Successful Workshop on Marketing and Audience Development in Newfoundland

June 7, 2012 | From June 1st - 3rd the Atlantic Presenters Association hosted a professional development workshop in St. John's, NL. Led by Judy Harquail and Lendre Kearns, two of the top arts professionals in the field, the workshop was entitled "Something Old, Something New: Audience Development and Strategic Marketing." Hosted in the Resource Centre for the Arts, Second Space, presenters from across Newfoundland and Labrador collaborated, networked and even shared a few laughs! The APA was thrilled to welcome a local NL representative, Lyle Wetsch, to give two, 25 minute presentations on social media. Lyle is an Associate Professor in marketing at the Faculty of Business Administration at Memorial University.

The APA would like to acknowledge the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for its generous support of this event.

The organizations in attendance at the workshop included:

Artistic Fraud

Beyond the Overpass Theatre Company

CAPACOA

Eastern Labrador Arts Alliance

Eastport Peninsula Heritage Society

Neighbourhood Dance Works

Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Society

New World Theatre Project

Resource Centre for the Arts

Rising Tide Theatre

Stephenville Theatre Festival

The Tuckamore Festival

Woody Point Literary Festival

Here are a few testimonials capturing the experience of attending this workshop:

"It will definitely present us with options on how to proceed with the coming season and how to proceed into the next phase of our development. Also confirmed some of the areas we are heading are good and in the right direction." Geoff Adams, New Curtain Theatre Company

"It makes me think about more cross-pollinating with local organizations (whether e-trades, promotions etc) to mutually benefit out programming reach/development. This is incredibly valuable." Calla Lachance, Neighbourhood Dance Works

"I really value the opportunity to get together with others who are doing the same thing I'm doing (this is only the second time in 5 years I've done this). Besides strengthening old ties and establishing new ones in the arts/cultural community, it lets me focus on future development of our festival (which usually gets obscured in the day-to-day minutae of administration). Valuable ideas have come from this that will impact positively on our festival." Gary Noel, Writers at Woody Point

"A fabulous opportunity to meet with other industry professionals and share ideas and research for a successful project." Keith Pike, Stephenville Theatre Festival

"This has given us a great toolkit to get started on a brand new promo/marketing campaign for Rising Tide Theatre. New ideas and ways of looking at "challenges" really helps. I really enjoyed the brainstorming sessions with similar organizations and realizing different types of festivals or genres face similar struggles in audience development." Laura Brujins, Rising Tide Theatre, Administrator

About Judy Harquail

Judy has over 25 years of experience working in the performing arts. Her previous accomplishments include directing and executing touring activity for some of Canada’s most highly respected dance and opera companies, developing and executing strategic marketing campaigns and working in collaboration with an extensive range of arts organizations and arts professionals across Canada, the United States, and throughout the world. Amongst the many projects she is currently working on, she is Program Manager for CCI – the Ontario Presenters Network where she is responsible for the Ontario Dances program, the biannual Ontario Dances Platform, the Fresh Start program and CCI’s block booking program. She also has extensive experience dealing with all levels of government funding agencies having worked on contract for the Canada Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage assisting in the launch of the Arts Presentation Canada Program in Ontario. Judy is the 2007 recipient of the National Arts Centre award for distinguished contribution to touring.

About Lendre Kearns

Lendre Kearns is currently the General Manager of a for-profit presenting organization: Broadway In Tucson, A Nederlander Presentation. With over 35 years in arts management and marketing, she has worked throughout the U.S. and Canada with organizations of all sizes and disciplines including stints with the Vancouver Playhouse, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Guthrie Theatre, Minnesota Dance Theater, Compass Entertainment and La Jolla Playhouse. She has delivered hundreds of workshops on touring, marketing, audience development and strategic planning in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia. She is also currently a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Goucher College MAAA (Master of Arts Arts, Administration) a long distance/limited residency Master’s program, where she teaches Arts Marketing. She and Judy Harquail are co-authors of www.artsontour.ca an on-line resource for artists on how to tour and presenters in how to present.