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FREE WHITEPAPER SERIES

Getting the best performance out of financial management 

An interview series with arts organisations across the UK reveals how they are able to combine improving their financial position with developing the relationship with the audience.

Theatre and Arts Whitepaper

Can IT Help The Arts Add Value?

Instead of looking at the digital revolution in the arts through the prism of on-line performances and production values, let’s look at the impact of IT in being able to transform the finance function and administrative tasks.

That’s in terms of the use of data for strategic through to granular decision-making rather than score-keeping, at how the customer experience can be improved.

In a book commissioned by iplicit to be prepared and published by DECISION magazine later this year, the chief executives and chief financial officers of arts organisations across the UK will be highlighting the issues, sharing their thoughts on the way forward.

Leading up to publication, the latest thought-provoking interview to be included in the report will be available here for you to download.

A whitepaper series for theatre and performing arts organisations

INTERVIEW 01

Matthew Cleaver

Chief Executive, Anvil Arts

"Technology can provide us with live and granular  information. We can now look at sales patterns for each event in real time with daily or even hourly reports, so we can be immediately pro-active rather than just having historical data after the event. It means we know if and where we need to adjust our marketing if necessary in order to meet our financial targets."

 

 

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INTERVIEW 02

Caroline Routh

Executive Director/Joint CEO
Stephen Joseph Theatre

“We realised technology allows us to apply dynamic pricing when we see a show is selling well, so we can benefit from a demand fuelled price structure when less tickets are available, or if we need to improve sales."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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INTERVIEW 03

Robert O’Dowd

Chief Executive
Rose Theatre

“It’s not just the data relating to who is buying tickets which is important. I’m obsessed about the lost sale. Before big data, we would never have known why someone decides to withdraw from the process of making a purchase online."

 

 

 

 

 

 

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INTERVIEW 04

Dougie Scarfe

Chief Executive
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

“Now, instead of relying on individual box offices, we are also selling most of the tickets to our concerts at the venues where we perform, which is providing us with data that otherwise as a touring organisation we wouldn’t easily have had access to for 
audience development."

 

 

 

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INTERVIEW 05

Stephen Watkins

Finance Director
Royal & Derngate

“What data will do is drive efficiency because it enables an organisation to know where to direct its attention. For that to happen, a database has to be completely integrated and multiple systems need to be able to talk to each other automatically if meaningful dashboard reports are going to be produced without the need to refer to spreadsheets."

 

 

 

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INTERVIEW 06

Charlotte Geeves

Executive Director
Bristol Old Vic

“The mission for any arts organisation is to be able to collect as much data as possible - whether it’s spend per head for specific shows, which audiences will order more white wine rather than beer - because the technology to provide that information should already be in place."


 

 

 

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INTERVIEW 07

Mathew Russell

Cultural Consultant
Former CEO
Queens Theatre, Hornchurch

“Otherwise we become totally reliant on technology rather than it being a tool. That reliance has already manifested itself. If IT goes down we can’t sell tickets either at the box office or online."


 

 



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INTERVIEW 08

Stephanie Bradley

Executive Director
Welsh National Opera

“I think from our point of view, the biggest advantage of technology is being able to have data at our fingertips which is in the right shape, in one place, and accessible across the company."




 

 



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INTERVIEW 09

Joanna Read

Director and Chief Executive
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

“What IT gives an arts organisation is the financial information to know what makes a difference……."

 

 

 

 

 

 



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INTERVIEW 10

Christopher Glasgow

Director
Perth Theatre and Concert Hall

“With technology, we can take our city and project it to the international stage. We are twinned with Perth, Australia, and technology offers the potential for our audiences across the widest geographical spread in the world to share in arts events across our two cities."



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INTERVIEW 11

Tom Bird

Chief Executive
Sheffield Theatres

“What technology can deliver is this incredible gift, to enable arts organisations which are under increasing financial strain to be agile and audience focused because the data is there to guide us. Already it wouldn’t be considered unusual for an arts organisation to have someone in the post of data analyst."

READ THE INTERVIEW

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