‘A Night Less Ordinary’ Knowledge Share

Re-imagining A Night Less Ordinary

If the theatre industry is serious about wanting to engage more young people the most important thing to do is…

Recognise that price is not the only issue

Nothing that I can say today will take away from the fact that ticket prices are often too high, that marketing budgets are too low, and that both of these can have a direct impact on why young people do not attend theatre.

Through A Younger Theatre.com, the website I founded in 2009, we have often asked the question ‘What is theatre for/to young people?

The response is repeatedly the same:

Theatre is uncool,
Theatre is educational,
Theatre is expensive,
or Theatre is elitist.

It is my belief that when young people think of theatre, they see something that is out of reach. They do not see entertainment. They do not see art. They see high ticket prices. They see barriers, and restrictions. Theatre isn’t an open medium, it’s for those refined people who can afford it.

Of course, we all know this is not true. This is just a perspective of young people, but we’re not talking about a few, we’re talking about a high percentage of them. These are the barriers that we, as those attempting to put ‘bums on seats’, need to understand when targeting younger audiences.

“Theatre is educational, cinema is entertainment.”

This statement came from young people describing the difference between the two. Young people frequently perceive the link between theatre and education as a barrier. As part of their English and Drama classes they are rounded up, put on coaches, taken to the theatre under the supervision of their teachers, and then told they must write a report on it. What part of this is fun? One of my first experiences of theatre was through my school. I was lucky enough to find enjoyment from it, but for the rest of my classmates it was all about the report, essay and exam.

To some, in an environment alien to them, theatre starts and ends with education, which is a stigma hard to break later in life. Of course school trips to theatres help to expose young people to performance and the arts, but with an increase in ticket prices and transportation costs, schools are cutting theatre visits, making it even more important that venues support and nurture young independent theatre going.

Theatre is the West End.

One of the biggest challenges we face is the perceived notion that theatre is only that within the West End. Musicals dominate the notion of theatre for young people. If it’s not a big budget musical then it’s usually something boring like Shakespeare or Chekhov.

If this is the case, then theatres have to challenge this perspective. Theatres need to think outside the box for marketing: be inventive, and go directly to young people. Don’t wait for young audiences to possibly come to your venue, go, speak to and engage with them. Actively promote your work and let young people know their local theatre is actually there for them.

“Theatre is not advertised for young people.”

Most of the organisations present today offer discounts and deals for young audiences – but how many of these are widely promoted and accessible? Possibly one of the obstacles of A Night Less Ordinary was its over-complicated process for getting tickets. If theatres are to challenge perspectives and make theatre accessible, then young people have to know about this.

Currently, marketing material is not targeted at younger audiences unless it is a show that is particularly designed for them. How then do we engage young people through marketing? I believe that it’s a question of using the young audiences you already have to encourage, support and nurture future audiences. Theatres that have incorporated student ambassadors and youth panels have already made the leap towards actively endorsing theatre for a younger demographic. Through using a pre-existing young audience, hopefully a viral effect through friends and social platforms will take hold. Do not underestimate the power of word-of-mouth for young people. If huge marketing budgets are out of the question, use a direct face-to-face method and social networking sites to promote your work.

It’s not just marketing that can be an issue; it’s also the organising of a trip that is challenging. Young people do not attend cultural events on their own, they tend to go in groups and unless you’re Justin Beiber or Lady Gaga, the chances of advance ticket sales are slim. Spontaneity is something that theatre doesn’t always allow for. Screenings at the cinema are staggered and varied allowing more flexibility. Theatres are limited by performance times and show lengths. What is in the theatre today is gone tomorrow.

Imposed Rules

The imposing of rules on attending theatre only restricts and confuses first time audiences.

You must collect tickets by a certain time.
You must bring ID.
You must remain in your seat.
You must not eat.
You must not speak.

These rules don’t encourage, they restrict. If I were attending for the first time, I would be put off by them. We must remember that for those of us working in the arts and regular audience members, theatre etiquette is taken for granted. This has to be encouraged within young people, not imposed. Possibly older audiences need to be educated to incorporate younger members.

Equally, scheduling and running times sees shows coming down late at night. Young people have to travel home, rely upon parents to pick them up, or contend with homework or coursework. All of these can restrict younger people attending theatre.

