Redevelopment of arts venues often involves significant change to much loved heritage sites. Megan Thomas describes how this process affected Bristols Colston Hall, and how media management played a key role in influencing public opinion on the project.
My involvement with the Colston Hall redevelopment project began in August 2005. Working alongside the Marketing Manager of Colston Hall and the Corporate Communications Department at Bristol City Council, my brief was to manage the Press, Marketing and Consultation operations for the £20m redevelopment scheme.
The project proposed that a new state of the art foyer complex be built next to the existing hall with work conducted in three phases. This focused on the public experience (phase 1 new foyer building), the auditorium (phase 2 refurbishing the existing Hall) and backstage and get in (phase 3). When I started an interim improvements phase was already underway, which focused on a summer makeover of the venue, putting in new seating and redecorating the front of house area. My job was to manage the publicity around this multiphase project, which was situated in a conservation area, and involved demolishing a building with an art deco façade, for which there had already been a campaign to get it listed.
I knew that clear, honest communication through the media and a detailed programme of consultation with our customers was crucial if we were to get public support and an understanding of what we were attempting to accomplish in the short- and long-term. If we were not successful we would lose the expectations battle and ultimately leave everyone dissatisfied.
To begin spreading the word we went public with the proposed plans in August 2005, including a local media campaign, an exhibition of the designs and a series of social events at the Hall for key stakeholder groups and loyal customers. It soon became apparent that there was mass confusion about what the scheme actually involved. Some people assumed we were demolishing the existing hall while others, who understood it was to be the building next door, were angered that a prominent piece of art deco architecture was to be lost to a new contemporary complex. The media, too, seemed confused by the plans and began publishing comments and letters by upset members of the public. I was faced with the dilemma of how to turn this negative publicity into something positive for the project. This is where effective consultation came into play.
We enlisted the help of OLR (Opinion Leader Research), a London-based firm which specialises in consultation and research. OLR carried out a series of workshops with stakeholders, frequent users, non-users and lapsed customers. Additional qualitative and quantitative research was collated using existing data-capture operations such as face-to-face interviews on open days, online surveys and discussion forums, printed material that had feedback forms attached, and consultation with the education and music industry sectors.
Alongside this work, I made sure local press and media were also kept up to date with project developments. The message was controlled by producing press packs, holding press events and having regular interviews and articles available in order to continue drip-feeding positive information.
This two-fold approach seemed to work, and by the beginning of this year we felt confident there was a groundswell of support for the new development. Responses were fed back to the architects who then developed revised designs. We now have a scheme that works and is supported by the media and public. Of course we have not won everybody over: some people still remain sceptical, confused or disappointed about what is being proposed, but compared with what we were up against 18 months ago I think we have come a long way. The biggest challenge will be when the new building opens managing expectations and delivering everything we have promised. All I can say is watch this space!
Megan Thomas is Marketing and Publicity Manager for Colston Hall Redevelopment.
e: m.thomas@colstonhall.org;
w: http://www.colstonhall.org