Collaboration between a venue, company and audience development agency

'Creu Cymru, Clwyd Theatr Cymru and the Torch did a joint audience development project on the To Kill a Mockingbird tour. We got Somerfield to print the reverse of receipts (for baskets of [gpb]5 or more, I think) with a 2 for 1 offer for Mockingbird on a selected performance. We had quite a poor response but Mockingbird never really needed any audience development, because it was always going to sell out, so it's difficult to gauge what difference the 2 for 1 offer made. It was not new attenders who took up the offer, but people who do attend the Torch and were pleased to get a 2 for 1 deal. I understand that other venues with more seats available generated a higher response rate. It was certainly an interesting audience development experiment which would not have been possible financially if we hadn't done it as a joint project and if we hadn't had the support of Creu Cymru. In terms of audience development, although it did not generate any new attenders, it was quite an effective advertising tool.'

Jane Evans-Woodason, Marketing Manager, Torch Theatre, Milford Haven

'I think the first time we used this initiative was on a Clwyd Theatr Cymru pantomime ten years ago or so when we set it up directly with our local Asda Supermarket. They then referred us to Catalina marketing agency who administers the scheme on our behalf. Since then we have collaborated with Catalina on many of our shows and tours using Somerfield supermarkets after Asda pulled out.

Following a meeting with Creu Cymru and some of the venues on our touring circuit for To Kill A Mockingbird in 2001 we decided to use the Somerfield ticket offer on a mid-scale tour of Welsh theatres for the first time, in a bid to attract new attenders by experimenting with new initiatives. A promotion was organised with Somerfield supermarket for the Torch Theatre and Aberystwyth Arts Centre in conjunction with Creu Cymru touring agency. We agreed that the cost of the initiative would be split three ways between Clwyd Theatr Cymru, Creu Cymru and the venue. We were a bit disappointed with the results for the reasons that Jane describes above.

We got better results when we toured To Kill A Mockingbird again in 2002, this time to leisure centres across Wales as part of our mobile theatre tour. The four venues sold between 18 and 114 tickets as a result of the promotion. The scheme raised the profile of the mobile theatre, reaching across a wide geographical area and making theatre accessible to many demographic groups because of the discounted ticket prices.' Delyth Lloyd, Marketing Officer, Clwyd Theatr Cymru