Marketing the Arts

Episode 192: Marketing The Arts You are overwhelmed with production tasks and the last thing you want to do is add marketing to your overloaded plate. But marketing is important, even in a school setting. Marketing allows you to educate your community on the value of your program. Where do you start? Right here! Our guest gives you the four questions you need to answer when marketing your show. Show Notes Drama Teacher Academy Episode Transcript Welcome to the Drama Teacher Podcast brought to you by Theatrefolk – the Drama Teacher Resource Company. I’m Lindsay Price. Hello! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening! This is Episode 192. Woot woot! And that wasn’t a very good one. That wasn’t very full-bodied. This is Episode 192! Woop woop! And you can find any links to this episode in the show notes which are at Theatrefolk.com/episode192. All right, marketing – that’s what we’re talking about today. How much marketing do you do with your shows, with your productions? Do you do a press release? Maybe a poster that goes up around the school? How many of you don’t do any marketing at all? Now, I know, there’s got to be a lot of you who are thinking, “Marketing? You want me to add marketing to the list of things I have to do?” Well, I don’t actually want you to add anything to your list. I want you to take away things from your list which this little conversation might give you some insight into just that very concept. We’re talking marketing – specifically, for the education context – and that means you, dear friends, and you, dear friend, should grab some pen and paper – or your laptop or your phone, I’m not picky here – because there will be notes. There may be things you will want to write down. So, let’s get to it. LINDSAY: All right. So, I am here with James Van Leishout. How are you doing, James? JAMES: I’m doing great. LINDSAY: Yes, and we are at the International Thespian Festival where you are packing the houses with your workshops. JAMES: I have had a few people come to them. My first session on Monday had 91 people so it’s been good. LINDSAY: I think that’s pretty awesome. Well, first of all, it says a lot about the stuff that you’re teaching and that you have something to teach. Where are you from? Where are you located? JAMES: I’m in Olympia, Washington, which is the state capital just about an hour south of Seattle. LINDSAY: And what’s your arts background? JAMES: I have a BA in Acting and an MFA in Directing. LINDSAY: Ah, okay. Let’s start with that question. Acting or directing? JAMES: Well, you know, I started out, I loved acting – that’s why I got into it in the first place. But I discovered that I loved the rehearsal process more than the actual performing process. So, I tend toward the directing side although I force myself to act every once in a while, just to remind myself what it’s all about. LINDSAY: When I started out, I was an actor/writer and you hit it on the head. I love rehearsal and character analysis. I could do script analysis for days. And then, the performing didn’t have the same feeling. And then, when I started writing, it was like, “Oh, this is really what I want to do.” JAMES: Yeah, I’m a nervous actor; I enjoy it but the nerves just drive me crazy. I often say, as a director, I actually get to see the best performances because, often, the actors are more open, feel safer in the rehearsal process than they do in front of the audience.