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Family friendly initiatives are not just about getting children into arts events but also about attracting parents. Jamie Normington reports on Eastbourne’s efforts to target parents.
Like many towns that have formerly been seen primarily as retirement communities, the local demographics in Eastbourne have changed dramatically over the past decade. The fastest growing section of the local population has been the 20 to 34 age group, whilst the proportion of those over 55 years has declined. Eastbourne’s theatres have needed to respond to this change and plan for the future, and since 2001 we have taken several steps to improve our service to parents and young children.

First steps

As far as programming for younger audiences is concerned, there are events out there to suit all sizes of venues and budgets and it is reassuring to note the constant increase in the number of high-quality productions available. The title should only play a small part in the programming decision – it is equally important to find out how the production will be presented and the ages it will be aimed at. A fairytale can quickly become a horror story when aimed at an older audience. Most importantly, any assumptions must be set aside, or on can be in for an unpleasant surprise! I vividly recall a TV presenter’s ‘wildlife show’ that promised encounters with all manner of beasts but turned out to be just one person performing a series of animal impressions.

The next obstacle is marketing. Ensure that box office staff are well briefed in advance. Informing customers of the timing of a show’s interval and end can reduce the pressure on parents as they work out how to escort their children to the toilets. A clearly advertised ‘babes-in-arms’ policy is useful for many events but should be consistent. Eastbourne Theatres allow the under twos to attend certain family-oriented shows for a nominal charge of £2. Research as many databases as possible. The local library and education departments can be very helpful, and simply working through local phonebooks for relevant groups can pay dividends. Other standard approaches, such as press advertising may need rethinking. Are there any parent publications in your area? How are they distributed? Do the local schools play a part?

Strategic thinking

A child’s first visit to the theatre could well be a parent’s first visit too. Avoid possible problems by encouraging these potential customers to visit venues in advance. Open days are an excellent low-cost method to encourage adults to come and find out about their local venues, particularly if you have a network of volunteers or Friends willing to assist. Similarly, school visits offer children a real insight into the operation – let their pester power then take hold at home as they work on convincing their parents to bring them back to see a show. Remember that while we may take our workplaces to be quite ordinary, they are anything but to those who have never been backstage. A Victorian lavatory with apocryphal connections to royalty provides a memorable highlight on one of our tours.

Funding or sponsorship may be available for the more costly initiatives such as workshops and masterclasses. It is worth spending time researching these options, even if initial costs seem prohibitive. When substantial funding was needed for a proposed circus day in Eastbourne but could not be secured, we managed to continue with our plans on a slightly smaller scale, but at less than half the original budget. The successful workshop generated lots of positive press coverage and was attended by dozens of children. The production it was linked to was attended by thousands of children, yielding an income one hundred times larger than the cost of the workshop.

Whatever you choose to do, these occasions create a terrific opportunity to introduce families to venues and dispel any misconceptions they might have about attending your events.

Pricing for parents

Pricing is overlooked by most venues. Yet by simply revising the thoughts that go into pricing structures for events such as major musicals, it is easy to appeal to parents and introduce innovative discounts. For example, in Eastbourne we typically allow children to attend major touring productions at half price, limiting this to two children per adult. Why not reverse this idea and allow adults to attend events specifically aimed at children for a nominal sum or even for free? It may seem far more attractive to the customer and has the potential to encourage more adults to bring larger groups of children. The memory of 60 brownies arriving 15 minutes late with only three leaders in charge still makes me shudder!

Customer service

As much as the children may love their outing, I have found that their parents can be among the most stressed members of an audience. Front-of-house staff are ideally placed to ensure their visit is a success. Spend time retraining staff if necessary, to pre-empt the typical needs of parents with young children. Signs highlighting relevant services must be clearly displayed. A safe storage area for pushchairs and prams and a baby changing area is essential. Are they accessible to everyone – not tucked away inside the ladies toilets? Booster seats are worth their weight in gold. Thanks to our Theatre Friends, we have doubled the number of booster seats available and currently have enough to cover 10% of the auditorium but from measuring customer feedback we have found we still need more. The range of refreshments sold in the venues now includes sugar-free drinks and ices, again a small change which was enthusiastically received by our patrons but only involved minimal effort on our part.

Jamie Normington is Marketing and Sales Manager for Eastbourne Theatres (the Congress Theatre, the Devonshire Park Theatres and the Winter Garden complex).
t: 01323 415525; e: {Jamie.normington@ eastbourne.gov.uk}; w: http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk