Audience Engagement and the Role of Arts Talk in the Digital Era

The ruling idea of Arts Talk is a simple one: audience pleasure is deeply tied up with the opportunity to interpret the meaning and value of the arts, and this pleasure is enhanced significantly when interpretation is made social. Conner analyzes the robust arts audiences of the past along side contemporary participatory cultures to model a new paradigm for arts appreciation centered on audience-powered conversations, both live and digital. Topics discussed include learning and cognition in arts reception and the form and function of productive talk in the digital era. This book is a valuable resource for arts workers and audiences wishing to explore the environmental, social and psychological conditions that allow us to engage meaningfully with the arts.