Performing Arts and the Audience that Experiences it- Rebecca Fink

                Performing arts is heavily dependent on the existence of the viewer.  While the lack of an audience does not preclude the art from being considered art, the audience heavily influences everything else about the artwork.  This is not to say that there needs to be an audience for the artwork to be created, but usually art is created as a response to something in the artist’s part of society and therefore, the artist wants part of society to view or participate in it.  The existence of an audience is an integral part of an arts organization presenting the art form and the audience is also an integral part of the art form surviving.  Psychological studies and fMRI’s show that all art affects people in some way, but there are certain performances that will affect members of the audience more.  Performances that affect the audience more will in turn create a widening of that art forms’ audience.  The larger audience that attends the performing art, the more influence the artwork has.  Therefore, audience has an impact on the creation of the work of performing art, the life span of that work of art, and its potential death.

                It is necessary to remember that the artist did not start interacting with a certain type of performing arts randomly.  That artist had a background in performing arts and was more than likely once a part of the audience for that type of performing arts.  So the audience’s acceptance and appreciation of that particular art form must have created an environment in which the artist felt he or she could create a work of theater, music or dance.  For instance, if the type of theater that is continually presented to an audience is appreciated, said artwork will create an environment in which artists are comfortable creating a play.  If the type of theater that is presented is not appreciated by the audience, it will make the artist reticent to get involved and to create a play or act in said theater.  The same is true for dance and music.

                However, the audience also has a large role on in that work is presented and available to potential new audiences.  While largely dependent on the presenting arts organization, the type of performing arts that is presented needs to be appreciated or at least understood by its audience.  After the artist decides what is art, the audience then decides what is quality art.  The audience decides which type of performing art to fund, which type of performing art to attend, and which type of performing art to support in other ways.  All three functions of the audience are equally important, and none of the three is more important than the other.  Without funding, arts organizations might not be able to present or produce performing arts.  Without an audience in the facility attending the performance, there is no need for the performance (and no revenue to support the performance).  Lastly, without support, the artist will not be supported, the arts organization will not be able to run, and there will be no show.  Eisler states that in the crisis of modern music, the modern style will only exist if it is connected to the audience in some way.  This is true for all types of performing art, not just music.

                If the art form does not have the support, appreciation, and understanding of the audience, eventually that art form will cease to exist.  The general public would still be able learn about it in Art History classes, but there won’t be any performances.   Without performances, new potential audiences won’t be able to fully appreciate and understand that art form.  This is something that is not as much a problem for the visual arts.  As varying types of mediums of art are lost because no one remembers how to make them, they are studied in Art History classes.  Art Historians presume and make educated guesses supported by facts about that artwork. Yet, the public can still attend a museum and see the artwork first hand, and really experience every brushstroke and finger print.  But this is not the case for the performing arts.  Sure, Art Historians can make educated guesses about how a musical instrument was played, but unless the potential audience can physically experience the music that is produced from that instrument, and watch a musician play that instrument, they will never fully understand it.

                Having an audience is an incredibly important part of all types of art, but especially the performing arts.  Often not fully comprehending just how integral they are, arts managers concede that as long as the artwork is produced, people will come.  But in today’s society, with the availability of options and entertainment, I’m not sure arts managers can assume that anymore.  We cannot just assume that the arts organization will automatically have a niche of core audience and therefore we don’t have to care about anyone else.  Artists and arts managers need to be proactive in making potential audiences understand, and making performances equally available to all.  While viewing a work of performing arts affects the human brain, this does not dictate that all people will understand or choose to continue to view the performing arts.  And, without understanding and viewing performing arts firsthand, appreciation cannot occur.  Without appreciation, the performing arts will lose its audience, and everyone will lose the ability to attend a performing arts performance.