How do we inspire a young audience to attend theatre when there are so many unspoken rules and restrictions? Who explains these rules? Whose duty is it to make younger audiences understand? How many of you provide additional information for first time theatre goers?

Inspiring

I believe that it is the duty of each organisation to see the potential in their productions for new young audiences. If we can connect with them today, this is a legacy that will continue throughout their lives.

In the wise words of Lyn Gardner, “If theatre can’t afford the young, it can’t afford the future”.

I couldn’t agree more. Success is not just a single visit, it’s repeated attendance across all your organisations.

Theatre Product

If most theatre is seen as boring and uncool for younger audiences, is it a question of the work that is being produced and recieved? Are we actively making theatre that caters for an older audience, and ignoring new generations?

I think we have to acknowledge that not all theatre will be appealing to young people, and what is seen as ‘classic’ could seem uninspiring and dated. We need to know what young people want to see on the stage and acknowledge that the subjects that interest young people are not the same as ten or twenty years ago. I believe that through consulting with young people in core artistic decisions we can help to inspire and challenge perspectives on theatre. There are already some excellent examples of this such as the Takeover Festival at York Theatre Royal.

As a young person myself, I actively try and engage others through A Younger Theatre.com, which acts as a point of reference and platform for discussions. Yet there are still thousands of young people who miss out on the opportunities to actively engage with theatre. Through recognising that price, product, education and perceived ideas limit younger audiences, I hope that in some way you as arts organisations can take up the challenge of inspiring young audiences to attend your venue.

If we do not engage them today, who will see the fantastic theatre of tomorrow?

An awful lot has changed since those heady days of 2009 when York Theatre Royal first launched its Takeover Festival. For three weeks the theatre’s management stood aside and handed over complete responsibility for the programming and running of the theatre to a group of under 26 year olds. What was a brave experiment has since become a tried and tested model, with many theatres around the country using youth panels or young board members to programme special seasons that engage with younger audiences. Yet in the intervening period, the climate theatres operate in has also changed considerably. You can’t help but feel that just as purse strings are tightened and budgets squeezed, the sense of urgency about getting new audiences into theatre is mounting. It is in this frankly uncertain atmosphere that the Takeover Festival returns at the end of March, where for a fortnight the theatre and its audiences will once again be at the glorious mercy of the young.

Rhiannon Jackson is the festival’s Co-Artistic Director, and, along with Tom Bellerby, is responsible for developing an artistic vision for the festival and programming shows and events accordingly: “Our main aims are to engage people who wouldn’t usually see the theatre as a night out for them, be that young people or older people, as well as engaging young people and emerging artists, starting off projects within the Theatre Royal and getting us to develop our skills.”

Rhiannon admits that before she started working on the festival she didn’t realise how hard it would be to programme for teenagers, whose demands and tastes challenge preconceptions about what appeals to them. Through consultation with a board comprised of 11-24 year olds, the team have nonetheless created a programme that Rhiannon hopes will appeal to people looking for a different experience from the theatre, as they have “purposefully chosen companies that are changing people’s theatrical experience in terms of their performance methods.”

The programming is certainly adventurous and reflects the team’s broader aims of supporting new companies and allowing them space to develop their work. York Theatre Royal’s resident company Belt Up has performed at each Takeover festival to date and will be returning this time with its first musical: a resolutely up-to-date and politically charged take on John Gay’s eighteenth century The Beggar’s Opera. There is a strong musical theme throughout the festival which also features LittleBulb Theatre‘s Operation Greenfield and Catapulting Cocoon‘s band ‘mockumentary’ Life Support, first seen at Takeover last year as part of the Hatch project. Rhiannon is clearly proud of the way Takeover has nurtured Catapulting Cocoon and helped to realise the show’s potential, as developing new work for regional theatre was the aim that motivated Hatch in the first place. “As programmers of a regional theatre we found it really hard to find interesting, alternative work that could tour to us. We want young companies to feel like it’s okay to approach theatres in the regions because audiences are there, and we want to change that old view that avant-garde theatre doesn’t come out to regions, it tends to stay in London,” Rhiannon explains.

