Activating Social Spaces. Presentation at NAMPC, Portland 2013 by Deeksha Gaur and Carol Jones

1. ACTIVATING SPACES:
Using your venue to promote engagement and drive your arts business forward
Alex Delotch Davis, addavis@atlantaga.gov
Deeksha Gaur, deeksha@woollymammoth.net
Carol Jones, carol123jones@mac.com
#socialspace | #NAMPC

2. WHY DO IT?
We’re all over-stressed, over-worked, and under-resourced. Now this too?
Income
Growth
Prestige
Belonging
#socialspace | #NAMPC

3. A BRIEF (but relevant) DETOUR
into the for-profit world: why we can’t ignore our spaces if we want young
audiences
#socialspace | #NAMPC

4. ALSO ABERCROMBIE
Now these guys take their branding to an offensive extreme, but still…bear with us!
#socialspace | #NAMPC

5. THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMY
“Work is theatre and every business a stage”
The text book was written in the late 70s.
Embraced by the giants: Apple, Nike,
Coke to name a few.
This is the world Millennials know.
Who is better placed to succeed in an
experience economy than those who
create experiences for a living?
#socialspace | #NAMPC

6. WHO ARE WE?
What are we all about? And how did we get here? Besides by plane, of course.
Our History
Our Mission
Our Values
What was that moment that
led to us activating our
missions and values through
our public space?
#socialspace | #NAMPC

7. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
NEW APPROACHES
CONNECTIONS
COLLABORATIONS
COLLISIONS
#socialspace | #NAMPC

8. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Not Chapter by
numbers
but Chapter by people,
by spaces and the
artistic vision that molds
and drives it.
#socialspace | #NAMPC

9. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
So, what are we all
about?
Vibrant art AND
community relevance
with
values of collaboration,
openness, accessibility
and sustainability
#socialspace | #NAMPC
Lightbox image: Bedwyr Williams

10. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
New people, more people, attending more things, more
often
#socialspace | #NAMPC

11. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
We opened our doors in
1971
a vision to bring performance,
film and exhibitions together
under one roof united by a
dynamic social space.
#socialspace | #NAMPC

12. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Nutshell Theatre, Allotment Ultrasaurus,
Heather and Ivan Morison; Pete Williams
#socialspace | #NAMPC

13. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Collisions
Chapter is known and loved for
the open space we create and
the combination of radical new
work that coexists with our many
diverse users.
A place where artforms collide
Contemporary AND Community
Arts AND Audience
#socialspace | #NAMPC

14. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
The community garden. Inflatable football pitch for Iris Prize Festival. Hotel Shampoo, Gruff Rhys
#socialspace | #NAMPC

15. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
A Social Space
800,000 visits
395,000 customers for our caffi-bar
175,000 hot drinks sold (1 every 90
secs) / 150,000 pints of beer sold (1
every 80 secs) / 14,000 bottles of wine
(1 glass every 2 minutes)
58,000 gallery visits
52,000 participants at classes and
workshops
1,920 film screenings/ 430 theatre
performances
#socialspace | #NAMPC

16. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
And some more
numbers
Trading income - c£2.7M
Turnover - c£4M
Over 70% of our turnover is
earned income—making us
one of the largest social
enterprises in Cardiff.
Providing jobs for local people we employ over 170 people,
95% live in Cardiff
#socialspace | #NAMPC

17. CHAPTER
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
#socialspace | #NAMPC

18. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Washington, DC
#socialspace | #NAMPC

19. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
To ignite an explosive engagement between theatre artists and the community;
Implementing new ways of using the artistry of theatre to serve the people of DC.
#socialspace | #NAMPC

20. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Explosive engagement necessitates the most vital, engaged audiences
Who is the play for? What is the conversation?
Who needs to be in the house to activate the conversation?
How do we prime our audience to be the most dynamic and energized?
How best can we co-create meaning with our audiences?
#socialspace | #NAMPC

21. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Activating spaces for each show using 3 principles: insight, interactivity, shareability.
#socialspace | #NAMPC

22. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
A BRIGHT NEW BOISE
#socialspace | #NAMPC

23. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
YOU FOR ME FOR YOU
#socialspace | #NAMPC

24. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
AMERICA ALL BETTER!!
#socialspace | #NAMPC

25. In the context of
the city
• Cardiff the capital of
Wales
• Population of 350,000
• Growing reputation as a
vibrant city where people
want to live and visit
• Hwyl – a complex and
intangible mix of passion
and sense of belonging

26. The challenge
• Three years ago Chapter
underwent a major
redevelopment
• Opening up its entrances
and creating a large,
open central space
• The challenge – to turn a
busy café-bar into
something much more - a
dynamic social space

27. A social space
that locks
audiences into our
vision and values
Research by Matthews Millman
as part of the redevelopment
confirmed that loyalty to Chapter
was not just repeat purchase
behaviour but a stronger
emotional attachment that locks
audiences into our vision and
aspirations

28. To turn an empty space

29. Into a place that has hwyl
- a genuine sense of
belonging

30. Riverside Garden Market, Cardiff Ukulele Band, Caroline Sabin in
rehearsal

31. A social space
growing the public
life of the city
Users appreciate the high
degree of diversity, and the
tolerance of people who are
often not tolerated
elsewhere. At the same time,
cutting edge film and art
helps confer a sense of status
and esteem.” - People Make
Places: Growing the Public
Life of Cities, Demos 2005

32. Creative Cities
Creative cities provide
countless opportunities
for everything from
accidental connections
to formal collaborations.
And it’s those
opportunities, those
sparks that act as a
catalyst for new thinking
and innovation.

33. It’s not just about making
money – it’s about making
meaning

34. Real creative vision
requires a much
deeper and wider set
of transformations
that takes cultural
marketers way
beyond the traditional
view of ‘place’ in the
marketing mix.

35. Community
powered
It involves keeping
community at the heart
of what we do communities of artists,
audiences and local
people building
partnerships and reimagining the city and its
spaces.

36. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Building relationships by serving the members of the Greater DC Community
#socialspace | #NAMPC

37. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
From Emmett Till to Trayvon Martin: A Town Hall on Black Bodies & American
Racism
#socialspace | #NAMPC

38. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Election Night Party
#socialspace | #NAMPC

39. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Reading of 8 and Activism Fair for Marriage Equality
#socialspace | #NAMPC

40. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Building Relationships: Panels and Partnerships
#socialspace | #NAMPC

41. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
Curating your mission-driven rentals business to build new audiences
#socialspace | #NAMPC

42. Pop-up graffiti, Sioned Huws, 40th birthday

43. Major creative
cluster
• Resident companies, artists and
creatives - we’re home to 40 small,
creative businesses
• These businesses employ over 100 more
people
• Our social space acts as a catalyst for
creative entrepreneurs and creative
independents to meet, discuss and
collaborate. It’s a vibrant platform for social media surgeries, games events,
book and film clubs etc
• Our hire spaces provide affordable
options for dance classes, youth theatre,
poetry, music and comedy
Catherine Ashill

44. Melanie Counsell goes up. Mark Gubb comes down.

45. Creative Capital
We invest in art and in our audiences
- we believe that everyone has a
creative voice. Our education work
opens up possibilities for people who
struggle to express themselves in
conventional ways.
We don’t just add value we create
value with projects that take the
centre out into the community and
also bring the community back into
our arts and social spaces
Local community choir. Kids party on the frontage.

