This handbook grew out of the experience of the Audiences for Literature Network (ALN), an audience development initiative supported by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund (now named the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds and referred to here as the Funds or the Wallace Funds). This program began in 1997 when eight community-based literary centers were chosen for one-year planning grants to develop projects through which they would form partnerships with other community organizations to build audiences for literature and literature programming.

The three-year implementation grants that resulted from the Funds’ ALN planning grants will culminate in 2001. Over the years, the eight organizations participating in the program have learned a great deal about audience building. In particular, they realized that they have much in common with colleagues across arts disciplines who are striving to increase cultural participation.

According to Michael Warr, ALN national coordinator:

These are extraordinary times in the literary arts. Audiences are flocking to readings, writing workshops, and poetry slams. Writers are performing with musicians, multimedia artists, dancers, and visual artists. The organizations in the ALN consortium have enhanced the strength and impact of their programs and have amassed a body of knowledge about audience building that they have shared with each other through conferences and electronic networking. This handbook is an opportunity to share that knowledge and experience with a broader range of groups working in diverse arts fields. The ALN groups and I are particularly excited about the expanded interactions taking place with performing arts presenters, many of whose experiences are also reflected in this publication.

The ALN was modeled after the Wallace Funds’ Audiences for the Performing Arts Network (APAN) and informed by the program design of other funds-supported initiatives such as the Arts Partners Program, administered by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP).

Kenneth C. Fischer is president of the University Musical Society, the multidisciplinary arts presenter at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor that was a participant in the APAN program. An enthusiastic supporter of partnerships among literary and performing arts groups, Ken writes:

When the ALN grantees joined me and nearly one hundred other Wallace Funds grant recipients in the performing arts fields at a gathering in Seattle in June of 1999, it became apparent to me that all of our organizations shared similar challenges and opportunities in audience building. I promoted the idea of ALN having a presence at the annual APAP members conference and have chaired two such meetings to date. These meetings, and the growing number of collaborations among local arts organizations, are expanding possibilities for partnerships among literary groups and performing arts groups to share knowledge and to embark on joint programs.

This handbook was supported by the Wallace Funds to share some of the discourse and process of the ALN groups with the broader field of arts organizations. It is the belief of the Funds that people-centered strategies for building public participation in high-quality arts programs can help institutions of varied disciplines and sizes to diversify, broaden, and deepen relationships with their communities. For that reason, this handbook addresses not only literary presenters, but also performing arts organizations. [Introduction p. 5]

This handbook grew out of the experience of the Audiences for Literature Network (ALN), an audience development initiative supported by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund (now named the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds and referred to here as the Funds or the Wallace Funds). This program began in 1997 when eight community-based literary centers were chosen for one-year planning grants to develop projects through which they would form partnerships with other community organizations to build audiences for literature and literature programming.