One of the most striking inclusions in the programme is Sarah Kane’s powerful 4:48 Psychosis, which will see Rhiannon directing a cast made up entirely (though not, she says, intentionally) of under 26 year olds. As a play which deals with the subject of clinical depression, it may not be an obvious or ‘safe’ choice for a young people’s theatre festival, yet it reflects the team’s determination not to patronise their audience: “We felt that 4:48 was the right sort of play for Takeover – challenging, contemporary drama. The whole ethos of Takeover is that young people like to be challenged!” She goes on to explain: “Sarah Kane is a perfect playwright for the festival – she was a young genius and had a very strong young voice in theatre, so that was a big appeal for us. It is a really difficult piece and deals with mature themes, but this play has a real appeal to people of our age group because it is challenging and absolutely formless.”

Rhiannon hopes that the challenging nature of the some of the content will leave people thinking and talking, and it was this that further attracted her to 4:48 Psychosis. “I’m really intrigued by how well it will be received, because it’s one of those plays that does divide opinion. That’s another reason why we wanted it so much – we love it when people talk about the work. We try and programme stuff that might not be our taste but we know will get a reaction, because we think people should be talking about theatre. It’s about engaging people – what makes theatre different from going to the cinema is that you come out and somebody hates it, someone will love it, and it’s that intellectual discourse afterwards that really make a difference.”

Over the course of the fortnight the whole building will be turned over to the festival, allowing the team to create a ‘festival buzz’, with gigs, open mic nights, performance poetry and craft events happening throughout the building. “We’re trying to make it an all-round experience,” says Rhannon. “We’re trying to let people know that if you come to the theatre then you won’t have the experience you think you might have. We’ve got secret events, which were really popular last time, which are small performances provided around the building. We want people to know that it’s good to hang out in the theatre, and that if you do hang out you might see something interesting.”

I ask Rhiannon whether she thinks seasons such as Takeover Festival – programmed by and for young people – are the best way of keeping this audience engaged in theatre, or whether in some cases they can be gimmicky, or a smokescreen used to cover up a failure to use suitable programming or outreach work the rest of the year. “You’ve got to not be scared about being surprised by young people. If there is a barrier there then I think some theatres might just be a little bit reticent to deal with the fact that young people can have some really strange demands, but then have some fantastic, energetic output.”

While she sees tremendous value in a theatre dedicating all of its time and resources to young people, Rhiannon admits that some youth schemes “don’t genuinely offer the experience they market,” by not allowing young people true freedom in programming or trusting them to make mistakes. “I think it’s one of the greatest things about the industry that we work in,” Rhiannon says, going on to explain that for herself and Tom complete artistic freedom has been accompanied by the responsibility of making decisions and solving problems when things went wrong. “You couldn’t imagine a banker just doing this, but they can say to us ‘just go and do it’, and they’re so trusting and supportive.” In return for this freedom, the confidence and skills the young team have gained will benefit the theatre for years to come: “from the very beginning we’ve always been treated as future cultural leaders, and the training we receive now is going to add to our future.”

York Theatre Royal is perhaps uniquely enlightened in its approach to letting the younger generation of theatre-makers have free rein to practise their craft, and the results can be seen across the national fringe. “It does seem to be a hotbed for new talent,” Rhiannon laughs, when I ask what makes York so special in fostering new talent and question (only half-jokingly) whether there might be something in the water. “We’re lucky here. We have two universities and the students aren’t shy in getting out and sharing what they’re doing, which produces some exciting stuff. But York Theatre Royal really does see younger people as the lifeblood of the theatre, and if we don’t develop these audiences now then who is going to come to the theatre in the future? The idea of people saying theatre is a dying art form does not exist here. The whole atmosphere is easy-access – everyone’s willing to meet for a coffee with you to share ideas on whatever level. I think that has a lot to do with it. There aren’t many boundaries to people getting involved here.”

Creating appealing theatre and environments to lure young people through the door is one thing, but for many the issue of cost is a harder barrier to overcome. For its part, Takeover is continuing the free ticketing scheme that was initially introduced under the soon to be defunct A Night Less Ordinary, meaning that for a large proportion of the target audience the whole festival will be open to them for absolutely nothing. Yet the responsibility to keep young people engaged in theatre goes both ways, and Rhiannon suggests that young audiences themselves have a duty to support theatre if they want it in turn to value them too. “To be honest, young audiences are quite unpredictable in the way they buy tickets. They tend to make decisions last minute, whereas an older person may look through a brochure and plan ahead. It’s a contract – young people who want to go to the theatre have to see that they have a role in going to it.”

