A Model for Attracting Theatre Audiences with Emphasis on Cultural Needs Assessment: A Qualitative Study in Kermanshah

Abstract

The present study aimed to design a model for attracting theatre audiences with an emphasis on cultural needs assessment in Kermanshah and to identify the cultural, social, communicational, and performative factors influencing audience engagement in performing arts. This qualitative study was conducted using thematic analysis based on the Attride–Stirling approach. The participants consisted of theoretical and experiential experts. The experiential experts included regular and occasional theatre audiences in Kermanshah Province, while the theoretical experts comprised specialists in theatre arts, cultural management, sociology, psychology, social communication, and audience studies. Purposeful and snowball sampling methods were used until theoretical saturation was achieved, resulting in 22 participants. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. To ensure trustworthiness, member checking, peer review, and recoding strategies were applied. The findings revealed that the proposed audience attraction model consisted of six overarching themes: “Cultural Content and Message of Theatre,” “Performance Style and Execution,” “Accessibility and Performance Venue,” “Smart and Digital Marketing,” “Community Interaction and Participation,” and “Theatre Stakeholders.” Overall, 35 organizing themes and 140 basic themes were identified. The results indicated that local storytelling, multilingual performances, experience-centered design, active audience engagement, economic and geographical accessibility, media marketing, and the involvement of local artists were among the most influential factors in attracting theatre audiences. Furthermore, audience attraction in Kermanshah theatre was found to be a multidimensional process strongly connected to cultural context, participatory experiences, and local social ecosystems. The results demonstrated that successful theatre audience attraction requires a culturally grounded and multidimensional model that addresses artistic quality alongside the cultural, social, and communicational needs of audiences. Utilizing Kermanshah’s cultural and ethnic capacities, strengthening cultural marketing strategies, enhancing local community participation, and creating participatory audience experiences can contribute to the sustainable development of theatre and increased cultural engagement in the region. The proposed model can serve as a practical framework for cultural policymakers, theatre managers, and performing arts practitioners.