Build your expertise in cinema marketing.
Want to build a clear and engaging brand?
Looking to reach and attract newcomers?
Could marketing help you build loyalty and retention?
The Complete Cinema Marketing Course is for people working at cinemas and film festivals who want to strengthen their marketing expertise. The course will cover all areas of marketing, looking at how key principles can be successfully applied in a cinema context and keeping you up to date on the latest developments in a field where change can feel constant.
Developed by the ICO in partnership with course leaders Indigo, The Complete Cinema Marketing Course will feature industry-leading experts from cinemas, film festivals and other leading cultural organisations.
The course aims to help you communicate a clear brand story, focus your efforts where they matter most, attract new audiences and build on existing customer relationships to keep them coming back. Participants will also benefit from peer-to-peer learning that will help foster long-term industry relationships between marketers.
Want to find out more before applying? Watch our online information session to hear about the course.
Applications for The Complete Cinema Marketing Course are open now and close on Monday 18 May 2026.
This is a UK-wide opportunity exclusively open to BFI FAN members from all regional and national Film Hubs. Find your local film hub here.
The Complete Cinema Marketing Course was created by the ICO in partnership with course leaders Indigo and is funded by the BFI Film Audience Network.
Programme
The course spans six months (June to December 2026) and is designed so busy marketers can participate while also managing their ongoing workload. The course starts with two in-person workshop days in Nottingham (30 June and 1 July), continues with four online sessions, and wraps up with two final in-person workshop days in Liverpool (1 to 2 December 2026).
Subjects covered include:
- Audience insight & development through data analysis
- Brand building & storytelling
- Digital marketing & online presence
- Social media strategy
- Ticketing
- Campaign planning
- Partnerships
- Sustainable & ethical marketing
- Leadership & strategy
Course Structure and Dates
Tue 30 June - Wed 1 July: Modules 1-3 (Nottingham Broadway)
Two days of workshops, presentations and case studies to help participants develop a greater understanding of their organisation and their current marketing offer.
The three modules that will be covered in-person are:
Audience Insight & Development, led by Kerry Radden (Indigo)
Core topics:
- Audience research, segmentation, and data-driven decision making
- Understanding underserved audiences and local demographics
- CRM and audience data management
- Audience development planning and evaluation
Campaign Planning & Delivery, led by Helen Wintle (Indigo)
Core topics:
- Designing integrated marketing campaigns
- Cross-channel coordination and scheduling
- Copywriting and creative content
- Measuring campaign success and impact reporting
Digital Marketing & Online Presence, led by Katie Moffat (Independent Marketing Consultant)
Core topics:
- Website development and management (SEO, UX, accessibility)
- Email marketing and newsletters
- Content planning and analytics
- Paid digital advertising (Google, Meta, YouTube)
Wed 22 July, 10am - 1pm: Module 4 (Online)
Brand building & storytelling (Speaker information to be confirmed soon)
Core topics:
- Defining brand values, tone, and visual identity
- Crafting compelling narratives for cinema and community spaces
- Consistency across touchpoints (website, email, social, print)
- Fundamentals of graphic design and brand asset management
Wed 16 September, 10am - 1pm: Module 5 (Online)
Social Media Strategy & Community Engagement, led by Florence Bell (Shakespeare’s Globe)
Core topics:
- Channel strategy (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube)
- Storytelling through short-form content and video
- Building online communities and fostering dialogue
- Social media analytics and performance tracking
- Collaborations and influencer partnerships
Wed 21 October, 10am - 1pm: Module 6 (Online)
Ticketing, Conversion & Retention, led by Emily Childs (LineUp)
Core topics:
- Ticketing systems and CRM integration
- Customer journey mapping
- Dynamic pricing, memberships, and loyalty schemes
- Data-informed sales strategies
Wed 11 November, 10am - 1pm: Module 7 (Online)
Partnerships, Outreach & PR (Speaker information to be confirmed soon)
Core topics:
- Building relationships with community groups and local organisations
- PR, press engagement, and media outreach
- Outreach to schools, youth groups, and cultural networks
- Collaborative marketing campaigns
Tue 1 - Wed 2 December: Modules 8-9 (FACT, Liverpool)
The course will come to a close with two final days of workshops, presentations and case studies, with a specific focus on how you can lead on your new marketing initiatives following the completion of the course.
