breakin’ convention tour marketing and press...

Breakin’ Convention tour Marketing & press pack 2014 Breakin’ Outwards tour

For further information, contact: Marketing: Lucy White Marketing Manager (Touring) Sadler’s Wells [email protected] 020 7863 8104 Dave Barros Digital Communications Officer Breakin’ Convention [email protected] 020 7863 8215

Press: Caroline Ansdell Press Manager Sadler’s Wells [email protected] 020 7863 8125 Anna Goodman Freelance PR Abstrakt Publicity [email protected] 07976 247026

www.breakinconvention.com @bconvention breakinconvention 1

http://www.breakinconvention.com/

mailto:[email protected]




Contents

1. Introduction to Breakin’ Convention

2. Billing 3. Target Audience 4. Selling Points 5. Working With Your Breakin’

Convention Rep 6. Lead In Events 7. Sample Brochure Copy 8. Sample Direct Mail

9. Sample Press Release 10. Press Quotes 11. Past Press Articles 12. Social Media and Digital

Resources 13. Film Makers Mentorship 14. Box Office Briefing Notes 15. Images 16. Logos 17. Biographies

Introduction Breakin’ Convention is a fantastic event that’s always loads of fun, and very rewarding to work on from a marketing perspective. For the BC14 tour, we have secured some funding to help you ‘Break Outwards’ and develop your dance and hip hop audiences. This is your chance to try some really creative marketing ideas, while also sticking to the channels you know work well for your core audience and adapting the message appropriately for each audience segment. Whilst this show has loads of appeal for fashion-conscious, hip young people and die-hard hip hop fans, it’s also a great day out for families. It’s more than just ‘sit down and watch a show’ which makes it stand out from other programming in the season. Those of you who worked on the show during the last tour will know that the buzz through the building on the day of the event is infectious and that the mix of ages and backgrounds enjoying the show is staggering. Take a look at Breakin’ Convention vox pops on YouTube (search for Breakin’ Convention Tour Vox Pops) and you’ll get a feeling for the kind of broad audience demographic you can expect. You know your audiences better than we do, and no doubt you’ll have some great ideas of how to sell the show, but the following pages contain some general ideas and tips based on our experience in London over the years and from previous national tours.



Billing The billing for Breakin’ Convention is as follows:

Breakin’ Convention International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre A Sadler’s Wells Project In association with Dance Consortium



Target Audience

• Previous Breakin’ Convention bookers – if applicable • Previous bookers of other hip hop/street dance shows – such as Nobulus,

ZooNation or Flawless (all of whom have performed at BC in London) • Teenagers – young people who may not have been to the theatre before and

might like to take part in workshops or freestyle sessions • Families – the show is suitable for young children too • Friends and family of local acts – there will be a number of local acts performing

as part of the evening who will attract their own fans! • Risk takers / culture vultures – people who are culturally curious • Hip hop music fans • Street dance fans – street dancers and people who attend hip hop or street

dance classes • Hip hop veterans from the old school community



Selling Points

• Breakin’ Convention is the only event of its kind in the UK showcasing excellence in hip hop dance theatre.

• Breakin’ Convention brings some of the best international hip hop dance talent to your venue, meaning audience members can experience the best of the international dance scene on their doorstep without having to travel.

• Breakin’ Convention is not just a show – it’s an experience. In addition to world class performance, there are workshops, freestyle sessions, DJs and more.

• It’s a fun day out for families as well as hip hop aficionados. • It has recently celebrated its tenth anniversary season at Sadler’s Wells, an

international premiere in New York, and is always a sell out success. • It engages local communities as well as attracting international pioneers as local

acts are auditioned to take part. • The Breakin’ Convention brand has gained an international reputation for

excellence, and carries loads of kudos with young hip hop dance fans. • Hip hop can be perceived as having a very threatening culture but Breakin’

Convention challenges those misconceptions with a welcoming atmosphere and friendly approach.

• Breakin’ Convention reaches out to communities who may not ordinarily attend theatre performances, allowing you to develop previously unreachable audiences.

• Breakin’ Convention has strong support every year in the national press with consistent rave reviews across the board.

• The show is hosted and curated by Jonzi D – a leading figure on the UK hip hop dance scene.

• It has genuine appeal for younger audience. • The festival has been instrumental in forwarding the idea of bringing hip hop into

theatre. • The acrobatic, virtuoso nature of the dancers means the performances are really

spectacular and has a broad appeal across a wide range of ages and tastes with no experience necessary!



