Back Artword’s
Strategy High
standards Our primary commitment is
to our audience. We always give them our best. We must
have high standards and ensure that everything we offer
meets those standards. Giving our
best Our audience has a right
to work that is honest, that reflects what we really
think and feel. Our work must satisfy on several levels:
emotional, sensory and intellectual. Overall, our
programming will embody a broad spectrum of appeal,
including both the innovative and the familiar. It will
have a spirit of engagement with the issues of today, and
with making a better world tomorrow. And we must always
find ways of giving our audience more than they bargained
for, surprising and delighting them. Talent We must only work with
artists who have a high level of ability, training and
commitment. Our experience is that such people are
self-selecting. The more we work with them, the more
others of the same calibre are attracted to us and others
steered away. In-house
productions We cannot rely on outside
productions for quality. We have to build our in-house
capabilities, train our own people, and create a way of
working that moves efficiently toward high quality in all
areas. The shows that we do will
always have a modest budget, compared with high-cost
commercial productions or subsidized theatres. This is an
asset if it leads to innovation and elegant, lightweight
solutions. We will develop a reputation for this way of
working. We must have a proper
development cycle for new work, and sufficient rehearsal
and production time to ensure that we have a well-crafted
piece. Production
values Quality in presentation
is just as important as quality in content. In the
theatre, settings, costumes, props and music must be well
conceived and executed. The premises must be attractive.
The art shows will be well displayed. Publicity and
advertising will be polished and well
designed. An art centre for
people Everything at Artword
will be arranged to make our visitors feel welcome, and
to make their stay pleasant. As much as possible, we will
create opportunities for active dialogue between artists
and audience. Artword is partly
inspired by small theatre complexes in London, England,
which combine a theatre, other exhibition spaces,
concerts (formal and informal) and amenities such as
restaurants and coffee bars in a festive,
community-oriented environment. People who are attracted
by a particular event become aware of other things going
on. Their experience is enriched, and they feel
themselves a part of an exciting world of creativity and
imagination. Interesting things to
see and do Artword will offer a
stimulating mix of overlapping attractions. The theatre
will present plays, musicals, concerts, dance
performances, and multi-media events. Audiences coming to
performances in the theatre will enjoy the art shows in
the gallery. There will be informal concerts in the
gallery, and small displays connected with the shows in
the theatre or the art. Books and magazines of interest
will be sold. Talks and discussions will be held both in
the theatre and in the gallery. Welcoming
atmosphere Artword will be set up to
encourage people to come in and take a look around at the
art in the gallery. There will be places to sit ,
encouraging discussions and casual meetings between
artists and spectators. The overall atmosphere
will be light, unpretentious and orderly. The theatre
will not have black walls, but a colour that is
comfortable when the house lights are up. There will be
pleasant refreshments, and a capuccino
machine. In the heart of the
downtown-west theatre district The New Artword Theatre
is located just west of main commercial theatre district
(Princess of Wales, Royal Alexandra), and just south of
important not-for-profit theatres (Theatre Passe
Muraille, Factory Theatre). It is near other high-profile
tourist attractions (CN Tower, Skydome), easily
accessible by automobile and public transit. There is
plenty of parking in the neighborhood, and a few parking
spaces on the site. The neighborhood is well
serviced with restaurants and bars. The theatre will
arrange dinner/theatre packages with local
restaurants. The area around the
theatre is undergoing a condominium boom, sparked by a
rezoning to encourage mixed use and favoring loft-style
and live-work accommodation. Within a year or two, there
will be a large local population of condominium-dwellers
who have chosen to live downtown to enjoy the cultural
attractions of urban life. Street
presence The New Artword Theatre
will establish a strong street presence. The front of the
building will be painted as a mural, with the name
Artword prominently displayed. The long wall to the
south, owned by a machine shop, offers a great display
opportunity, because it is visible from King Street. It
may also be possible to put up a sign on the Corner
Bistro, facing onto King Street. The building is set back
from Portland Street behind a parking lot. As close to
Portland Street as possible, there will be a sculpture
installation to attract attention and pique curiosity.
Part of the parking lot will be turned into a walkway,
leading from the street to the theatre itself. The main
entrance will be a large, glass doorway, creating an
impression of brightness and accessibility
within. Positioning Artword Theatre will
occupy a unique position in the Toronto theatre scene,
midway between the smaller commercial theatres and the
not-for-profit theatres. It will establish a reputation
for a commitment to artistic quality, and present a
varied program designed to appeal to people who love the
arts. It will be equally committed to finding,
cultivating and pleasing an audience. Successful shows
will receive long runs and revivals. Broad
Spectrum Artword is committed to
building connections between artists in different art
forms. In addition to plays and musicals, we present
concerts, dance performances, multi-media events,
storytelling and art shows. Target
audience Our primary audience will
be people looking for a "good night out" that combines
entertainment and artistic appeal. In addition to the
existing pool of committed theatre-goers, this audience
includes: We believe that these
groups constitute a substantial market that has not been
addressed by the not-for-profit theatres. Raised with TV
and, lately, videos, they have to be introduced to
theatre and concerts. There are things they don’t
know: where to park, what to wear, how long the show
lasts, where to eat? A publicity/advertising campaign
targeting these groups could pay off in a new audience
committed to our theatre. Promotion To build the Artword
audience will require carefully designed targeted
advertising. The message will be delivered via direct
mail and door-to-door flyer distribution based on
demographic profiles, and reinforced by advertising and
telephone campaigns. We will solicit our present mailing
list and phone list to maintain our existing audience.
Some specific techniques include: Pre-booked
advertising Having a full year of
productions allows us to pre-book advertising space at
very significant discounts. Where there are outside shows
renting our space, we will make this advertising
available to them at cost. This will maintain a
consistent presence in some of the important publications
while saving money. The heading "What’s On at
Artword?" would reinforce the idea that the theatre
itself is worth visiting, not just a particular
production. Cross-promotion
between the theatre and the gallery The show in the art
gallery will be advertised independently, also using
pre-booked space. There will be situations where it is
possible to mention the gallery when advertising the
theatre and vice versa. Artword
Magazine We will begin publishing
Artword Magazine again, as an embodiment of the spirit of
Artword. The new version will have a wider focus,
providing a forum not just for the visual arts, but the
performing arts as well. It will also strive to be more
accessible to people who are not artists themselves, but
interested in what artists do and why. We will not distribute
free copies, but distribute through the Canadian Magazine
Publishers Association to news stands. We will also try
to build a substantial subscription list. Artword Web
Site An active, informative
and interesting site on the World Wide Web will further
establish Artword’s presence in the Toronto art
scene. The web site will combine an online version of the
magazine with current commentary on interesting events in
the arts. It will be a forum for opinion, discussion and
announcements. It will be lively, interesting and
current. Two-way
communication Artword is based on the
concept of two-way communication. Communication requires
a balance between what the speaker wants to say and what
the listener wants to hear. We need to have the courage
of our artistic and intellectual convictions. We also
need to listen carefully to our audience. We have to engage in
active dialogue and discussion, both formal and informal.
We want the audience to think of themselves as our
friends and colleagues, involved with us in setting
Artword’s course. Honored
guests People who come to see what
we have to offer are our honored guests. We want them to be
comfortable and to know that they are welcome. Every contact
that they have with us, including phoning for information,
buying tickets, purchasing refreshments, should communicate
our friendship and respect. We are never too busy or too
preoccupied to be helpful and interested.
back
to Artword Theatre history page