Your first trip to the theatre is easier than you think. Elaine Grant, founder of The Arts & Culture Group, shares what usually gets in the way, what to check before you book, the calmer performances worth knowing about, and how her members find discounted tickets.
Sign up to my newsletterI’ve spent my whole career making Arts and Culture feel possible for people who would never have come otherwise. I’m Elaine Grant, an Arts and culture consultant in London and the founder of The Arts & Culture Group. Here I’ll walk you through what usually gets in the way, what to know before you book, the calmer performances worth looking out for, and how my members get started.
Usually it’s practical, and practical barriers can be removed. When I work with venues, the ones I see most often are cost, show times that don’t fit around people’s lives, not knowing a show is on or who it’s for, getting there, and trust. It’s hard to book somewhere you’ve never been when you don’t yet feel welcome.
Some people need more hand-holding than others on a first visit, and that is absolutely fine.
I always include age suitability, running times and interval information in everything I send out, because I never want anybody to feel uncomfortable, and people can plan their time around what they’re coming to see.
A lot of my work starts with my communication with the producers, marketers, community group organisers and even the individual members of the A&C Group.
A couple of weeks ago I held an online meeting with a few of my members who have access requirements when they attend live events. I felt it was important to listen to their issues and concerns and going forward make the relevant changes and information on my website to support other members who may be impacted by mobility or visual impairment, etc. We even talked about creating a theatre buddy scheme, all these things help to create a community which I am eager to support and encourage.
Take TELLUS by Dickson Mbi Company at Sadler’s Wells East, which is on between 21 and 24 October. The details I share with my members say it lasts an hour with no interval; it’s recommended for ages 7 and up, and there’s a post-show talk and BSL interpretation on Wednesday 21 October. They also say it deals with bereavement, loss and death, and uses haze, loud music and flashing lights. That way essential information is given upfront, and you can make informed choices, or you can feel comfortable to seek further information about a production, if required.
Relaxed and chilled performances make a real difference to who can come and who feels comfortable being there, and a growing number of productions now include them in their runs.
At a relaxed performance, you can move around, you can react out loud without anybody telling you to be quiet, and you can step out if it gets too much. Often there’s a chill out room with bean bags or comfy chairs where you can carry on watching the show on a screen. I signpost these to community groups and family workers all the time, including those supporting young people with SEND.
I worked with a community group whose young people had never been to the ballet. It was a young people’s ballet, with dancers their own age, and the group leader trusted me enough to bring them. Some of them thought it was the cinema; they didn’t realise it was a live performance and by the end, they were on their feet cheering, which was absolutely amazing to see the impact it had on those young people.
And there’s a message I had from one group after a Hamilton event. The group leader had young people who had never been to London, let alone a West End show, and one little girl, whose family couldn’t afford the train fare until the group fundraised, had made a homemade countdown calendar by her bed for a whole month.
My motto is Arts is for Everyone. Not a luxury or elitist and you can’t predict who will love what. I’ve had families who absolutely love classical music and young people who had never seen a live performance on their feet at a ballet. You invite people, you support them, and they often surprise you!
What I’ve learned over the years is that if you support people on their first visits, they feel much more confident booking their own tickets the next time and bringing other people with them. That word of mouth is everything.
My Premium members also get invitations to meet-and-eat get-togethers after a show, where a small group of us shares a meal or drinks and discuss about what we’ve just seen. It’s one of my favourite experiences.
The easiest first step is my free newsletter. It’s around one or two emails a month, sometimes more if something is worth knowing about, with upcoming shows, theatre offers, meet and greets, and now and then maybe a show that’s completely free.
The Arts & Culture Group gives you member prices on theatre, exhibitions and live arts right across the UK, and members typically save £280 or more a year on tickets they were going to buy anyway. Both membership levels get exactly the same offers at the same time, so nobody misses out.
So, if your first trip to the theatre has been on your list for a while, let’s make it happen.
I would love to see you there.
