Where to for the future

Crispin Butteriss Ph.D.

What might community engagement look like for the performing arts sector?

What is your role in your community?To run a performing arts facility?

or…

To support the performing arts?To bring the performing arts to your community?To cultivate an appreciation for the performing arts?To expose your community to new artists, art forms, ideas, stories, cultures…?

Why Engage?To get more bums on seats.

To develop deeper relationships.

To open up new funding opportunities.

To make your organisation more robust.

EngagementBasicsPeople respond to things they understand.

People respond to things that directly affect them.

People respond to things with emotional content.

People respond to an opportunity to self-promote.

People respond to an opportunity to learn skills & knowledge.

People like to be mentored.

EngagementBasicsPeople need to trust you. Flat structures encourage this.

People need to know their input is genuinely valued (to come back).

(Younger) people prefer to be involved ‘creatively’ and ‘constructively’ rather than ‘dialogically’ or ‘didactically’.

DigitalEngagementWhat could your ‘business’ look like online?

How might (digital) engagement help you achieve your organisational objectives?

How could you use digital to expand your influence, reach and impact?

OnlineCommunityWho is your community?

How big is your community?

How are you leveraging that community?

Can you get more value out of your community?

StrategicThinkingWhat does your community think about your priorities, plans, program and more…?

ProgrammeCo-Design Who gets to decide what you put on stage?

Is there room for community input into part, or all, of the calendar?

PerformanceHostingCan you curate an online ‘space’ for community performances?

Could you have YouTube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud, channel for community content?

Could you stream this content to your website to create an integrated hub for your local community?

ResponsiveContentCan you generate interest, enthusiasm, learning (and theatre attendance) by asking people to respond to your program creatively?

Would competitions work for your audience? Would they grow your audience?

DistributedPerformancesDoes your audience really need to be in the room?

Do the performers all need to be in one place?

Do the performers need to be a ‘troupe’ of professionals?

Can your community ‘perform’ and ‘direct’?

ContentCo-CreationCan you harness local knowledge, interest, skills, creative potential?

Performing Artists NetworkHow can you support your local performance artists?

How do they connect with each other now?

CurriculumSupportWhat would support VCE and younger students?

GlobalOutreachCan you help to bring international performances to your community?

The fault, dear Brutus,

Is not in our stars, But in ourselves,

that we are underlings.

The Endmobro.co/crispinbutteriss