Additional research

Arts Council England

Website: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/

Arts Council England is a development agency for creativity and culture, investing public money from Government and The National Lottery into creative projects. They support thousands of individual artists, community and cultural organisations who apply for their funding. The application can be for either £30,000 and under, or £30,000 and over depending on how much is needed for the project. In the application guide, they highlight how important they think accessibility and diversity is, with questions such as 'Tell us how your project addresses the Creative Case for Diversity'.

I believe the Arts Councils' project grants would be highly beneficial for my theatre company because of my primary focus on making theatre more diverse and accessible both on and off stage. This increases the likelihood of the Arts Council funding my projects.

Get Into Theatre

Website: https://getintotheatre.org/

Get Into Theatre is an independent charity that provides information, advice and opportunities regarding careers in theatre and sources of training (e.g. university courses), work experience (e.g. workshops) and funding (e.g. scholarships, bursaries and funds). They specifically aim to help young people who don't know much about the job options within the theatre and the different ways to make a start in the industry. They believe everybody should be able to pursue a career in theatre regardless of background, ethnicity, disabilities, sexuality, religion, or gender. 

I believe this website is beneficial to me personally as well as for my business as I am a young person wanting to pursue a career in theatre. Having one website that provides information about a variety of opportunities is incredibly useful and I can find ways to better myself as a performer. By gaining more experience I will be able to improve the chances of my company being successful, because I will have a greater knowledge of theatre as a whole. Their focus on diversity and inclusion will also help me find more methods of improving this within my own company.

Skillsbuilder

Website: https://www.skillsbuilder.org/ 

Skillsbuilder provides a universal framework that helps with building useful life skills: listening, speaking, problem solving, creativity, staying positive, aiming high, leadership and teamwork. There are various steps and levels within each skill that allows to improve all of them. The steps offer questions for the reader to ask themselves and reasons for why the skill is so important.

Though this isn't directly relevant to my business, it will be very useful if I am able to improve upon all these skills. It will allow me to be a better business owner, working effectively with other people and making my company seem more appealing. For example, building on my listening and speaking skills will better my ability to collaborate and get feedback from others, which will make the company easier to work with.

Society of London Theatre

Website: https://solt.co.uk/

The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) primarily promotes theatres and productions in London, supports major theatre events (e.g. Olivier Awards) and aim to make theatre more accessible. It's a major part of their mission. They have their own charity 'Theatre Development Trust' that offers grants, with a focus on audience development (encouraging young theatre goers, increasing diversity and access for new theatre goers), workforce training and career development (addressing skills shortages, entry routes, in career training and inclusivity) and access requirements. 

I could potentially be eligible for a grant from SOLT as I aim to encourage a large variety of people to find enjoyment in musical theatre, provide career opportunities to those who may struggle to find a job in the theatre industry, and make productions that are accessible as possible so more people have the chance to experience them. However, as evident in their name, SOLT is based in London. Though I would expand my theatre company if given the chance, I currently have to stick with keeping it local. Still, their website offers industry resources and guidance, as well as info on how to make theatre more accessible, so I can use these to improve my company as it is at the moment.

UK Theatre

Website: https://uktheatre.org/

UK Theatre is a theatre and performing arts membership organisation that supports organisations and people in the industry through training, networking events, industry updates, etc. By becoming a member, you receive numerous benefits such as discounts on training courses, access to mentoring programmes, access to contact details in their directory, updates about relevant matters in the industry, Legal & Employment Relations support and a listing in UK Theatre's Directory.

This kind of support would be beneficial to my company because it could increase my connections with people in the theatre industry, which would increase the likelihood of my work getting noticed. It would also just be great for support as I try to establish my company pretty much independently. However, there is an annual fee for the membership, so applying for it would entirely depend on how much my business may make. 

Examples of a value statement

 The Old Globe

• Transformation: Theatre cultivates imagination and empathy, enriching our humanity and connecting us to each other by bringing us entertaining experiences, new ideas, and a wide range of stories told from many perspectives.
• Inclusion: The communities of San Diego, in their diversity and their commonality, are welcome and reflected at the Globe. Access for all to our stages and programs expands when we engage audiences in many ways and in many places.
• Excellence: Our dedication to creating exceptional work demands a high standard of achievement in everything we do, on and off the stage.
• Stability: Our priority every day is to steward a vital, nurturing, and financially secure institution that will thrive for generations.
• Impact: Our prominence nationally and locally brings with it a responsibility to listen, collaborate, and act with integrity in order to serve.

