The members are the life blood of any amateur theatre group and recruiting new ones can feel a daunting and overwhelming task when numbers dwindle.
There’s some easy things that you can do to increase the uptake in membership and broaden the skills and age groups that you recruit. Here are my suggestions for keeping a healthy and active community theatre group membership.
Advertising
It sounds obvious, but often this opportunity can be missed. Make sure you actively advertise when you are looking for new members.
Rather than a rolling campaign, try a specified time window in which new members can join. This adds a feeling of exclusivity and encourages people to sign up within the given window if they’re going to. It also allows you to apply time sensitive marketing messages to recruitment drives such as “One week until membership closes for this production.”
Ensure you’re spreading your message via the following routes:
- Social media – encourage existing members to share the posts so that they reach people not following your group’s accounts too.
- Local press – digital and print publications that cover your area.
- Public notice boards – it sounds old fashioned but this kind of localised marketing really helps. Ideally you’ll want at least a one month lead period in order for this to be effective.
- Community newsletters – often local councils and community groups distribute community newsletters. Get in touch and request inclusion.
- Other local theatre groups – Have friends in other local groups nearby? Request they share with their members.
- Leafletting – Another old favourite, handing out leaflets in the centre of town, or dropping them through letter boxes is an effective solution. If you don’t have the human-power to post in letterboxes, try the Royal Mail distribution service which is surprisingly affordable.
Community Recognition
Attend local events, fetes, celebrations and ensure your attendance is visible to those outside the group by posting regularly on social media. Contributing to community life, and fundraising is a great way to gain publicity. Crucially ensure you submit a press release to your local paper with a good photo they can use.
If your amateur theatre group is active and recognisable in the local community then potential members are likely to know what you do and what the group is like.
Social Events
Although ultimately its the shows and audiences that keep amateur theatre groups alive and kicking, it’s the social side of the society that really keeps everyone involved and happy.
Morale boosting social events such as drinks after rehearsals, currys on Friday performance nights and day trips which could include supporting other local groups, are always popular events. Perhaps you’ve though of something different like paintball or a barbecue on the beach.
There’s lots to do and if you get on well as a group and with the social side of things then you can count on members joining and staying more often.
Fair and Open Atmosphere
All too often in amateur theatre roles are distributed to friends and family over the best talent and most committed members. When I direct a production, all parts are cast because they are the best person for the role and feedback is offered to all auditions if they would like it.
Auditions shouldn’t just be a casting method but a time for us all to improve. One thing I’ve tried in the past was to ask people to do two rounds of auditions. In between the two rounds I gave each audition some feedback and asked them to work on it for the second audition which gave me a really good idea of how receptive to feedback they were.
This opportunity to improve gives useful information about their ability to be aware of what they are doing and how in control they are when acting. Ultimately, all things in the group should be open and fair from the election of the committee to the way that shows are decided upon.
Advice from Other Producers
A few producers were kind enough to share with me their most successful techniques. So I’m sharing them here in the hope they might help others:
“In the past we’ve also sold it as an opportunity to learn new skills (acting, singing, dancing, theatre craft such as set and prop construction, stage lighting and sound etc.) – useful to college and university students to put on their CV if they’re studying / planning to study a related subject (e.g. drama).”
“When you’ve got the slap off, get out into the bar and mingle. You’ll be surprised how many audience members express a mild interest in taking part. Latch on to it. Give them some background on how current cast members went from nervous starters to competent performers.”
“The members bring friends and siblings into the cast so we don’t have to worry about recruiting. Also the kids bring parents etc to help with other roles.”
If you can implement these simple steps towards a happier and more open amateur theatre group, then you’re sure to attract and keep members more often. I’d be happy to discuss how you achieve a better membership join and retention rate, just get in touch to ask for some help.
