Audience Development For Independent Cinema
Venue: Film London meeting room, The Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street
Dates: This one-day course is available on two separate dates: Wednesday 19th April and Tuesday 25th April
The Independent Cinema Office presents an essential one-day training course aimed at London’s independent film exhibitors who want to broaden the range of audiences attending film screenings at their venue or festival but are working with limited staff and resources. The course will focus on how to develop your programming strategies and marketing materials to maximise attendances, and is appropriate for full-time and part-time cinemas, arts centres, film societies, new and emerging film festivals, and arts development officers.
The course will include presentations and case studies, as well as group exercises which will analyse your current programming strategies and marketing materials and identify ways in which they can be improved. You will learn foolproof strategies first-hand from recognised experts who have years of experience in the field of audience development, programming and marketing for the independent cinema sector, and by the end of the day you will have identified a number of achievable targets for development at your own organisation.
The course will cover the following areas:
- What specific audience development strategies should you be employing for your film activity?
- How do you target specific audiences?
- What can you do to encourage new attendees – and how do you increase the frequency of attendance from your existing audience?
- Do your existing marketing materials adequately sell your film programme – and how can they be improved?
- How do you research and write copy that sells films to a number of different audiences?
- What resources can you access to make your job easier?
- How do you evaluate the success of your activity?
Booking your place:
Thanks to the support of Film London and the London Development Agency this is a free course, but as places are strictly limited and available on a first come first served basis early booking is strongly recommended. Only one place on either course is available per organisation. To book your place download an application form and return it by Monday 3rd April.
If you have any queries about the course, or wish to check that it is appropriate to your needs, contact Becky Innes on 020 7636 7120 or email beckyi@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
Course Tutor: Catharine Des Forges, Director of the Independent Cinema Office
With 13 years of experience across the UK exhibition sector, Catharine is acknowledged as an expert in the field. She completed her MA in Film & Television at the University of London in 1993 and from 1994-7 worked in the BFI’s Regional Exhibition Unit, programming and advising a range of independent cinemas. She was the programmer for the Brief Encounters Short Film Festival for 3 years, worked as an assessor for the Arts Council Lottery scheme and co-devised and jointly lead the BFI’s Cultural Programming Course for 6 years. Catharine has lectured in film at a number of UK universities including the University of London, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Surrey. In 2000 Catharine was appointed Senior Programmer for the BFI’s Programme Unit where she was responsible for touring and curating film programmes. In July 2003 she set up the Independent Cinema Office, the national organisation for the development and support of the UK’s independent exhibition sector, and has been its Director ever since.
This project is funded by the Skillset Film Skills Fund, which is supported by the National Lottery through the UK Film Council and the film industry through the Skills Investment Fund. Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the audio visual industries - www.skillset.org.
This training day has been organised in partnership with Film London - www.filmlondon.org.uk – and with the financial support of Film London, the London Development Agency, and Creative London.
If you wish to receive updates about any new training schemes as soon as they are advertised, please email us at info@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk
