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Permalink Reply by Nathan Keates on November 11, 2009 at 10:08

I like this idea. And in fact people are doing similar things to this already.

New Theatre and Sherman have trailers on their websites. And I know I have done in person trailers - well, performances... not quite the same though.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Page on June 20, 2010 at 22:53

Well it's been some time since I commented on here, with my work taking me away a little from NTW and Arts marketing the past few months. But I'm happy to say that the focus in my work has returned to NTW.

This week myself and a group of 3 Master Students who I supervise in Marketing & Digital Media here at Cardiff University, will start an 8 week project focused on just this topic, Marketing and the Arts, and more specifically, looking at the Marketing, Communications and Community Engagement activities of NTW since it's inception and moving forward through it's remaining shows.

With changes in the digital space and evolution of societal and community values, the concept, philosophy and language of marketing is evolving ... this presents both opportunities and challenges for members of our creative communities to engage and instill within their operations and activities ... With many organisations, I find they are fearful of these changes, but in Art-based organisations they embrace the challenges and change with a differing mindset. Its great to experience. It is such an exciting and engaging time for many in marketing, communications and the arts.

Smiles
Kelly

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Permalink Reply by Sybil Crouch on June 21, 2010 at 2:07

As someone involved in programming both "cultural" cinema & theatre/performing arts over 20+ years maybe i can offer some thoughts from the coalface.

We get near/sell out audiences for cinema (330 seats) on a regular basis. The secret is fairly simple - reviews (& ads) in the quality press; star names (but not necessarily - eg we do very well with foreign language films incl. documentaries) & a high quality environment (knocks spots off VUE etc - especially for the older audience). The "problem" with an audience for theatre is frankly that the "product" is generally completely unknown - (and word of mouth only works if you have a run of shows) and people are risking their time. From my experience audiences for theatre pretty much know what they do/don't want to see. So for example we recently did 85% capacity over 6 performances for "Elephant" a fabulous co-production between Dodgy Clutch & Market Theatre Johannesburg - which was suiatble for family audiences. There were no recent reviews & nobody really knew the show or Dodgy Clutch. Our marketing team worked hard using a variety of means/media including facebook etc etc. But at the end of the day - the idea/concept of the show appealed to a LOT of people. In a different way Mappa Mundi get excellent audiences here because they are presenting major classics in an accessible way.

All the marketing techniques in the world will not persuade people to spend 2/3 hours in the theatre if the content doesn't interest them - if there isn't some "hook" which will entice them in.

One of the big problems in Wales (ask all my colleagues who manage theatres) is the absolute dearth of drama productions which offer what the audiences want to see...and that does NOT mean LCD.....

So - its the product/reputation that sells......

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Permalink Reply by rob on July 15, 2010 at 23:16

If the local people don't feel the theatre belongs to them, it won't matter what the standard of production, and whose 'standard' anyway? Artistic programming is often a mishmash of assumptions about general taste plus a dose of random 'themes' to try and achieve 'artistic coherence', whatever that means.
The theatre should be a local resource, which people use as naturally as a restaurant or pub. This means getting them early, through constant school use, and by showcasing local talent. Programming should reflect the fact that a huge percentage of the population is under 18.
Outreach work should include school-trips of the backstage mysteries, and, depending on the theatre, the wonders of the auditorium. Most children's experience of the theatre is of a period of time, purchased by their parents, when they are allowed to consume the entertainment product, and then, when their money is used up, they are obliged to leave. This is a fairly exclusive transaction, with little or no magic or allure, except that sold by the seat.
Attracting the next generation of theatre goers, and creating a culture of involvement is a huge task, but cannot be achieved while theatres are merely posh cinemas without the popcorn.
The achievement of somewhere like The Roses in Tewkesbury has been to become a much-loved cornerstone of the community. Perhaps when Bob Hamlin gets round to his autobiography, we might learn his secret recipe. But there is no reason why many small Welsh theatres shouldn't achieve his success. For all I know some may have, and even survived the grant cull of two years ago.
Dragging people away from the TV might mean stealing TV tactics. It is surely time for the return of the serialised drama to the live stage. We invented it, then cinema and radio stole it, and TV stole it from them, and now there isn't an hour when the addict is more than half an hour away from their fix of hi-grade soap.
As live theatre, performed weekly, it could reflect local life as it happened. Have I got drama for you! Script and production meetings could include the community itself through the theatre website. It would be their drama in a very real way. Been done? Hope so.
And surely the whole YouTube generation, and their accumulated skills and need for an audience, can be catered for somehow.

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Permalink Reply by Megan Merrett on December 14, 2014 at 23:31

Yes Rob - when I take my kids to the theatre I feel the same. Even if a family show has £8 - £10 tickets I still pay for all 5 tickets and as productions suitable for under 3s are less than an hour long it is a VERY expensive experience  when all you're often expected to do is come in, sit, watch, maybe join in a bit and then go home - the only way to stay in the building longer is usually to PAY for a drink, ice cream, food which makes it even more expensive. From what I've researched, most theatres/art centres who offer workshops or classes for primary aged children do so on the weekend. Too many clashes to commit to that with rugby and gymnastics on top and a family set up where a step child isn't always with us on the same day each weekend. The toddler offer is usually a paid for series of classes. What we need is free, drop in opportunities which I know are difficult to administrate but would make the offer so much more accessible to more families.

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