T.W;
Among other things, I do heritage trades demonstrations, along with my
partner, who does open-hearth cooking for small museums and historic sites.
I suppose this would qualify as involving "paid" visitors; when we do
exactly the same thing at reenactments or sites where there is no admission,
visitors are of the "free" variety.
I can't say that I have noticed great differences between the relative
interest in being educated as being entertained, between the two sets of
audiences. Indeed, my feeling is that there are NOT two sets of audiences;
they vary from place to place and day to day. All come looking for some
combination of education and entertainment. The challenge - and the
satisfaction - of live interpretation lies in tailoring the interpretation
to the crowd, always ensuring that the education doesn't get lost in the
entertainment.
Sue and I have often remarked that the visitors to military reenactments are
almost invariably far more interested in how ordinary people of the period
lived and worked, slept and ate, than they are in the colourful uniforms and
gunsmoke of the generally pitiful excuses for battle reenactments. This
suggests to us that they are most interested in education than
entertainment, per se.
I dunno. Every audience is unique.
Harry
"Thwackum was for doing justice, and leaving mercy to heaven."
- Henry Fielding, "Tom Jones", bk.iii, ch. 10
Harry Needham, M.A., CFE, etc.
President
Harry Needham Consulting Services Inc.
Training & consulting services for heritage institutions - and others!
74 Abbeyhill Drive
Kanata, Ontario K2L 1H1
Canada
email: [log in to unmask]
(Voice) +1.613.831-1068
(Fax) +1.613.831-9412
----- Original Message -----
From: T W Moran <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 05, 2000 10:17 PM
Subject: Re: Studies from entertainment /amusement park industry
> "I don't know if such a proposed survey would yield statistically or
> philosophically useful information. I just think it might be a means of
> getting at whether there are people in existence who think that free
> experiences are of little or no value."
>
> David,
> I am but an "N" of one. But 20 years of doing events free and not
have
> brought me to the point I don't do free events. I can not say that those
> who attend the free events don't value the experience. I can say that
> there is a significant difference between paying and non-paying
> audiences. Their expectations and attitudes are literally opposite each
> other.
> As I say, I can't say the non pay don't value the event, I can say
for
> the most part they are looking to be entertained, not educated. While
> paying audiences expect to learn something.
> Each values the event, as they came out to it and spent time they
could
> have spent elsewhere. Just different values.
> If that helps any
> Tw
>
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