The Limelight Theatre

• Accessible – convenient (local), with good parking facilities and disabled- friendly
• Inclusive – for all people, groups and ages
• Affordable – reasonably priced membership, and an affordable night out.

Enchantment Theatre Company

• Originality
• Imagination
• Transformation
• Community

Vision and mission statements

National Theatre

Vision statement: To make world-class theatre, for everyone.  

Mission statement: We create and share unforgettable stories with audiences across the UK and around the world - whether on our stages on London's South Bank, on tour, in schools, on cinema screens, or streaming at home. We aim to be as inclusive, diverse and sustainable as possible. 

National Theatre's vision statement is fairly simplistic but clearly communicates what they aim to do. It emphasises how they want the productions they show to be the best quality possible, whilst also making it appealing to all people. This suggests that they value diversity and accessibility as this would make sure 'everyone', regardless of race, gender, ability, etc., can enjoy the productions shown there. This is further emphasised in their mission statement, stating explicitly that they 'aim to be as inclusive, diverse and sustainable as possible', which also shows that they're conscious of the environmental impact of their shows. They are making sure they can attract a larger audience globally, and thus increase sales and engagement with the public. 

Royal Shakespeare Company

Vision statement: 

• For Shakespeare’s plays to be enjoyed by a truly diverse audience, representative of the population of the UK and beyond.
• To foster a culture which is confident that Shakespeare is relevant and resonant and a society which recognises that we are all richer if everyone has access to great theatre.

Mission statement: 

• To inspire and captivate audiences and transform lives through amazing experiences of Shakespeare's plays and of great theatre.
• Relevant, resonant and accessible, made in Stratford-upon-Avon, shared across the UK and around the world.

RSC's vision statement establishes that diversity is something they keep at the core of every one of their performances, modernising the cast and characters so the audiences of today are still able to see themselves in shows that have existed for so many years. This then allows them to fulfill the second part of their vision statement, keeping Shakespeare 'relevant'. Updating his plays to fit the modern world means people can still relate to them and will be more likely to pay attention to what they have to say. The same sentiment is carried over into their mission statement, though it explains how they also hope to inspire their audiences as well 'through amazing experiences'. This applies a lot of pressure onto the RSC as they are relying on themselves to make their productions as high-quality as possible so Shakespeare's works can still be enjoyed. Keeping them updated and accessible for all makes this possible as the population now is very different to that of Shakespeare's time. 

The Marina Theatre

Vision statement: To create and deliver an inclusive and entertaining cultural offer for the people of Lowestoft and the immediate region, and to play an active role in the lives of everyone in our town, enabling all to realise their potential and feel part of our thriving community.

Mission statement:

• Provide a cost effective and varied programme of entertainment and cultural activities for the people of Lowestoft and beyond
• Ensure a varied and high-quality live stage programme that reflects the Theatre's capabilities and the demands of the audience
• Ensure the future sustainability of the Marina Theatre as a live performance venue for the region
• Maximise the potential of the Marina Theatre to present further touring productions and work in partnership with other venues and producers
• Develop, promote, maintain and advance community engagement in the arts and culture and raise the theatres profile in delivering such outcomes
• Realise the Marina Theatre's auditorium capabilities as the East of East Anglia's hub for commercial mainstream populist programming 

The Marina's vision and mission statement suggest that their local community is highly important to them, mentioning 'the people of Lowestoft' specifically. Many of their events are for the community and they want to use their resources to connect the locals with the theatre. They want to involve as many people as possible in their events and activities so they can expand their audiences, and receive more publicity through word-of-mouth techniques. 

Case Studies

   

The difference between a business plan and a business model

A business plan is a document setting out a business's future objectives and strategies for achieving them. It is written in immense detail and usually includes an executive summary, products and services, marketing strategy and analysis, financial planning, and a budget. They typically fall into two categories: traditional or learn startup. Traditional business plans are the most common with more detail. They tend to be longer and require more work to be put in. Learn startup plans use an abbreviated structure so the key elements are highlighted. 

A business model, on the other hand, is a plan for the successful operation of a business, identifying sources of revenue, the intended customer base, products, and details of financing. They are the foundation of a company, whilst the business plan is the structure.

Examples of business models:

• The business model of production: relates to company sales of the products/services produced
• Advertising: focuses on creating content that people want and displaying it to them
• Multilevel marketing: based on commission/distribution, as it involves businesses recommending others' products and taking a cut from every sale they generate
• Razor and blades: focuses on products that need to be replaced often
• Affiliate: relates to the advertising model but is mainly used online, using links that are embedded in content forms that act as advertising visuals
• Franchise: involves companies selling the rights to their business models in exchange for some percentage of the revenues