Audiences London was set-up in 2002 as a resource supporting audience development for the cultural sector in the capital. It helps arts and heritage organisations build dynamic and sustainable relationships with audiences whilst collating their own resources through research, monitoring and evaluation.

Audiences London was recruited to facilitate a number of focus groups to ensure that FUSE was relevant to young people. Twelve young people aged between thirteen and nineteen attended ten sessions based at DreamArts in Westminster. The initial sessions focused on the ways in which young people spend their spare time and evolved to encompass what kinds of arts events they participated in and what they would like to try out.

The group also met with our appointed design agency to comment on and expand ideas for marketing the event including its title. Their advice allowed us to make key design decisions as well as define the best routes of communication with other young people. As well as their reaction to marketing materials they have explored the ways in which young people ‘sell-on’ ideas to their friends and how to increase the pool of young people taking part and promoting the event.

The FUSE website has been influenced by their input and they have also set up a social networking site to spread the word about ‘their’ event. They have advised us about the content throughout the day and the variety of activities on offer. They have described much of their input through blogs posted on this site, as well as their opinions about other activities for young people in London. As the programme of participating organsations grows they will be in communication with some of the young people already associated with those programmes and inviting each other to attend their own activities, enabling young people to be the best ambassadors.

Throughout the actual event the young people will be interviewing visitors to FUSE to ask them about the experience, what they found useful and enjoyable and what they might like to see in the Royal Parks in the future. Their findings will support a broader evaluation by Audiences London which will assist generally with outdoor arts events for young people in the capital and specifically inform the Royal Parks’ strategy to include and inspire young people through the arts.