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Audience Analytics Collective Selects Synapse C in Partnership with Audience Agency UK to Advance Pilot Audience Analytics Project

AUDIENCE ANALYTICS COLLECTIVE SELECTS SYNAPSE C IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUDIENCE AGENCY UK TO ADVANCE PILOT AUDIENCE ANALYTICS PROJECT

Toronto, June 3, 2021 – The Montréal-based non-profit organization Synapse C, in partnership with The Audience Agency (United Kingdom), has been selected by the Audience Analytics Collective (AAC) to pilot a shared audience analytics platform for arts organizations based in Toronto.

Synapse C Audience Tool will allow AAC participants to gain a richer understanding of Toronto’s diverse arts audiences. The tool supports the safe sharing of anonymized ticketing data in order to derive meaningful insights about Toronto’s arts participants and consumers. Synapse C is co-developing the audience analytics tool with The Audience Agency. The tool benefits from both Synapse C's expertise in data partnerships in Canada and ten years of The Audience Finder platform experience

About Audience Analytics Collective
The Audience Analytics Collective is a project funded by the Canada Council for the Arts in 2019 though the Digital Strategy Fund. The project’s aim is to create a collaborative structure among approximately 20 of Toronto arts organizations to trial the sharing of anonymous audience data through an analytics platform.​ This initiative is led by TO Live and managed by Nordicity.

The anticipated AAC participants are: TO Live (Lead), Aga Khan Museum, Canadian Stage, Canadian Opera Company, Gardiner Museum, Luminato Festival Toronto, National Ballet of Canada, Native Earth Performing Arts, Pride Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, Tafelmusik, Tapestry Opera, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Red Sky Theatre, Dance Umbrella of Ontario, Toronto Alliance for Performing Arts, Culture Days of Canada, and Toronto International Film Festival.

It is anticipated that if successful, the pilot would become permanent and be the rallying point for greater development of data and data analytics capability in the arts community in Toronto and beyond.

About the project, City of Toronto Mayor John Tory says, “Toronto’s arts and culture sector has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the City of Toronto is committed to supporting initiatives that will help the sector navigate the pandemic recovery and the return of in-person audiences in the coming year.”

"TO Live believes that through partnership, cooperation, and the sharing of resources, including anonymized data, we can build a better, more equitable and ultimately more successful sector for the City of Toronto," says Clyde Wagner, President and CEO of TO Live. "We are thrilled to support the Audience Analytics Collective and look forward to the launch of this important next phase."

Julie Whelan, Director at Nordicity says “Nordicity is pleased to be supporting this journey towards a stronger, collective, understanding of Toronto’s arts audiences. We believe the Audience Analytics Collective is a model for collaborative projects and will bring practical and actionable audience insights to the Toronto arts community.”

Regarding their involvement in this project, Viêt Cao, Manager and Principal Analyst at Synapse C says “The Audience Analytics Collective project is ambitious, and we are honored at Synapse C to have the opportunity to support the arts organizations of Toronto in this journey. More than results, the project aims to deliver tools and a data culture to arts organizations, leading the way towards a resilient and vibrant ecosystem.”

About TO Live
TO Live is one of Canada’s largest multi-arts organizations, operating three iconic venues: Meridian Hall, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and Meridian Arts Centre. In addition, TO Live presents a full range of performing arts, theatrical, and concert events at these venues in both downtown and uptown Toronto. With these two hubs of creativity and content creation, TO Live has a unique place and perspective to activate creative spaces by inspiring local and international artists, connect audiences and to be the nexus for new ideas, elevate artistic potential, and be the catalyst for creative expression that is reflective of Toronto’s diversity.

About Nordicity
Nordicity is an international consultancy that specializes in the arts, culture and creative industry. The firm is at the forefront of applying international best practices, providing recommendations on sustaining, and growing the arts and cultural sectors, and enhancing cultural tourism. In the digital space, Nordicity consults on everything from strategy development and showcasing exhibits in new ways, to increasing community engagement with digital tools.  Nordicity has developed an expertise in understanding the unique needs and parameters within which arts organizations are operating in the digital world.

About Synapse C
Synapse C is a Canadian non-profit organization (“NPO”) recognized by the Government of Quebec as a center of excellence and a Center for Data valorization in Arts & Culture. Its mission is to develop and pool expertise in data valuation for the arts and culture in Quebec and Canada in the realization of a digital action plan.

About The Audience Agency UK
The Audience Agency is a social enterprise with the mission: to enable cultural organizations to use data to increase their relevance, reach and resilience; and to give the public a voice in shaping a vibrant, relevant culture. It is funded by the Arts Council England, Arts Council Wales and Creative Scotland, to bring a deeper understanding of current and potential audiences to the cultural sector. Its Audience Finder platform in the UK holds the world’s largest cultural engagement dataset – and is being deployed in Europe in parallel to North America.

Acknowledgements

AAC gratefully acknowledges funding support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund and the City of Toronto.

About the Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. The Council champions and invests in artistic excellence through a broad range of grants, services, prizes and payments to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations. Its work ensures that excellent, vibrant and diverse art and literature engages Canadians, enriches their communities and reaches markets around the world. The Council also raises public awareness and appreciation of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities. It is responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO in Canada to contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future. The Canada Council Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts.

About the City of Toronto
Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto.

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To learn more about AAC, please contact project manager Julie Whelan of Nordicity

 

Nordicity is a leading international consulting firm providing private and public-sector clients with solutions for Economic Analysis, Strategy and Business, and Policy and Regulation across four priority sectors: arts, culture and heritage; digital and creative media; and information and communication technologies (ICTs) and innovation. With offices in London (UK), Toronto, and Vancouver Nordicity is ideally placed to assist our clients to succeed in the rapidly evolving global markets.