And of course Word of mouth is really important.

Talk about it every where.

Here’s your best bet. Remember that you are satisfying a need/want. Figure out what that is, and it will show you which benefits of your productions to comunicate to your potential audience. If you want to comunicate groundbreaking-ness(if that’s even a word), than the medium you choose for publicity must be groundbreaking.

Also, keep in mind that because you are limited in both budget and current audience share you can’t try to get everyone. Average capacit 200, for 10 shows is 2000. say 10% of the people you reach with your really good ad campagin attend, that means you need to reach 20000 people withing your segment. Focus on a segment that actually may attend. I would go for 18-35, university educated, live in the downtown core, politically center-left, who watch live performances (not only theater) at least weekly. Where are you going to find 20000 of these people?

Think about that segment, what common characteristics do they share. If they all buy the same beer, or listen to the same radio station, or shop at the same grocery store then that’s probably a good spot to put your efforts.

Consider also how much time you have to deliver your message. If you want a person to get a location, date, price, name of the show, name or your company, and name of the venue out our your ad, then ourdoor ads are not effective because people only look at them for 1-4 seconds. If you want to say ITSAZOO is really cool or something simple like that, then you can use a high impact visually stimulating message via posters to get that across. For longer messages you need a captive audience, (ie radio or tv or live promoters on the bus) or you need to give the people you are trying to reach the onus of choosing to recieve the message (which means direct one-on-one advertising like a mail out).

Thanks just my take,

Peace

I really appreciate your ongoing support.

Chelsea

“Rigour was defined as a real ability to explain every artistic decision and to demonstrate that nothing is by accident, that every detail is a conscious artistic choice”.

Let me see, for example, does the CCFA require the Canadian Opera Company to defend “Rigour” in an opera written by Verdi, Mozart, Wagner? I think not, because, a lot of their compositions happened by chance, (thank god!).

Your company is on the cutting edge of theatre.

Please stay this way because it is your creativity that connects with an audience; and most of all stimulates you to do what you do so well.

Zoo Crew, the proof is in your end product; not how, why, when, where you got to this end product. That is why people go to enjoy your product.

And not to put too fine a point on it – Canada Council for the Arts Officer(s) – “suck it up” and get with the program, because the objects, at least last time I looked and got grants, are to support, nurture and propagate creativity because the CC’s object(s)are stated to do so.

I quote the founding statement of the Canada Council for the Arts: – 28 March 1957 Passage of The Canada Council Act by Parliament – “The objects of the Council are to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts, humanities and social sciences…”

Thank you Vincent Massey and the Massey Commission for your insight, forward thinking and brilliance!

You got it right; the Officers of the Canada Council of the Arts need to be reminded of this from time to time; I certainly think so.

I offer to the Zoo Crew some assistance, and, a free consultant to address what you are struggling with in grant writing.

For goodness sake, you are not struggling for/with your creativity.

PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS!

Susan Weiss

PS Send me a DM on Twitter and we can hook up, if you so desire.

I am sorry about the loss of using the theatre space.
Maybe a “Crowdsourcing” campaign with the great folks of Nelson might remedy this. The theatre loses a rental, which, I am sure they are none too happy about either!

Thanks for sharing and onward and forward!

Cheers!

Susan