Tomorrow morning, a "focus group" approach will guide our efforts at drastically redesigning the way we promote our arts events.
The arts have long been a strength of our university. As one of the few public universities to offer fully accredited academic programs in all four traditional arts disciplines, (music, art, dance, and theater) we continue to place a high value on the role of these programs to our university and in our community.
Reaching out to new audience segments is a key goal of our summit. Research from dozens of studies suggests that younger, better-educated audiences are interested in the arts. However, they want performances that provide spiritually-uplifting and socially-fulfilling experiences.
I'm very excited to embark on a clear plan to help build audiences, raise awareness, and spread the word about why The Arts @ Southern Miss is the premier university arts program for Mississippi.