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Description
The main objective of the project is to support the efforts of the Association of Theater Educators (ATE) in the expansion and promotion of Theatre Audience Development within proffesional theatres.
Within the project we will raise the awareness of the profession of theater educator and popularize it for both professional and wider public. We will support the Association of Theater Educators and its process of professionalization. The project activities will provide further professional development of already existing theater educators – members of ATE. Designed activities will provide training of new theater educators - university students and theatre professionals and it will also enable networking among theater educators and theatres.
During the project we will create strategies for theatre audience development which will be partly implemented into the theatres. We will create web platform about Education in Theatre.
The key project activities include: production of a printed and electronic version of publication called The Basics of Theatre Audience Develoment; pilot audience development programmes based in five Czech theatres; organisation of course for potential theatre educators aimed at theatre proffesionals called The Basics of Education in Theatre; realization of seminar for university students called Introduction to Theatre Audience Development; organizing six meetings providing inspiration and further education for ATE members; creating an interactive web platform on Education in Theatre.
Partners of the project are prestigious cultural and educational institutions that will provide technical background and artistic patronage: The National Theatre, National Moravian-Silesian Theatre, Association of Professional Theatres in Czech Republic and the Faculty of Theatre of Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno.
Summary of project results
The project developed work with theatre audience, which until 2020 was carried out in just few theatres made the topics of audience development visible to the professional and public, especially theatre staff. For further development it was necessary to connect the community of theatres and lecturers,to train new lecturers and to increase the competence of existing ones. It was also crucial to establish the Association of Theatre Educators as an umbrella organisation for audience development.
The project raised awareness of working with the audience - the project promoted created a web "divadelnilektori.cz", the publication "Theatre educator - inspiration for working with the audience", a Facebook channel, organized the conference "What does the audience think?", presented the benefits of audience develop. to theatre directors. They have trained cultural sector members through thematic workshops, practice sharing meetings, get inspiration from educators in Berlin, implemented a course "Basics of audience development" for theatre staff and a two-semester seminar for university students at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts. The concepts of audience programs was also piloted in selected theatres. All activities allowed to broaden awareness of the theatre educator profession, to establish the professional organization Association of Theatre Educators and to expand its membership base. A long-term cooperation with the Association of Professional Theatres was established.
The project introduced 5 new strategies for audience development and increased the capacity of the theatres by experience with audience development in practice. 2 arts networks were supported, the Association of Professional Theatres and the Association of Theatre Educators and linked in a long-term collaboration. The capacity of 121 cultural actors were further developed through training activities. The number of ADL members grew from the original number 12 to 61 members. An unintended effect was the great interest of theatres from Slovakia, for which the capacity of the project was no longer sufficient.
The project was crucial for the support of theatre audience development in the Czech Republic, as it pointed to the demand for further work with audiences, enabled networking, sharing and training of lecturers, which had not been systematically addressed before. The project has had a very positive response in the community and inspired 19 theatres to work with audiences. The continuation of the activities for the community of lecturers is assured by another grant from the Ministry of Culture.