25th Sept · 14h30 · Room 2

Case Studies and Work Groups “Meet the Adeste+ Artistic Parterns: From the first kiss to getting the key – 6 different ways of approaching audience engagement”

CROATIAN NATIONAL THEATRE IVAN PL. ZAJC FROM RIJEKA with Katarina Mazuran Juresic and MERCURY THEATRE with Lizzy Hayes.

Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc from Rijeka

A maturing relationship: the family get-together

Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc in Rijeka is one of the largest theatres in Croatia, settled in a 135-year-old historical building. Balancing its traditional, symbolic role in the city with new audience expectations – this is what audience development programs aim to do.

We create relaxed opportunities for strengthening the relationship with audiences: theatre and backstage tours, after-talks, introductions for students, meetings with teachers, pop-up events in the city…

The central audience development project in theatre season 19/20 is going to be The time capsule. The original time capsule from 1885 in the shape of a metal tube was found buried in a step of our theatre. These days we are creating a new one through an ongoing process that we see almost as a family dinner between the theatre and its audiences. We’re sharing what is worth saving from theatre life, what moments shall be remembered and why… We’re dealing with memories, confronting old and new generations of audiences, asking how much and in what way does the theatre intervene into their private life. It’s more about the process than the result: What we want to gain is emotional engagement of the audience and the identification of our theatre’s role in society as it has been changing through time. How does it affect our lives? Can we define that and preserve it in time (capsule)?

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Mercury Theatre