The two modules that will be covered in-person are:
Sustainable & Ethical Marketing, led by Flo Carr (Indigo)
Core topics:
- Environmentally responsible communication practices
- Accessible and inclusive marketing (Alt text, subtitles, design for accessibility)
- Ethical representation and storytelling
- Reducing digital and print waste
Leadership, Strategy & Professional Development, led by Katy Raines (Indigo)
Core topics:
- Strategic communications planning
- Budgeting and resource allocation
- Leadership and influencing within small teams
- Advocacy and stakeholder communication
Who is this course for?
The Complete Cinema Marketing Course welcomes applications from people who are currently working within a full-time (or near full-time) role, who are responsible for marketing in their organisation.
This doesn’t mean the role has to be focused solely on marketing, but you need to have decision-making responsibilities within your team.
You should have worked for at least 2-3 years in film exhibition (this can include voluntary work). Many participants will be more experienced, and there is no upper limit to seniority or experience.
Information session and contact
Find out more about the Complete Cinema Marketing Course by watching our information session.
This was an informal session discussing the application process (and the funding available to help you cover course fees), what you can expect at the in-person sessions and more details on what the course will be covering.
If you’d like to have a short chat with the organisers to see if the course right for you, drop us an email on training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk and we’ll be happy to arrange a time.
Speakers (announced so far)
Catharine Des Forges
Director, Independent Cinema Office
Catharine has spent over 20 years working in the exhibition sector for a variety of organisations including the BFI and Arts Council England. She has worked as a freelance programmer and arts consultant and progammed for festivals and cinemas both in the UK and internationally. She has lectured on film at a number of UK universities and is a regular contributor to industry events and a frequent filmmaker Q&A host. Catharine founded the ICO in 2003 and has been its Director ever since.
Katy Raines
Founder & CEO, Indigo
Katy is regarded as one of the UK’s leading consultants on audience-centred strategy for cultural organisations. She has developed and led research and audience strategy for large and middle scale organisations throughout the UK and Europe. During Covid-19 she developed and delivered the UK’s largest collaborative dataset of cultural attenders’ attitudes to returning to events, involving over 800 organisations and capturing over half a million responses from attenders, for which Indigo won several awards. Since then she has led Indigo’s growth to become a leading creative sector audience insight consultancy. Indigo’s collaborative research approach has delivered sector-wide research on sustainability (Act Green) and first time attenders (Tomorrow’s Audience), as well as UK-wide benchmarks on audience experience via a large cohort of participating organisations.
Kerry Radden
Associate Director, Indigo
Kerry has 25 years of audience and visitor experience, spanning a range of arts, charity and commercial organisations. She has worked in cultural leadership roles including Marketing Director at Battersea Arts Centre and Head of Audiences & Marketing at the Royal Shakespeare Company. At Indigo, Kerry has led projects including quantitative and qualitative research, audience segmentation, marketing and audience development strategies, evaluation and impact frameworks, and brand research. Kerry holds the Market Research Society Advanced Certificate in Market and Social Research and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Flo Carr
Associate Director, Indigo
Flo has worked in the cultural sector for more than a decade in a range of senior marketing, CRM and venue management roles in organisations including English National Opera, the Arcola Theatre and Cambridge City Council. Since joining Indigo in 2020, Flo has led a number of our arts and culture sector-wide research projects including Act Green (about sustainability) and Access Culture (understanding the experiences of those with access needs). She is passionate about helping cultural organisations to understand their data, maximise use of their systems and connect with their audiences, and has worked with clients including the Royal Albert Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, South Bank London, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Waddesdon Manor and the MAC Belfast.
Helen Wintle
Consultant, Indigo
Helen is a marketing professional with a decade of experience across the charity, corporate and arts sectors. Throughout her marketing career, Helen has managed strategic campaigns to reach and diversify audiences. As well as six years of experience marketing theatrical productions and other commercial activity at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Helen has previous experience at Iris Theatre, Fuel Theatre and the Black Theatre Live consortium. While bringing her background in arts marketing to Indigo, Helen is also passionate about the empowerment of audiences and marketing teams in the arts, cultural and heritage sector while navigating the continually adapting landscape of audience interests, behaviour and decision-making.
