Helpful Hints

Prologue is proud of our position as a resource for community presenters. This section is intended to assist both professional and volunteer presenters in programming the most suitable young audience series to suit your community and venue.

The following abbreviated Helpful Hints have been taken from “Raising the Curtain”– A Guide to the Art of Presenting for Young Audiences, written by Cheryl Ewing of Cheryl A. Ewing & Associates for Prologue to the Performing Arts and published with the financial assistance of The Ontario Trillium Foundation.

A free copy can be ordered from the Prologue office or you can access the full document here.

Helpful Hint # 1
Educational Outreach in Your Community

• Identify your audience to determine appropriate programs (i.e. elementary, intermediate, secondary)
• Work with local educators at the school board and school level for advice and support
• Identify and partner with local businesses and service clubs to help offset bussing and other costs
• Ensure education resources (i.e. study guides provided by Prologue) are available for participating schools

Helpful Hint # 2
About Presenting

• Know your community
• Know what type of entertainment will appeal to them and what people are willing to pay for a ticket
• Negotiate fairly with artists
• Be clear in your expectations and honest in what you can provide

Helpful Hint # 3
Create a Programme — Step by Step

• Decide when and where the performance(s) will take place
• Get prepared to talk to the artist
• Find the appropriate artist/company
• Talk to the artist or artist manager
• Make an offer
• Contract the artist/company

Helpful Hint # 4
Budgeting

Generally, established series base their ticket revenue on a 60% house. In your beginning years, you may wish to work on a 30% to 40% basis. Marketing should be 10-30% of your overall budget. Administration costs should be somewhere in the 10-15% range. Your largest expense will be the artists’ fees.

Your budget pages are more than a financial tool. They can help you determine future programming by helping you see which performers or types of shows attract larger audiences.

Helpful Hint # 5
Fundraising

Sponsorships are a method by which a business can write off the cost of supporting a not-for-profit by using dollars from a marketing budget. Donations come from a donations budget. The business receives a tax receipt and cannot receive public recognition in the form of ads, use of their logo or other items that will give the company exposure. The value given to In-kind Sponsorship is directly related to its market value and the needs of your organization.

Helpful Hint # 6
Coordinating Your Front Line People

Part of your organization’s long-term success as a presenter will depend on the volunteers that you attract. Remember when coordinating your volunteer staff to do the following:

• Design a clear and realistic job description
• Recruit family, friends, corporations or advertise at volunteer centres, libraries etc…
• Interview your potential volunteers in advance to determine skills and the ability to contribute
• Police screening of all potential volunteers is necessary, especially for anyone working with children
• Orientation and training is essential
• Motivate your volunteer staff and recognize their efforts and contribution
• Record keeping is important for tracking problems, for grant requests and to help evaluate the programme

Helpful Hint # 7
Selling Tickets — Letting Your Audience Know About Your Performance

• Target Your Market – understand and communicate with the audience you want to attract to your performance, all your energy will focus on this specific audience
• Advertise – purchase ads through media, newspapers, radio or television
• Promote – circulate various types of publications to your community such as flyers, posters, and brochures
• Publicize – use various types of communication that gets your community talking about your performance, such as an editorial in local newspapers

Helpful Hint # 8
Grants — Thinking of Money… Think Ahead

Granting agencies will not accept applications after the closing date nor for activities that have already taken place. Take special note of when the application is due and whether a postmark is acceptable. As in any search for financial support, you need to allow a six to nine month turnaround time.

Helpful Hint # 9
Promotions

The media is required to support community organizations. Most do this through event listings. If you want more profile then you have to work with them. Find out what it would take to get a profile story and a picture, or a live interview. Look for ways to make your series/performance newsworthy. Is there a local connection? Is the timing appropriate because a theme in the performance relates to something happening in your community now?

Helpful Hint # 10
Planning for the Future

Take the time to dream and then discuss how you would reach that dream and make it a reality. It is an excellent investment to sit down with your committee and key stakeholders and set goals and decide what you can do to reach those goals. Don’t stop with putting it in writing! Include a check against your plan at all of your meetings so you are always aware of how you are doing. This will help keep your organization alive and vital.

Helpful Hint #11
Ending the Season, Saying Goodbye

For many organizations, the spring means the end of the performing season as children and their families’ gear up for the summer months and get busy with traveling and vacations. Creating a performing arts series for your community is a unique experience that can only be accomplished by the dedicated efforts of many individuals and volunteers. Prologue applauds your efforts and your tireless commitment to providing a live performing arts experience for children and their families. We encourage you to contact the Prologue office to discuss the successes, trials and tribulations of your past year with our Sales Team. Thank you again for your work and support of our Prologue artists. We look forward to working with you again next year!