Arts organizations have a variety of motivations for expanding their audiences. For many institutions, fostering arts appreciation and community involvement is central to their mission. Expanding their market and broadening the revenue base is a way institutions hope to counter rising costs and increased competition as well as to extend their artistic activities. Despite their commitment to increasing public involvement, however, arts organization may lack the resources or expertise needed to implement effective strategies and often struggle with "hit-or-miss" approaches.

This guide offers a new framework for understanding and influencing arts participation and describes a clear set of guidelines for using this framework. It presents a unique behavioral model that helps institutions understand how people decide to participate in the arts, and how these decisions differ among current participants and potential new audiences.

The model designed and explained in this publication is based on a series of stages that determine participation. In brief:

• The background stage, is an individuals general attitudes toward the arts.
• Stage 1 is the formation of a predisposition to participate in the arts
• Stage 2 is an evaluation of specific participation opportunities
• Stage 3 is the actual participation experience and subsequent assessment of factors.

The book identifies tactics, strategies, and tips, as well as provides an overview and critique of published research on arts participation.