How are leading cultural and performing arts centres defining, resourcing, structuring, and unifying their public programming? This question, posed by an ABA member, led to interviews with six organisations across four continents to explore how public programming is defined and organised in practice, alongside key challenges and trends. A short survey was also conducted to gather more granular data on budgeting.

Main findings include:

• Strategic importance is rising: Public programming is increasingly seen as core to organisations as they strengthen their public missions. It is closely linked to audience development, engagement, and audience expansion, with public programming playing a key role in these efforts.

• Definition of public programming understood and practiced across the organisation is a challenge: Public programming is rarely defined consistently or widely understood across organisations. Typically, organisations refer to public programming in terms of what it does, or what it is not, rather than what it is. Most organisations are in the process of defining whom it serves and how it should be structured within their specific contexts.

• The challenge of organising public programming is complex, and most organisations are still in the process of defining effective approaches. Most operate through decentralised or sub-departmental systems, relying on lightweight coordination mechanisms rather than formalised structures. Even organisations that have implemented major restructuring have found that, without a clear definition, framework, and coordination model, structural change alone is not enough.

• Organisations are developing impact frameworks around public programming: While most organisations have some measurement in place for individual public programming activities, processes remain underdeveloped, inconsistent or siloed, particularly in relation to KPIs, tracking systems, and ownership. Leading organisations are increasingly using impact frameworks to define, track, and measure the overall effect of public programming.
  
  This article is related to a recently completed custom research project conducted on behalf of an ABA member. Our research team is always delighted to speak with members about tailoring research projects to your organization. To learn more or submit a custom research request, simply contact your member advisor or email us at info@advisoryarts.com.