we will thrive

04/09/2026

Audiences and participants aren’t quite the same thing.

We know a thing or two about the people who come to watch, listen and experience the arts. But what about the people who actively take part through classes, courses and workshops?

That’s where ENGAGE comes in. Our new research programme looks at who’s taking part, why they get involved and what they get from it.

Find out more about ENGAGE 👇

What do you know about the participants in your workshops or classes? Want to know what effect your programme of activity has on wellbeing, social cohesion or place-making? Do you have the right data for impressing funders or future investors? We can help! Our new survey Engage does all of that and....

02/09/2026

Doing some audience research? We can help with the hardware.

Our iPads are free to borrow for anyone collecting survey responses on-site. The service is open to arts, culture and heritage organisations and freelancers across Northern Ireland.

So if you’ve got an event coming up, arm your team with an iPad and make gathering those responses that bit quicker and easier.

Find out more:
https://wewillthrive.co.uk/products-services/book-an-ipad/

01/09/2026

IMPACT really gets around a bit.

From festivals and performances to galleries and arts spaces, wherever there are audiences, there’s something useful to learn from them.

This time we’ve been hearing from visitors to Queen Street Studios where the consensus is that there’s a lot of value in making great art accessible.

Want to know what else audiences have been telling us? Dig into three years of IMPACT findings in our latest report:

🔗 https://wewillthrive.co.uk/resources/reports/impact-end-of-year-report-2025-26/

28/08/2026

Consider this your reminder that a long weekend awaits.

The thrive office will be closed for the bank holiday on Monday 31 Aug. We’ll be back at it on Tuesday.

Enjoy!

28/08/2026

After 20 years, Arts Ekta's Belfast Mela still knows how to bring the party.

Have you been soaking up the rhythm, colour and culture of Mela this week?

If you were at the epic outdoor spectacle Earth Child last Sunday, check your inbox... there’s a snazzy little IMPACT survey waiting for your input.

We’d love to hear what you thought.

27/08/2026

We’ve been working with Earagail Arts Festival on their post-festival audience research for over a decade, and as the festival evolves, the survey does too.

We love knowing that the team genuinely uses audience feedback to learn, and to shape how the festival is delivered year after year.

And this year’s audiences had some particularly lovely things to say...

26/08/2026

Our next Festivals Connect online focus groups are coming up in September. Join us, share your experience and help shape future support for the festival sector.

We’ve already had some amazing input and, as we’re committed to ensuring balanced participation across communities, we’d particularly welcome more voices from Protestant, Unionist and/or Loyalist communities, who are currently less represented in our focus groups.

Pick a date and register to join us: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FESTCONNECT

🗓️ 9 Sept | 11am–12.30pm
🗓️ 11 Sept | 11am–12.30pm
🗓️ 14 Sept | 3–4.30pm
🗓️ 16 Sept | 7–8.30pm

Already shared your experience with us? Thank you! There’s no need to attend another focus group.

Festivals Connect is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body - SEUPB

20/08/2026

No need to buy a hat, but we do have some news…

ENGAGE is our new research programme looking at people who actively take part in the arts through classes, courses and workshops.

We want to understand who’s taking part, why they get involved and what they get from it, including the wider impact on wellbeing, place-making and social cohesion.

ENGAGE rolls out from September 2026 and we’re looking for arts organisations to get involved.

Curious? We’ve put everything you need to know on the blog 👇

https://wewillthrive.co.uk/resources/blogs/engage-a-new-way-to-understand-arts-participation/

19/08/2026

Are you free next Wednesday?

We’re looking for people who identify as d/Deaf, disabled or have a long-term health condition to join us for a conversation about museum accessibility.

We want to hear about your experiences: what works, what doesn’t, and what could make museums more accessible. You don’t need to have visited NI War Memorial before to take part.

📅 Wednesday 26 August, 12.00–1.30pm
📍 NI War Memorial, 21 Talbot Street, Belfast
�🎁 £20 shopping voucher as a thank you (plus tea, coffee and snacks!)

Come and have your say:�https://www.research.net/r/NIWMACCESS

18/08/2026

A little audience feedback, straight from the source? Don’t mind if we do. 💬

Audiences have been sharing their thoughts about The MAC through our IMPACT evaluations. IMPACT looks at all things audience, from who is attending and why, to audience experiences, behaviours and motivations.

The data tells us a lot, but we’re always particularly fond of the bits where people tell us in their own words.

Want to find out more? Explore the latest findings from three years of data in our IMPACT 2025–26 Report:

https://wewillthrive.co.uk/resources/reports/impact-end-of-year-report-2025-26/