The International Audience Engagement Network was established in 2017 as an initiative of an international steering group comprising audience engagement leaders based in museums worldwide. The Network was formed as a direct response to one of the biggest priorities facing museums and cultural institutions today – nurturing authentic, cohesive engagement with diverse audiences across many interactions with the museum in the twenty-first century.
Our purpose is to create a museum culture centered around audiences. Our mission is to create a global network of museum leaders in audience engagement committed to advancing the public value of museums through supporting an authentic internal and external focus on the audience experience.
IAE priorities include:
- Audience and Museum Wellness
- Communications and service standards
- Collaborative, cross-industry strategies for planning audience engagement
- Inclusion in museums, from access to diversity
- Leadership, advocacy and public value
- Measurement and evaluation
IAE Network Steering Group
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Donna McColm is Assistant Director, Curatorial and Audience Engagement at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. With two decades of experience crossing academic, curatorial and museum education and management roles, her interests centre on the opportunities for museums to foster relationships with their existing and potential audiences through educational and social experiences, building and sharing collections and by championing internal and external collaboration. She is a founding steering group member of the International Audience Engagement Network, a globally connected group of museum professionals formed in direct response to one of the biggest priorities facing cultural institutions today: nurturing authentic, cohesive engagement with diverse audiences across their many interactions with museums.
Elisha Buttler is Head of Audience Engagement at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Elisha is a steering group member of the International Audience Engagement (IAE) Network, founded in 2017, which supports museums to develop a culture centred around audiences. Prior to coming to the NGV, she worked as a writer, editor, curator and in strategic planning in arts and publishing roles across commercial and non-profit sectors, including secretary of the board at FORM, a non-profit body that champions creativity as a driver of development and opportunity.
Leigh Cartright is Head of Customer Service at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), overseeing Customer Experience across Front of House and NGV Members. Leigh is a steering group member of the International Audience Engagement (IAE) Network, founded in 2017, which supports museums to develop a culture centred around audiences.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Washington, USA
Adam Reed Rozan is Director of Programs and Audience Development. As a museum leader, Adam is widely recognized as an audience-engagement innovator, a champion of change, and an advocate for visitors. Adam teaches an audience engagement seminar at the Harvard University Extension School’s Museum Studies program, of which he is an advisory board member. He is a founding member of the International Audience Engagement (IAE) network, based in Melbourne, and lectures on the topic worldwide. Previously, he was director of audience engagement at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts. He has also held many roles at museums including the Oakland Museum of California, Harvard Art Museums, Boston Children’s Museum, and Boston’s Museum of Science.