Working with your Breakin’ Convention Rep Breakin’ Convention has appointed a Rep from your local hip hop community. This person is well known and respected by your local hip hop community and will work closely with your venue at a grass roots level to develop an audience for the show, find local acts to audition and in many cases provide lead in events and workshops. Your Rep will give you invaluable advice and help with the distribution of marketing materials and inform you of local events that would hit the target audience. They will be able to arrange street teams for flyering and freestyling in local shopping / town centres. Do you have space outside the theatre that could be used to display artwork? If so, your Rep could help you commission a local graffiti artist to create a unique piece of artwork to advertise Breakin’ Convention coming to your venue. Lead In Events Breakin’ Convention has a limited budget available for the creation of lead in events in the run up to the show coming to your venue. In previous years we have found that street promotions are a great way of reaching the Breakin’ Convention audience. Working closely with your Rep and Breakin’ Convention, we will identify local events to partner with to promote the show coming to your area and reach out to your local community. We will provide acts to perform and printed material for hand outs. Your Rep will be able to organise a street team to help promote your show at the event. Taking b-boys out onto the street to perform demos and hand out flyers is a great way to attract a crowd and spread the word – all you need is a piece of lino and a boom box! This has been carried out ahead of shows on the Breakin’ Convention tour in the past, both on the street and in shopping centres, and is great for creating buzz close to the event.



Sample Brochure Copy Breakin' Convention, the international festival of hip hop dance theatre, returns with another line-up of jaw-dropping performances by companies from around the world and around the corner. This hugely popular production is hosted and curated by UK hip hop theatre artist Jonzi D. Alongside performances from local crews, Breakin' Convention includes ILL-Abilities (International), a b-boy company that challenges the misconceptions about people with disabilities and Ukweli Roach (UK), with an ensemble performance about temptation and vice, and Wanted Posse (France) expressing the roots of their personal revolutions. Breakin' Convention is more than just a show: DJs, dancers, demonstrations and workshops take over the foyers in the ultimate celebration of hip hop culture. A Sadler’s Wells Project In association with Dance Consortium. Line up correct at time of going to print Sample Direct Mail Breakin’ Convention is a unique festival of hip hop dance theatre. With rave reviews and sell-out shows at Sadler’s Wells in London for ten years and a trip to Harlem under its belt, the festival is now on tour giving you the chance to see some of the best hip hop dancers on the planet on your doorstep! Alongside performances from local crews, Breakin’ Convention includes ILL-Abilities (International), a b-boy company that challenges the misconceptions about people with disabilities by overcoming extraordinary challenges to become some of the best dancers in the world. This ‘Super Crew’ of international disabled dancers is now becoming a global movement helping to spread the message: No Excuses, No Limits. Joining them is Ukweli Roach (UK), one of the founding members of BirdGang Dance Company and star of the film StreetDance 3D. His outstanding dancing and unique choreography has seen him work with the likes of Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Cheryl Cole and JLS among others. Completing the line up is Wanted Posse (France). One of France’s most recognised and respected hip hop crews with scores of accolades between them, these multiple world champions will express the roots of their personal revolutions through dance. This very special theatre experience is perfect for all ages with much more on offer than just performances from some of the world’s greatest hip hop dancers. See the theatre transformed from top to bottom as you’ve never seen it before, with DJs and spontaneous dance sessions in the foyers, and plenty of chances to get involved in the action.

Book now for an extraordinary theatre experience you won’t forget!



Sample Press Release

Breakin’ Convention International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre Sadler’s Wells, EC1R Saturday 4 May – Bank Holiday Monday 6 May 2013 1 Day Seated Ticket: £20 Standing ticket: £15 Ticket office: 0844 412 4300 www.sadlerswells.com Breakin’ Convention offers reserved seating so early booking is strongly advised "This annual festival of hip hop dance theatre remains one of the highlights on the British dance calendar" The Times Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, Breakin’ Convention, is back, with jaw-dropping performances by companies from around the world and around the corner, from DATES. Now in its eleventh year, this hugely popular Sadler's Wells production is hosted and curated by eminent UK hip hop theatre artist Jonzi D. The line-up includes performances from Olivier Award-nominated ILL-Abilities, an international b-boy company that challenges misconceptions about people with disabilities; Ukweli Roach (UK) with an ensemble performance about temptation and vice; and Wanted Posse (France) expressing the roots of their personal revolutions. Over the years Breakin’ Convention has been seen by audiences in excess of 90,000 and has hosted over 480 companies from the UK and internationally. Breakin’ Convention offers a great platform for young artists, with youth companies being able to present work on the main stage alongside more established acts. As well as performances from the very best in hip hop dance theatre there is also a full programme of foyer events, workshops, DJs, freestyle sessions and live aerosol art. Press night: For more information or to arrange interviews please contact <THEATRE CONTACT> or Anna Goodman at ABSTRAKT on 0207 834 0440/07976 247 026 or [email protected] Notes to editors: Line-Up – DETAIL THE FULL LINE-UP HERE



