{"id":1655,"date":"2012-12-10T19:44:14","date_gmt":"2012-12-10T23:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.twisitheatreblog.com\/?p=1655"},"modified":"2023-07-09T12:36:33","modified_gmt":"2023-07-09T15:36:33","slug":"amandas-tips-on-how-to-be-a-media-darling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.twisitheatreblog.com\/?p=1655","title":{"rendered":"Amanda’s Tips on How to Be A Media Darling"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

amanda campbell (me)<\/p>\n

For the last two years I have been pleased to live and work among the Halifax Theatre Community, getting a strong sense of the strengths and the challenges faced by those who are working steadfastly and valiantly to make the theatre in this wonderful city thrive.<\/p>\n

One of the biggest challenges I have seen here is that it is difficult for the theatre companies in Halifax to build their audience. The problem I encounter A LOT is that theatre artists tend to be cynical about the thought of marketing their shows or even hoping for a better turnout than what they have come to expect. It\u2019s a really depressing, defeatist attitude that doesn\u2019t benefit anyone and is completely unwarranted. Theatre artists here tend to assume that there ISN\u2019T an audience for their company or their production, which is very problematic. (My immediate question is then: Well, then why does your company exist!?). I could discuss this at length, but actually, I DON\u2019T think that is the problem at all.<\/p>\n

Instead, why don\u2019t we try to assume that there IS an audience for our work and our theatre companies and that we just haven\u2019t found them all yet?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have spoken to a lot of people who \u201cdon\u2019t go to the theatre\u201d or who \u201cnever go to independent theatre\u201d in Halifax. I have VERY rarely heard them say, \u201cI heard about that production. I don\u2019t want to see it because it doesn\u2019t sound like something I\u2019m interested in.\u201d What I do hear (ALL THE TIME) is, \u201cI had no idea that show happened. What company did you say that was? Never heard of them. Are they at Neptune? There\u2019s another theatre here? Oh. Well, this is news to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is why you need to market your shows. All the time… and not just to the same 845 friends you have on Facebook (although please do market it to them)- but this is why you all, ALL OF YOU, need to become Media Darlings to get your company\u2019s name out into the city and beyond the little, insular bubble that the nucleus of the theatre community here inhabits.<\/p>\n

Here are Amanda\u2019s Tips: \u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n