AP — $6.3M PLAN AIMS TO BOOST PHILLY ARTS

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A $6.3 million research and marketing initiative announced May 8 seeks to double public participation in the region’s arts and cultural events by 2020.

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance said the initiative, dubbed Engage 2020, will include a series of public surveys over time to gauge what arts and cultural activities most interest and involve people in the Philadelphia region.

The cultural alliance also will help cultural organizations come up with novel ways to reach potential audiences by pairing them with planning consultants. The initiative also calls for increased regional advertising to increase awareness of the area’s cultural offerings and new partnerships with local broadcast outlets.

“It will give organizations valuable insight into the public’s level of cultural involvement, buying patterns and other trends, and help them make use of that knowledge to engage and expand their audiences,” said Marian Godfrey of The Pew Charitable Trusts, which provided a $5 million, four-year grant for the project.