Community consultation
This guide provides a practical framework for effective community consultation. Whether you're a gallery in Glasgow, a theatre in London or a museum in Manchester, these steps will help you move from feedback forms to a dynamic process of engagement with your audiences and communities. We'll explore how to gather powerful insight and use it to drive your strategy and activities for long-term success.
Before you begin: laying the groundwork
A successful consultation process starts with a clear purpose and rationale. Jumping into consultation without a plan can lead to vague feedback and wasted resources.
Define your ‘why’: set clear objectives
First, ask yourself: what do we need to know and why? Your objectives will shape the entire process. Are you:
Developing a new programme or exhibition?
Undertaking a branding review or creating a new marketing strategy?
Planning a capital project and need to understand community needs for effective placemaking?
Navigating significant organisational transformation that affects your stakeholders?
Seeking community stories and input to support a fundraising application?
Those are just a few of many examples of where community consultation can be a useful tool. Your goal dictates your questions and your audience. Being specific from the outset ensures the insight you gather is not just interesting, but actionable.
Identify your community: beyond the usual suspects
Effective stakeholder engagement means looking beyond your current ticket buyers and members. Your ‘community’ is a diverse ecosystem. Consider mapping it out. Here’s some examples:
Current audiences: your loyal supporters
Potential audiences: people you want to reach
Local residents: people who live and work near your venue
Community leaders and groups: local councillors, faith groups, youth clubs, community groups
Peers and partners: other similar organisations, local businesses, schools
Thinking broadly ensures your consultation is inclusive and representative, preventing the echo chamber effect and providing a richer, more accurate picture of community needs and desires. You’ll need to think carefully about how many people and communities to consult. Is it more helpful to engage fewer people more deeply or to engage more people in a more light tough fashion?
There’s loads of ways you can present a community and stakeholder mapping. A great place to start is searching on Miro the virtual whiteboard’s free templates for inspiration.
How to conduct community consultation that works
With your objectives set and community identified, it’s time to choose your methods. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. A blended methodology that mixes data with testimony and experience often yields the best results.
Choose the right methods
Consider a mix of quantitative (what/how many) and qualitative (why/how) methods to gather comprehensive insight.
Surveys and questionnaires: excellent for collecting data from a large group
Focus groups and workshops: perfect for deep dives into specific topics. These facilitated conversations can uncover nuances and shared priorities that surveys miss
Creative consultation: For arts organisations, why not use your core creative skills? Host a community mapping session, a storytelling workshop or a photography project where participants document their experiences visually
One-to-one interviews: Ideal for gathering detailed perspectives from key stakeholders or individuals who may not speak up in a group setting, or for more sensitive conversations
Crafting the right questions
Many people ask, "What are good community consultation questions?" The key is to be open and human. Avoid jargon and leading questions. For example:
Instead of "Would you agree our new programme is innovative?" try "What kind of events or activities would excite you?"
Instead of "Do you understand our organisational mission?" try "When you think of us, what words come to mind?"
Instead of "Rate your satisfaction with our placemaking efforts." try "What would make this area feel more vibrant and welcoming?"
Focus on questions that probe feelings, ideas, and experiences. This is where the most valuable, transformative insight lies.
From insight to action: making consultation count
The most critical phase of consultation happens after the last survey is completed. This is where you build trust and demonstrate that you’ve listened.
Analyse and synthesise: collate all your data. Look for recurring themes, surprising ideas and points of tension. What are the key takeaways? This analysis is the bridge between raw feedback and a coherent strategy.
Communicate and close the loop: this step is crucial and often missed. Share a summary of what you heard with participants and the wider community. A simple "You Said, We Did" style report builds immense goodwill. This transparent communication shows you value people’s time and input.
Integrate into your strategy: Use the insights to make decisions. Let the feedback shape your programming, refine your branding message or inform your building's design. This is how consultation drives real organisational transformation.
Evaluate and iterate: Consultation shouldn't be a one-off event tied to a project. Embed it into your organisational culture. Use it as a tool for ongoing evaluation and relationship-building. Strong community connection is built over time, through consistent engagement.
In summary: building connection through consultation
Effective community consultation is more than a box-ticking exercise. It can be a foundational practice for any modern, resilient cultural organisation. By defining your purpose, engaging diverse voices, asking thoughtful questions and, most importantly, acting on the insight you receive, you can build a loyal and invested community.
