A guide to the contemporary arts
Are you one of the many that tried new artforms, as theatre, music and art galleries offered digital content during lockdown? If this piqued your interest to try something new, our guide to the contemporary will help you enjoy new arts experiences.
Download our guide here
The COVID-19 lockdown closure of cultural venues created change in the arts sector, as freelancers struggled to survive and audiences thought differently about how and why the arts were important to them. Some audience members tried new artforms, as theatre, music and art galleries offered digital content. If this piqued your interest to try something a little different as venues open up again, our guide to the contemporary arts is intended to help you find a way into new arts experiences.
New to contemporary arts?
Vibrant, culturally relevant, but sometimes confusing - contemporary art forms aren鈥檛 always straightforward to understand. If you have been put off by this in the past, you鈥檙e not alone! Our guide will help you understand and engage with the contemporary arts in a way that works for you.
What are the contemporary arts?
It鈥檚 easy to dismiss new artwork as 鈥榮omething my five-year old could have done鈥 - and many people do. But they鈥檙e missing out: contemporary artworks can reflect on society or issues in the world around us that we can easily identify
with - like family, identity or community. The contemporary arts are best defined as artworks which are new and in some way innovative or challenging.
For new audiences, understanding these forms and enjoying them can be challenging because of the language used, a lack of information around a particular piece of art, or the abstract nature of it. It can be easy to be left wondering 鈥淲hat was that supposed to mean?鈥
Contemporary arts can take many forms including:
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Dance
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Music
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Sculptures
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Visual artwork
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Theatre
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Digital & electronic arts
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Film
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Installations
Thoughts from you, the audience
We interviewed 187 audience members from across four UK cities to understand the experiences of attending contemporary arts events.
There are stereotypes for every artform:
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Dance: 鈥渁 mixture of yoga and stretches鈥, 鈥渢hrowing bodies around the floor for the hell of it鈥
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Music: 鈥減linky-plonky鈥, 鈥渟creechy鈥, 鈥渃omplete cacophony鈥
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Visual art: Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst, 鈥渓ooks like something I did when I was pissed at 4.00am鈥
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Theatre: worried they may be forced to join in, 鈥渟traight plays鈥 are 鈥渄epressing鈥
Some also describe them as 鈥渨eird for the sake of being weird鈥 and criticise inaccessible language. But onceaudiences find a way into the contemporary arts they love the experience...
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Feeling part of an audience at a welcoming venue really helps: 鈥淚 think I have probably been drawn to those [contemporary arts venues] where the audience reaction I feel is a lot more authentic, because you are working with people who will go, 鈥榯hat鈥檚 really rubbish,鈥 rather than people who clap in their clothes and buy the programme鈥
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Theatre can be easier to connect with: 鈥淚t feels like in theatre, there鈥檚 loads more to engage with, in terms of, well if I don鈥檛 like the script, I might like the acting, or I might like the visuals鈥
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Supporting the artists matters: 鈥淚 like that people are trying different things, and thinking about different ways of putting things on [so] putting theatre in weird spaces is definitely a thing right now, but it is also fun鈥
- Contemporary arts can be central to life and wellbeing: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a part of my life. Without me doing all those things I wouldn鈥檛 be who I am鈥
Arts engagement can be thought-provoking, life- enriching and full of aesthetic and expressive value. And of course, enjoyable!
Engaging with contemporary arts
Go with others - you can learn from other people and discuss the work.
Don鈥檛 be intimidated by the descriptions of arts - don鈥檛 worry if you feel your experience is different to what it 鈥榮hould鈥 be. Your experience is whatever you want it to be.
In a gallery, you don鈥檛 have to spend equal time on every exhibit - be empowered to take charge of how you view and experience what鈥檚 there.
The more you attend the better you鈥檒l get at reading the publicity and deciding whether or not it鈥檚 something you might like.
It鈥檚 okay not to like it!
Further information
is an offshoot of and was founded by Professor Stephanie Pitts and to make our research expertise more widely available to arts organisations.
Research
Media
How can local arts venues grow and nurture audiences in the wake of the pandemic?