Exploring the Audience Code of Conduct

October 2022

In conversations ABA has had across the field on topics of audience diversification, one interesting challenge shared by many organizations was how to create a welcoming environment when one key element was outside of your control: your audience.

Fellow visitors and patrons can have a major impact on how welcomed new attendees feel. For institutions working to ensure that all visitors feel that they belong, it is important to think of your existing audience as partners in opening the doors to others.

To do so, some arts organizations have turned to an audience code of conduct. While most have internal documents for staff and volunteer ethics and behaviors, extending the same expectations to audience members can signal an environment where safety and belonging are prioritized.

Below, we’ve gathered several examples of audience codes of conduct from across arts genres.

Ensuring physical safety

Many codes of conduct at arts organizations center on making sure that audience members know that they can enjoy an exhibit or performance without fear of injury or harassment. 

At Boston Symphony Orchestra, the symphony hall code of conduct comes from the institution’s “[commitment] to creating a safe and enjoyable experience for all.” The policy outlines a variety of expectations around use of recording devices, alcoholic beverage consumption, ticketed seating, and more. There is an additional section on prohibited items. A document like this can help new guests know what to expect in the hall from a behavioral standpoint.

“We are an anti-racist organization,” the page states. “We are fierce advocates for the rights of our trans community. Behavior that is harmful to others or disruptive to our communal sense of belonging for all will not be tolerated.” Finally, the code of conduct includes a form where audience members can share their own suggestions.

Sharing the same values

Beyond ensuring safety, a visitor code of conduct is a great opportunity to share your organizational values with your audiences — and to ask that they behave accordingly.

At the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the value of empathy is clearly stated and implicitly present in their code of conduct for all staff members, volunteers, and visitors. In addition to safety protocols, the museum requests that adults visiting the space “model positive behaviors” and interact with other families in a respectful way. 

The Fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle uses its audience code of conduct to break down expectations, rather than set them. The page lets attendees know that they can dress, engage with fellow audience members, and interact with the art on stage in whatever way feels authentic to them. The only “rule” set by the theater is for attendees to think before they share feedback in person or over social media, and to try to do so with kindness.

Creating a new experience for all

Finally, thinking about an audience code of conduct can open doors for true innovation.

Battersea Arts Centre in London prides itself on being the world’s first “Relaxed Venue,” a major step towards inclusivity. Working with Jess Thom, leader of the nonprofit Touretteshero, the performing arts organization reshaped their audience experience to be one that welcomed all attendees, particularly those “disabled by the usual rules of theatre etiquette.”

As a result, nearly all of their performances allow for diversity of experience, including space for “chilling out” during a show, lack of judgment for noise-making, and removal of accessibility barriers. By centering disabled people in their audience experience design, the Centre has created a welcoming venue for all.