Underpinning the whole ethos of the Takeover Festival is the feeling that a programme for young people can have much wider benefits for the artistic environment above and beyond the simple aim of getting pert bums on seats. “I hope it changes people’s perceptions about how regional theatre, young people and new theatre collide,” Rhiannon says. In the short term however, she just hopes the team’s hard work over the past year pays off and that people make the most of the opportunity on offer. “With funding cuts and the way finances are going now in theatres, I don’t know whether people can genuinely expect to have this experience in the future, either as a theatregoer or as someone who wants to volunteer.” The sad truth is, as the financial climate gets tougher for theatres, both the necessity and difficulty of initiatives for younger people such as the Takeover Festival will grow and it is down to both theatres and audiences to “realise how special the opportunity is and take it!”

TakeOver is A Night Less Ordinary and Arts Council England scheme supported by York employer CPP. It runs at the York Theatre Royal from 14 – 26 March, and tickets are available here.

Yesterday over on the Guardian Blogs, Lyn Gardner wrote a challenging cry defending the need for support in young people as theatre’s future.

The young offer extraordinarily good value in every way. We need to invest in them. If theatre can’t afford the young, it can’t afford the future.

She refers to the funding cuts which have seen the end of Creative Partnerships and Find Your Talent (let’s not also forget Future Jobs), and how there needs to be investment in young people, because ultimately they need the support to develop into the Bright Young Things of tomorrow (another Guardian piece).

Those of us who are behind the running of A Younger Theatre are working continuously to bring you information and resources that are valuable to you as young people. We hope that AYT can act as a pool of knowledge, with a commitment to every young person who is struggling to find the answer to their questions. AYT is a platform to raise the voice of those under represented, and we are committed to the bigger cause – not cutting the young out of the arts.

Last year we were invited to speak at a knowledge share event in relation to the closing of the free ticketing scheme A Night Less Ordinary. We presented AYT as a resource, a place for engagement and understanding brought to young people by young people. Since that event, we have forged relations with several new theatres who want to actively engage young people in their work, and we continue to work with them now.

On March 21st we have been invited to give another presentation at the final A Night Less Ordinary meeting. This is an important event, where a large body of organisations will be meeting to discuss and inspire the big question of: What happens next. Will ticketing schemes be dropped? Will engagement with young people be phased out? Questions, and concerns are being raised, and AYT are there to represent young people.

We shall be speaking in a session called ‘Re-imagining A Night Less Ordinary‘- with particular attention to how price is not the only issue. They want us to speak about this article on AYT as to why young people don’t go to the theatre. The organisers have summed up our presentation as the following:

Recognise that price is not the only issue:

Theatres are facing challenges in attracting young audiences- but what are the real issues and attitudes of young people to attending the theatre? Do we need to rethink programming and create product that engages young people?

We want to hear what you think, so we can tell the organisations present exactly what young people believe the problems to be So, what are your thoughts? What do you want us to say? What are the challenges beyond price that face you when attending theatre? Is the price of theatre tickets the only problem for young people?

Please use the comment box below, and AYT will ensure that your message is heard.

I don’t believe for one moment that there is a universal answer to this question nor do I believe that the points outlined in this article are the only factors which contribute to the issue. What I do believe lies at the heart of this matter is the perspectives of young people towards an apparent elitist medium.

Theatre in the eyes of young people is elitist, whilst they may not use this terminology in their everyday language their reasons for not attending theatre lies with this word and perspective. Theatre is ultimately elitist because it is expensive. The majority of young people perceive theatre to be closely linked with musicals, especially those long-running West End ‘all singing, all dancing’ shows. The West End boasts a healthy amount of musicals, but it also boasts a rather hefty ticket price where even the cheapest tickets are around £35 for often inadequate views of the stage. If young people perceive theatre to be related to the ticket prices and shows of the West End – then already the perspectives of young people on attending theatre is damaged.