Katie Moffat
Independent Marketing Consultant
Katie is an independent strategist, trainer, and advisor with 18 years’ experience helping organisations in the arts, culture, and creative sectors use digital technologies more effectively. Previously was a Director at digital agency Substrakt and prior to that, she spent five years as Head of Digital at The Audience Agency, establishing its digital consultancy services and leading numerous digital research and consultancy projects. Her areas of expertise include digital strategy, user research, analytics, digital skills development, and AI. Katie is also Chair of the Board of Trustees at FACT in Liverpool, a world-leading centre for art, film, and the creative use of technology.
Florence Bell
Social Media Manager, Shakespeare’s Globe
Florence is a social media specialist, focussing on organic social media for the arts and non-profit sectors. Currently she is Social Media Manager at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, working as the editorial and strategic lead on the organisation’s social media. Her previous work includes freelance social media strategy and audit work for high-profile third sector organisations, and leading on social media and video content for the Young Vic Theatre in London.
Emily Childs
Head of Community, Line-Up
Emily has spent over 17 years working across the arts, culture and live entertainment sectors, with particular depth in ticketing, audience development and digital strategy. She began her career in events and marketing roles within arts organisations before joining Spektrix as a Senior Support & Training Consultant, where she worked directly with venues across the UK and North America on ticketing strategy, marketing and audience development, and ran the organisation's annual conference and regional hub training programmes. She went on to lead client experience at Substrakt, working with arts and culture organisations in the UK and North America on website and digital strategy, with a focus on how venues convert and retain audiences online. She now works as Head of Community at Line-Up, a ticketing technology company, where she supports venues and promoters in making the most of their ticketing and data tools.
Accessibility
We have ensured that both in-person workshops are held at accessible venues. You can read more about their individual accessibility here:
Delegates will have access to captioning for the online modules. These modules will include longer breaks to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to step away from their screen.
The application form for this course is hosted on Google Forms. If you would like a downloadable version of this application form, you can find it here: Word Format – Application Form
If you would like to submit your responses by video, you can do so for questions 12-18 by uploading a private video to a platform of your choice (such as YouTube or Vimeo) and sharing the link as a response to one of those questions.
Additional accessibility provisions will depend on the access needs of the successful applicants.
Within the application form, you will find questions on individual access requests, which will be submitted to the team at the ICO. If you wish to discuss any access needs further or in advance of your application, please get in touch with us at training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk.
Fees & Bursaries
Course Fee
The fee for the course is £750.
A limited number of bursaries of up to £500 are available to individuals working for not-for-profit organisations (priority will be given to venues with an annual turnover of less than £400,000) to help cover fees. If you would like to apply for a bursary, please complete the additional form as part of the application process.
If you are successful in your bursary application, your organisation will need to pay the remaining fees to confirm your place, so please ensure you have funds in place.
Film Hub Bursaries
Your regional/national Film Hub may also be able to offer bursary support for this training course. This can help cover fees, travel, accommodation, childcare, and other expenses for the in-person sections of the course. Please contact your local Film Hub to apply for support in advance of your application to this course.
Course created in partnership with Indigo:
Supported by:
How to apply
Applications for the Complete Cinema Marketing Course are open now.
To apply, please submit an application through the Google Form below:
The Complete Cinema Marketing Course Application Form
The deadline for applications is Monday 18 May 2026. Applicants will be informed of decisions no later than Friday 29 May 2026.
The cost to take the course is £750. If you are unable to pay the full fees before the course starts, please let us know and we may be able to agree a staggered payment plan.
A limited number of bursaries of up to £500 are available to individuals working for not-for-profit organisations (priority will be given to venues with an annual turnover of less than £400,000) to help cover fees. If you would like to apply for a bursary, please complete the additional form as part of the application process. Your regional/national Film Hub may also be able to offer bursary support for this training course, which can help cover fees, travel, accommodation, childcare, etc. for the in-person sections of the course.
If you would like to download a version of the application form, you can do so at the following link and submit it to training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk by the deadline above.
The application form for this course is hosted on Google Forms. If you would like a downloadable version of this application form, you can find it here: Word Format – Application Form
If you have any queries about your application or the course, please contact: training@independentcinemaoffice.org.uk