In curating a small University presenting program our mission was to provide "gateway" performing arts experiences for students. We wanted to introduce them to a variety of performing arts disciplines and genres within those disciplines. It's not that the students hadn't been exposed to the performing arts before, but most of their experiences were usually tied to popular media or a narrow frame of reference. There was no expectation that every student would suddenly become an "aficionado", of lets say modern dance, but that they would have some sense of what the art form had to offer. For some it may become a part of a life long relationship with an art form or culture, for most it's just an interesting night out with friends. Either way, we wanted it to be a positive and enriching experience well worth the time and effort to attend.
The presenting program also provided an opportunity for those in theater and music programs to participate in workshops and master classes with professional artists. These "hands-on" experiences supported classroom room activities by broadening and deepening their experience.
The performing arts series was not just for students, but also the faculty, staff and community of the greater University community. Finding commonality among different age groups, education levels and experience can be challenging. One common denominator across disciplines we looked for was the artists ability to engage with our audience. It was important to identify access points, a degree of familiarity or reference point if you will, that the audience would instinctively connect to. Sometimes it was tradition, other times topical and often entertainment based.
As we were presenting "gateway" experiences, the importance of points of access can not be overemphasized. Any audience, but especially college students lose interest quickly if they don't get "it", whatever "it" is. I remember attending a performance that students literally ran out of the theater at the first hint that the program was over. It was a traditional Chinese opera of high artistic quality, but the students had no basis for understanding the culture, the language or the vocal technique presented. For the students it was a less than positive introduction to that particular Chinese culture let alone Opera. I'm not suggesting we don't challenge our audiences, but that when we do that we create context in the classroom, with pre show lectures or previous presentations that prepare the audience for more demanding material.
Pre show lectures, workshops and master classes are also a great way to provide outreach into the greater University community. Not all artists offer these programs, but University communities are rich with individuals with in-depth knowledge that can be leveraged to add value to just about every performance. Taking artists and university personnel into communities breaks down barriers to participation and creates valuable relationships for future collaborations.
The presenting program also provided an opportunity for those in theater and music programs to participate in workshops and master classes with professional artists. These "hands-on" experiences supported classroom room activities by broadening and deepening their experience.
The performing arts series was not just for students, but also the faculty, staff and community of the greater University community. Finding commonality among different age groups, education levels and experience can be challenging. One common denominator across disciplines we looked for was the artists ability to engage with our audience. It was important to identify access points, a degree of familiarity or reference point if you will, that the audience would instinctively connect to. Sometimes it was tradition, other times topical and often entertainment based.
As we were presenting "gateway" experiences, the importance of points of access can not be overemphasized. Any audience, but especially college students lose interest quickly if they don't get "it", whatever "it" is. I remember attending a performance that students literally ran out of the theater at the first hint that the program was over. It was a traditional Chinese opera of high artistic quality, but the students had no basis for understanding the culture, the language or the vocal technique presented. For the students it was a less than positive introduction to that particular Chinese culture let alone Opera. I'm not suggesting we don't challenge our audiences, but that when we do that we create context in the classroom, with pre show lectures or previous presentations that prepare the audience for more demanding material.
Pre show lectures, workshops and master classes are also a great way to provide outreach into the greater University community. Not all artists offer these programs, but University communities are rich with individuals with in-depth knowledge that can be leveraged to add value to just about every performance. Taking artists and university personnel into communities breaks down barriers to participation and creates valuable relationships for future collaborations.
Making it a positive experience for students also means delivering great customer service. It should include making it easy for them to buy tickets, being able to sit with their friends and having access to the best seats. Allot of University presenters provide discount tickets for their students, which is great, but they often only allow one ticket per student i.d.; meaning if you want to sit with your friends you're likely to wait until the last minute and buy tickets at the door. Waiting last minute has several consequences. The group may change its mind and decide to do something else (and students do attend in small groups, they are heavily influenced by peer groups). Buying at the door can also mean long lines at the ticket office for everyone, which is not the experience we want our patrons to have. Why not let a student buy several tickets with one i.d.? What's the worse that can happen....the student might bring a non-student to attend the performance...sounds like a great recruiting tool to me.
In addition, why discount tickets for students to make it easier for them to attend and then have them sit off by themselves in the cheap seats? From my perspective part of the value of attending a performance is the opportunity for students, faculty/staff and community members to come together in a social setting. Different age and social groups have different expectations of behavior. Given the opportunity to interact or just watching other interact creates valuable social experience and contributes to social equity. Pre and post show events were especially meaningful as views from many different perspectives were shared. in a respectful and usually non-judgmental manner.
Regardless of whether you present performing arts through a University, a community organization or for-profit business, the key is to know your audience. What is it that they want from you, why should they trust you to deliver the experience they want at a price they are willing to pay (even if it's free, they still have to leave the comfort of home!). Learn more about audience segmentation in the study led by Alan Brown commissioned by 14 major university presenting programs.
Let's continue to think about who our different audiences are, its the key to delivering great value.
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