Young people do not have vast amounts of money, they are in education, they might have a small part time job or in most cases rely upon their parents for a monthly allowance. To spend £35 on a theatre ticket is not a regular occurrence and ultimately attending the theatre becomes something more than an ‘ordinary night’ out. If theatre is seen as an event, or something which you have to rely upon the parental assistance to attend, it is pushed onto a pedal-stall for those people who can and do afford to attend regularly. Anything which is out of reach of your average young persons spending allowance is elitist.

Of course, none of this takes into account the subsided theatre which should attract young people because of its inexpensive tickets that are aimed at those who can’t afford top price tickets. But this all goes back to the perceived notion that theatre lies within the West End and musicals world.

There are numerous ways in which a young person can gain cheap tickets especially with schemes such as A Night Less Ordinary (ANLO), Entrypass, Access All Arias, and FreeB. This is all very well, but it’s getting young people to understand outright that there are these options available to them, it’s about educating them that theatre extends beyond the West End, and understanding that some of the most exciting work happening in theatre is in the subsidised sector. To put it simply, young people have to be taught to look beyond the commercial West End and the belief that it has to be seen as ‘an event’.

ANLO went to great lengths to engage with those who wouldn’t otherwise attend the theatre and regardless of the criticism the scheme has attracted through the hasty rollout young people did go and 72.8% of the allocated tickets were given out. The very name of the project: A Night Less Ordinary attempted to break down some of the perceived notions of theatre – most notable the perspective of theatre being a night out of the ordinary – an event or occasion. However, those engaged through the project are now being left to fend for themselves as the scheme ends early next year.

I also believe that we must look towards reality TV-shows that have been somewhat of a double-edged sword when it comes to young people and theatre. The medium of television and it’s wide-spread appeal is still prominent (although reports are suggesting that people engage more with the Internet than television), and is popular culture. The recent flurry of Andrew Llyod Webber shows such as How To Solve A Problem Like Maria? and I’ll Do Anything where contestants fight it out (or sing it out as the case may be) for a place as one of the leading roles in Webber’s next musical has done a lot for theatre. There were record box office sales at the shows when they opened including a vast young person following. They engaged young people in their homes to the possibilities of musical theatre, and encouraged them afterwards to attend the show – but they also made it clear that yet again theatre lies in the West End and the inflated ticket prices.

The problem that theatres will find is the pressure for their audiences to include young people will ultimately put pressure on their education and outreach departments. In some cases even the local theatre’s will be dealt a blow in the recent government cuts which see’s all local authorities budgets cut by 28% – and already councils seeing the arts as the easiest route to take. If you can’t attend your local theatre, what is the next best thing?

From a young persons perspective there are several factors that fuel the lack of attendance. The first being that of price, the higher the ticket price, the further we go at pushing young people away from the arts. They want cheap or free tickets and they want to feel like they are getting something for their money. “It isn’t cool” – well actually, it is cool, and it’s our duty to change this perspective. Another factor that seems to play a part is the educational factor to theatre – where throughout your schooling years you have to attend theatre trips for either English or Drama classes. Too many young people then associate attending theatre as an educational tool. So rare is it for schools to take their class to see a film at the cinema which remains abundance of younger audiences – it’s all about perspective. In case you wondering why I make such bold statements, this forum makes an interesting read.

Young people not attending theatre is a curious matter, that requires everyone involved within the theatre industry to do their bit in promoting their work. It requires more accessible and free resources such as A Younger Theatre to point young people in the right direction and to further their engagement. It will take arts organisations working harder to ensure that they make their venue and work accessible and friendly for young people – even if that is showing an outright support for them. It doesn’t have to cost massive amounts of money – it involves ultising those young people who are already engaged with the arts, to spread the news to their friends and family that theatre is for young people.

In an ideal world, commerical theatre would be more willing to direct their audiences – especially young people – to the subsidised sector, where there are ample opportunities for engagement and cheaply. In an ideal world, young people will be open to attend the latest hot new writer at the Royal Court instead of the block buster film at the cinema. In an ideal world, A Night Less Ordinary would still be going and working. In an ideal world young people wouldn’t just perceive theatre as the West End with musicals, but as a subsided sector too. We don’t however live in an ideal world, so we must do what we can – educated, evaluate and provoke young people to see and engage with the arts on every level.

If you are a young person and want to find out how to get the most out of theatre, and cheaper tickets see our resource here.

Image from the ‘If I Ruled The World’ Festival at the BAC.