It seems to me that there are changes that could be made to the well-balanced program requirements or to how elements (especially those currently based on levels) are scored that could allow for and encourage more emphasis on aesthetic impact rather than just adding features to earn points regardless of quality or relation to the rest of the program.
But the real place for encouraging artistry is in the PCS, especially PE, CH, and IN.
I'm interested in how judge training could be improved so that judges worldwide, including both those with outside training in the arts and those who were primarily athletes or technicians themselves, can get on the same page as to what constitutes 3.0 or 5.0 or 7.0 or 9.0 choreography or interpretation.
Dorispulaski suggests more detailed written guidelines for singles/pairs, as has been the case for ice dance.
Krunchii mentions the ISU videos, specifically for Skating Skills:
There is actually a playlist on youtube about skating skills that show the difference between good and bad skating skills. It's really old but I think it's really helpful for a beginner, it's a bit long so unless someone is super interested or it's their job I think it's super useful, they have mens, ladies, dance and pairs examples of weak, average and good, I've been toying with the idea of making my own example video for singles but with recent performances from the last quad because I think watching HQ would be more helpful
You can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu1TFFHNZ7o&list=PL723B645BA5A421EF
I think those videos are very helpful. Videos have better reach than in-person discussions, so everyone can get exactly the same information.
And even more helpful to have them accessible to skaters and coaches (and fans) so everyone knows what judges are looking for.
In-person seminars and ongoing discussions in judges' rooms also have value, but how much value will be much more variable.
And well-meaning discussions on boards like this, brainstorming possibilities, thinking outside the box, not focused on insulting skaters or officials or each other.
What if there were separate judging appointment for technical skating (GOEs and Skating Skills, and maybe Transitions) vs. presentation/artistic impression (Performance/Execution, Choreography, and Interpretation)?
Financially and logistically it might be a problem to train judges separately and to require separate panels even at the smallest B events. But just thinking ideally with practical considerations to be worked out later...
Would it make sense to recruit potential presentation judges from the arts world who would volunteer to be trained to evaluate figure skating and make themselves available to travel to competitions. Performing artists with active careers would likely not be willing to volunteer the amount of time it would take to be sufficiently trained.
In-rink training would be necessary, especially for newcomers to the sport who have only ever watched on TV, and would be at the trainees' own expense (or that of their national skating federation if these judges would be members of and appointed through federations.
And they would have to be competent enough in English to participate in international training in that language, although initial training and training for national-level judges would be in the native language.
So most artists and educated arts fans who also love skating and believe they could do a better job of judging the artistic components would not feasibly be able to take advantage of this opportunity. But maybe enough would to inject some new enthusiasm and new expertise into the judging ranks.
They would need to learn enough about figure skating to bring them up to speed with the basics of what judges need to know to judge PE, CH, and IN, without necessarily needing the more detailed technical knowledge needed for judging GOEs, Skating Skills, and Transitions.
Existing judges who are already trained in evaluating skating would need to demonstrate some additional knowledge in the arts, whether in their professions (e.g., musician Joe Inman) or in college or studio training, or by self-education and passing a more detailed exam about principles of composition, music, dance, etc.
Then bring these skating experts with some arts knowledge and arts experts with some skating knowledge together, in person and with videos and online discussions, to develop consensus about what's artistically possible within the constraints of skating technique and competitive requirements and develop benchmarks for what constitutes poor, weak, fair, average, above average, good, very good, outstanding, doesn't-get-better-than-this for the various criteria for these components.
Can experienced judges who have spent the past 10 years judging all components under IJS learn to separate their evaluation of these components from their impressions of the technical skating quality?
Will arts judges without skating background evaluate the PE, CH, and IN components more independent of the skating quality?
How can all PE/CH/IN judges separate these three components from each other? Do the criteria need to be rewritten at all to avoid overlap?
Share these conclusions, share the training videos, with skaters and coaches (and fans).
Will we see judges refusing to give 8s and 9s in CH and IN for poorly constructed programs just because they were well skated technically?
If skaters find themselves and losing medals as a result, will that encourage them to pay more attention to those areas?
Gosh I love this thread. Both for the earnest seekers or preachers of the true importance of art and/or artistry and for people who shrug their shoulders and say, "Wha?" 
p This can really mess with the subjectivity in judges mind) The final performances are then finally recaliberated again according to the principled judge (s) mark for model answer purposes.
hwell:
oh dear I remember siting in the music hall for hours and hours each day in those competitions to wait for the best musicians to appear (sometimes they never came). And to my horror when Bach starts to sound like Chopin I know I have been overdosed. 
