the Dallas Arts District.
The Dallas Black Dance Theatre is a professional dance company that aims to bridge cultures, reach diverse communities and encompass ever-expanding national audiences.
The Klyde Warren Park serves as a central gathering space for Dallas and its visitors.
Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a natural history and science museum in Dallas.
Moody Performance Hall, is a City-managed, publicly-funded theater in the Dallas Arts District.
Fair Park is a National Historic Landmark that holds large collections of 1930s art and Art Deco architecture.
The Bishop Art Theatre Centre is an award-winning, multicultural, multidisciplinary arts institution in Dallas.
The Sammons Center for the Art, which supports and represents the smaller organisations during the “expanded CEOs” meetings, is a kind of “greenhouse” for small performing arts groups.
Surveys jointly organised and done by the Dallas Ars District, TACA - The Arts Community Alliance and Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition (DACAC), found that pandemic-related arts losses reached $95.5 million.
TACA - The Arts Community Alliance, is a nonprofit institution that supports the arts in Dallas County and North Texas through grant-making, capacity-building, and thought leadership
The Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition is a grassroots organization of members representing Dallas-area arts and cultural organizations
The We Are Dallas Arts Initiative is a collaboration between 29 Dallas Groups to urge audiences and patrons to return and again enjoy live, in-person cultural experiences
The Dallas Arts District Connect Master Plan guides the design and construction of new and replacement features in the Dallas Arts District. It lays out a vision for the future of the Arts District and its build environment.
The 360 Plan is a strategic document that sets a clear, cohesive vision for Downtown Dallas and its surrounding neighborhoods.

Bio:

Lily Cabatu Weiss is the Executive Director for the Dallas Arts District and served as the Artistic Director for Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing & Visual Arts and Chair of ...