Louvre Abu Dhabi surveys the public to help the museum serve future visitors
In an initiative to help refine exhibitions, educational programmes and other services for future visitors to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the planning team for the new museum has begun a qualitative survey of potential audiences. The survey is being conducted in late July 2009 among visitors to the preview experience Talking Art: Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is currently being offered in Gallery One of Emirates Palace.
Eleven different focus groups are conducted among visitors to Talking Art: Louvre Abu Dhabi. Through these in-depth exercises, the planning team is gathering valuable information about potential museum audiences, such as their tastes in art, their preferred way of engaging with the works on view, their approach to interpreting written information, and their ideas about the subject matter of artworks. Insights gained through discussions with the focus groups will ensure that the Louvre Abu Dhabi will faithfully address the needs of the full range of its audiences.
The current initiative will survey Emirati adults and Emirati schoolchildren; teachers in national schools; teachers in international schools; expatriates from the Middle East, Asia and the West; and opinion leaders. Separate focus groups are being held for men and women as appropriate. This initiative represents the second major survey of potential audiences to be conducted by Tourism Development & Investment Company, following an initial survey that gathered information about people’s perceptions and expectations about the Louvre Abu Dhabi.
“As with all of the institutions being developed in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District, the overriding goal of the Louvre Abu Dhabi is education,” stated Rita Aoun, Director of Culture at TDIC. “This survey is part of our ongoing effort to engage all members of our audience respectfully and productively, so they can get the greatest benefit from the Louvre Abu Dhabi.”