46. Art Car Bootique

47. Public Experience
• “Status and esteem: Chapter
manages to blend its
neighbourhood social club role
with a culture and consumption
cache. It’s the place to be seen if
you’re interested in the latest art
house film or the month’s most
fashionable beer.”
• DEMOS spoke to a number of
young adults with learning
difficulties who said that Chapter
was one of the few places in
Cardiff where they felt
comfortable socialising.
• Chapter is a space that has “ a
transformative quality, helping
formerly timid Home Birds to
become more confident and

49. But don’t just take
our word for it...
• “These are exciting times: Chapter Arts
Centre has just re-opened after a major
redevelopment and it’s now a stunning
space for art, film and theatre, and
hanging out in the cafe-bar.” - The
Guardian (reasons to move to South
Wales)
• “The refurbishment of Chapter has
been well worth the wait, and the
investment will ensure that it remains
an important centre for the arts in
Cardiff and Wales as a whole as well
as a major landmark in Canton, well
into the future. Chapter provides jobs
within our local community, supports
local artists and makes a massive
contribution to the local economy.” Cllr Cerys Furlong

50. “If there is a better
municipal arts centre in
Europe I would like to see
Former First Minister Rhodri Morgan

51. WOOLLY MAMMOTH
The Stats and the Moolah
#socialspace | #NAMPC

52. Loyalty; quotes
Image: Patrons

53. Word of Mouth
Image: Social Media

54. Recognition
Image: Article image

55. PROVOCATION
Some thoughts and questions for your consideration.
Do we make the most of our spaces to encourage shared experiences,
collaborations, interactivity, and belonging?
What makes a public space effective as a social, democratic space of
interaction for all?
How can we encourage those who rarely participate in civic life to take more
risks and access a wider set of experiences?
What role can cultural marketers play to make this happen?
And how else are we attracting, engaging, and retaining the experience
economy generation?
#socialspace | #NAMPC

56. Royal Welsh Collge of Music
and Drama, Cardiff
Case Study

58. Artistic Voice
The National Conservatoire of Wales
competes alongside an
international peer group of
conservatoires for the best
students globally, enabling
students to enter and influence the
world of music, theatre and related
professions.
The College educates some of the
most talented students from
around the world, aiming to give
them not just the technical and
craft skills they’ll need to succeed
at the top levels of the profession,
but also to help them to develop
their individual artistic ‘voice.’

59. In June 2011 their dream of
having their own world class
performance space became
a reality

60. A new community
The new buildings
incorporate:
•The Dora Stoutzker Hall
•Richard Burton Theatre
•Four state-of-the-art fullsized, double height rehearsal
studios
•The Linbury Gallery
•Cafe bar and terrace
overlooking the beautiful
Grade I listed Bute Park

61. Enhancing the city
“Offering world class facilities in
such a stunning location allows
us to continue to attract leading
international arts practitioners to
work here, and to increase
national and international
recognition for Cardiff as a home
of world-class artistic training.
These new facilities also provide
enhanced opportunities for the
residents of the city and region
of Cardiff, and the many
professional and community
groups that contribute to
Cardiff’s vibrant cultural life.”
Hilary Boulding, Principal

62. The challenge
To create social spaces
that allowed students
and the wider public to
mingle, to merge – for the
students to have an
opportunity to share their
work and for the public to
encounter the life and
work of the college
Both needed a sense of
belonging and to feel as if
it was ‘their space’.

63. From this…

64. to this…

65. to this…

66. A dynamic social
space
Students perform regular
events, sometimes
programmed, sometimes
impromptu
Everything from jazz to
folk, contemporary to
classical
Plus a great café!

69. Creative Diversity
The College’s events
calendar includes over
300 public events and
many more that …just
happen.
This stimulating mix of
programme and
‘serendipity’ ensures a
stimulating and broad
experience – for
everyone.

70. QUESTIONS?
Comments? Want to share your own activated spaces? Please contact us!
Alex Delotch Davis
addavis@atlantaga.gov
Deeksha Gaur
deeksha@woollymammoth.net
Carol Jones
carol123jones@mac.com
@addtwitterhandle
@deekshagaur
@carol123jones
#socialspace | #NAMPC