Jolie Booth, 11 January 2016

Present:

Jolie Booth

Fiona Seagrave

Lloyd Davis

Kalila Story

Sarah Dean

Stella Kanu

There are many people who seem like theatre go'ers who don't go to the theatre. there

are also lots of people who might not fit with a usual theatre going profile who don't go

to the theatre. How can we rebrand theatre to let them know that there is theatre out

there that they would love?

Is there theatre out there that they would love?

Left-wing Brightonians types often lament that they don't hear certain perspectives and

narratives on TV, in film or in the media. To them I've begun to say that theatre is a

free creative outlet that is off the censorship radar and the likes of Murdoch and that

not only will they experience narratives that are marginalised in the mainstream, but

also that they will find these narratives not only informative, but also inspiring,

invigorating and empowering. Theatre can be and has been a tool for social change

and subversion throughout the centuries. It is still doing this, we just need to let

subversive types know that theatre is speaking their language.

Talked about the Donmar having a live piece on the election night that was

progressive and political and ‘extra-live’.

The X-factor, Big Brother, Goggle Box generation, who want to be involved, paricitpate

and be in the spotlight. Do they know that there is a living breathing space just down

the road to their home where they could get involved, either in the creative process, or

as an audience member? Do they realise that theatre is doing this kind of thing

everyday on their doorstep?

Are there people who envy the sense of community that grows around a football club,

the celebration and commiseration of successes and failures, the knowledge of names

involved, history of seasons and details of what happened during them. The dramas

that played out… but who don't like football? That sense of community could be

encouraged around theatres and their seasons.

Could we even have venue chants like football team chants?

Is it not crazy that as leftie/environmentally creative outlet like theatre is still destroying

so many trees to create marketing that hardly anyone looks at. Posters are good and

some flyers are useful when used like business cards to follow up direct contact, but

tons of paper is thrown away every year by venues from unread flyers.

ENO - Due to cuts has brought in a new CEO who has got rid of paper tickets to save

on the cost of pointless paper waste.

Direct conversations are important, especially as audience development officers were

the first things to be axed from council cuts. If the companies and venues do not

develop audiences themselves then no one else will. Personal conversations are key

and much better than blank flyering.

Free tickets only work for example if supported with direct conversations encouraging

new audiences through the doors.

Theatre clubs also encourage new audiences, like the one run by Maddy Costa.

Two Boroughs is another model to check out, by the Young Vic. Guardian did a good

article on this.

Networks and bloggers. Find way to utilise twitter links. Did all the Cumberbatch

followers start following the Barbican after he performed there? If not, what barriers

were there that stopped this from happening?

Is the problem that we don't think that what we do is everyday and so we create jargon

around our work that ostricises audiences. Does our premise for a show start from an

assumption of a theatre maker/theatre go'er and therefore fail to connect with none

theatre go'ers?

Extra-live encourages the idea of creating temporary communities who can expect to

enjoy extraordinary and unique experiences under the banner of theatre.

From booking the tickets, to front of house experience, audiences need to be greeted

without assumptions. How can we communicate that the building is for everyone? How

can we make the building and marketing accessible to everyone? How can we learn

from mistakes and share good practice? How can the face of theatre seem like the

face of television of film? You might not enjoy every programme or movie, but we all

feel that televisions and cinemas are meant for us.