With ongoing COVID-19 lockdowns restricting access to galleries, many artists' exhibitions and projects have been postponed or cancelled. The long-term impact on galleries remains to be seen, and lockdowns may lead to fewer galleries in the short to medium term. With fewer prospects to show artworks in real life and increasing numbers of artists competing for digital audiences, reaching people online to see and buy art has become more important than ever.

Drawing on their experiences of Falling Birds, a recent project which has been closed during lockdown, artist Helena Hunter and audience engagement consultant Pablo Colella will talk about understanding and engaging digital audiences in a way that is sympathetic to an artist’s practice, interests and capabilities. They’ll discuss what and where new arts audiences are online, how to reach them, and how artists can present their work online in a meaningful way.

Helena Hunter’s work spans live performance and the moving image. She works between visual art, poetry and performance in relation to environmental change and biodiversity loss, often blending sites such as the field, lab, gallery and museum. She has a Masters in Fine Art from Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. Her current exhibition Falling Birds will be on display at the Horniman Museum and Gardens until October 2021.

Pablo Colella has 12 years’ experience specialising in the engagement and development of cultural audiences. He is a consultant with the Arts Marketing Association, the Audience Development Advisor for Creative United, UK Ambassador for the Artist-Run Alliance and Lead Practitioner and Director of Disconnected Bodies, an arts audience engagement consultancy that supports independent artists and artist-led spaces.

Reaching audiences online