YOUR CHALLENGE
Is your theatre respected by your admin, your school, your community? Are they aware of – and supportive of - all of the awesome events that pass through your walls?
Even school theatres need to develop a brand; an image to the community. It is a part of the Theatre Manager’s job – even in a school – to find ways to make the community aware of the awesome talent waiting to be seen in your school’s theatre. If your school rents out its theatre to outside users (a good way to bring in financial support for your performing arts programs - ideally) you also want community groups to know that your theatre is the place that they want to rent to showcase their productions.
YOUR ACTION
One way to get the word out is through a website (or “sub-website” of your school or district). You not only need to get the word out to your community groups to make them want to rent out your theatre, but you also have to provide excellent service and hospitality to make them want to come back. Plus your rates have to be ‘competitive’ yet reasonable. It’s important too that your community has an image of your school theatre as being a place to go to see, and to perform, quality performances in a place that is well managed.
Create a homepage for your theatre’s website (if you already have a theatre website, add your improvements).
The purpose is to entice the community to come and see school and community productions, as well as to compel community groups to rent out the space to help with your funding. So be helpful with what information you can provide to those coming to see a production and those coming to put on a production.
(For more information about how to create a ‘sub-website’ for your theatre, check out the Branding and Outreach chapter of High School Theatre Operations. For more detailed guidance on creating a sub-website, check out the Theatre Management Training online course or tutorials.)
