Theatres Need Active Promotion!
The Mayor’s Culture Office connected us to the London Councils. Their web-site lists cuts in services of up to 10%. This is a long-term crisis, not just a short-term dip. There will still be grants, but they will be harder to obtain. Key funding for the majority of companies comes from box-office and school bookings. Parents have always responded to imaginative story-telling for children. Teachers are familiar with linking shows to the curriculum to get funding. This can be developed.

Active promotion is what the sector is strongly advised to focus on.

Funders will be more keen to fund companies and organisations which can show they are proactively ‘marketing’ theatre to actual, and potential bookers, venues, community centres, schools and family theatre-goers.

Note. An initiative to link to, co-ordinated by the ARTS DEPOT in Enfield, is to set up a web-site with all the current London region Children and Young People’s Company programmes. Contact the Marketing Manager (jennifer.raingold@artsdepot.co.uk).

LONDON CONSORTIUM - Live Theatre for Young Audiences. This is an instant ‘quango’ in response to the situation. We have previously circulated to you the following leaflet wording for you to adapt and use for active marketing of the theatre experience in the current social context. Besides the artistic content of your programme, the key feature we are advised to promote, is participation in a live event.

Live Theatre. In today’s Digital Age CHILDREN and YOUNG PEOPLE need the experience of Theatre as LIVE PERFORMANCE! They are growing up with computer games, i-pods, and on-line entertainment. Children and teen-agers spend hours on-screen. The best of this offers active learning.

But nothing can replace the unique personal and group excitement, pleasure and learning of being part of - a live theatre audience.

Key Areas to flag up: Contributing to Community Development, in an era of fragmented family and community life. Widening Horizons, live reactive audience experience identifying with characters, thoughts and feelings. Learning Skills, theatre experience provides creative learning, and supports curriculum learning areas.

COMPANY ACTION. Use this approach in company publicity. Company web-sites can now refer to a proactive London Live Theatre Consortium. Use your sites (as the Half Moon regular email-outs do) to actively promote theatre-going to other companies in your area.

Promote actively to: Local Authorities, Trusts, Charities, Sponsors. And the range of actual and potential bookers, Venues, Community Centres, Primary and Secondary Schools.