Audience Development Initiative - Special Funding Opportunity for 2024/25

Why Audience Development, and why now?

Following a successful launch during the 2023/24 season, Celebrity Series continues to closely examine elements of our business model that serve as barriers for inclusivity, including:  

• Price accessibility, particularly for younger audience members;  
• Geographic access for audiences outside of Boston/Cambridge and the immediately surrounding suburbs;  
• Historical underrepresentation of BIPOC audiences among the Celebrity Series subscriber base, and among the larger arts-going audience in Boston; and  
• The lack of community for newer audience members at Celebrity Series performances.  
  
  As a first step in addressing these barriers, Celebrity Series has centered the concept of “authentic welcoming” as an organizational value, seeking to make Celebrity Series performances a place where all people can feel a sense of belonging and connection through the performing arts.  
  
  

  By supporting the Audience Development Fund, you will make possible the following activities:  

• Continuing the $35 under 35 program to provide Boston’s young professionals with a sense of community and belonging at Celebrity Series performances.  In 2024/25, the $35 under 35 program will include targeted social media marketing efforts, pre-performance events, and special pricing to entice young arts-lovers who are no longer eligible for student discounts.    
• Continue engaging more partners and influencers in BIPOC communities to continue driving new audiences to Celebrity Series performances, particularly those historically underrepresented among our audience.
• Increasing the number of complimentary/reduced-price tickets for first-time attendees to popular performances, thereby ensuring that new Celebrity Series attendees have the best-possible first performance experience in great seats.
• Further emphasizing group-sale and student-rush initiatives through grassroots marketing efforts, outbound sales, and enhanced publicity.
• Doubling down on our social media outreach and targeted advertising by exploring new platforms, groups, and methods of outreach.
• Enhancing and building a best-in-class membership program that will provide a modern alternative to subscription including members-only early ticketbuying periods, minimal processing fees, and other opportunities to build connection among the membership base such as special receptions and other offers. 

Audience Development Initiative: Recognition Overview

In gratitude for your support of the Audience Development Initiative in the 2024/25 season, donors will receive the following opportunities for recognition; please note that Audience Development Initiative gifts do not count toward Celebrity Series membership levels.  

• Designated listing in the 2024/25 digital program books at all Neighborhood Arts and Subscription Series performances for donors at any level.
• Designated listing at celebrityseries.org for donors at any level.
• Designated listing in the 2024/25 BRAVO! Annual Report for donors of $1,000 or more.
• Specialized impact report in summer 2025 reporting on what your gift achieved during the 2024/25 season, including reporting on the following measures of success:

1. The number of new-to-file households acquired during the 2024/25 season and qualitative feedback about how welcome they felt at Celebrity Series performances.  
2. The number of $35 under 35 participants during the 2024/25 season and qualitative feedback as to the perceived value of the program.
3. An increase in the number of Student Rush tickets sold in the 2024/25 season.
4. The number of new members recruited by Celebrity Series in the 2024/25 season. 
    

For more information on the Audience Development Initiative, and to learn how to support, please contact Emily Borababy at eb@celebrityseries.org or 617.733.3294.