http://www.sadlerswells.com/


Press Quotes About BC in London… For one weekend each spring, Sadler's Wells is transformed. Its foyers throb with sound and throng with young people, and on every floor you come across eager displays of move-busting. The Guardian, 3 May 2011 “At Breakin' Convention, the Sadler's Wells festival of hip-hop dance, performance spills happily off the stage and right through the building. Children try out steps in the aisles, DJs play in the foyers, workshops and performance sessions crop up everywhere.” The Independent, 5 May 2010 “It is now a splendid tradition...a celebration of street dance, of hip-hop, of breaking, krumping, locking and all those styles that are the creation of urban youth... the Wells was alive with an audience who shared every vivid moment with the performers: dance made by the young, performed with a verve that encompassed dancers and watchers.” The Financial Times, 4 May 2010 It's experiments such as these, which break with convention in order to explore the stage, that keep the festival ahead of the game. The Guardian, 3 May 2010 On Tour… “The Lowry had been baptised by Breakin’ Convention into the 21st century.” Dancing Times, July 2009 “A quick glance around the audience proved the universal appeal of hip hop dance. I had teenagers to the left of me, OAP’s the right and just about every age group scattered throughout the theatre. In terms of audience development, this show ticked all the right boxes.” The Scotsman, 14 May 2007 “An exhilarating evening” The Herald, 26 May 2009 “A theatre full of young people having a good time. If only there was more like this surely young people would go to the theatre more often.” Bucks Free Press “The night started as it went on – with high excitement and even higher energy” The Argus, 31 May 2012 “After bringing together freestyle break-dancing sessions, workshops, local and international dance crews, it culminated in a jaw-dropping show” Press & Journal 24 May 2012



Social Media and Digital Resources BREAKIN’ CONVENTION WEBSITE AND OTHER DIGITAL RESOURCES www.breakinconvention.com The Breakin’ Convention website is where visitors can find information about the festival, tour and workshops in one place. The website is unique in that as well as promoting our festivals it also features an up to date hip hop calendar, artist profiles, videos, and regularly updated news section. The site is a resource for dance fans and dancers to keep informed and engaged with Breakin’ Convention throughout the rest of the year. Hip hop dance has limited press coverage outside of the festival, so any way we can help cover the UK scene throughout the year after the tour, the BC site is here for you. DIGITAL MEDIA Footage from the festival, including performances from the headline artists on the tour and the front-of-house Vox Pops from past Breakin’ Convention Tours is available on YouTube - just search “Breakin’ Convention vox pops”. Images of groups performing in the festival are available to download from www.sadlerswells.com/tour-marketing/bc14tour For higher-resolution footage and images, e.g. for use on front-of-house screens, please contact us and we can arrange to send this by online transfer. Specific high resolution images can be sent over upon request. SOCIAL MEDIA Using sites like Facebook, Twitter and apps like Instagram are important in raising profile in communities that might not usually engage with your venue. In this way it can support ticket sales by generating a buzz in the lead up to the show by tagging friends into updates.




http://www.sadlerswells.com/tour-marketing/bc14tour

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram For Breakin’ Convention, Facebook (10,000 likes) Twitter (5,000 followers) and Instagram (1000 followers) is a great way to reach out to potential attendees who are socially connected. All our networks are updated regularly generating hundreds of comments and retweets/shares a month. Breakin’ Convention fans are accustomed to regular updates, while the virality from re-shares from cool photos and videos draws in scores more. Facebook gives massive coverage from this and it’s certainly worth considering as part of your campaign activity if you already have a presence on any social networking sites for your organisation. Our Twitter handle is @bconvention – if you tweet anything you think is relevant to Breakin’ Convention we’ll make sure we retweet it to our network when mentioned. SOCIAL NETWORK CAMPAIGNS Social media means there is no limit when it comes to trying out new ideas with marketing, and Breakin’ Convention is an ideal fit for flexing your creative muscle. For the London festival we install TVs displaying a live Twitter feed around the venue displaying tweets from people that were at Breakin’ Convention, and had Jonzi reading out people’s messages on stage between performances. Twitter allows for instant reactions and is an excellent way to engage the audience. We recommend tagging all tweets with #breakinconvention and adding these to signage to encourage visitors to join in. Afterwards all tweets are collected together using the website Storify.com to display all public tweets and photos (example: above).



Facebook E-Flyer Gallery examples (visually effective, saves paper, loads of shares!)

Facebook event invites Creating an event on Facebook also means people that click ‘attending’ will also post a status update to their profile telling others they are coming with a link to buy tickets, helping circulate information much wider. Breakin’ Convention will create Facebook events for the tour and invite reps to become admins to invite more people. Reusing existing content A tried-and-tested effective formula that works for Breakin’ Convention is to create media that can be used across all social networks and apps: Online posters made for Facebook (rectangular) can be designed to fit the same width as Instagram (square images—see illustration, right). There’s no shame in re-posting the same content twice via each of our social networks as all updates are time-shifted and seen by different audiences at different times anyway— it’s all about networking socially! Capturing data Breakin’ Convention’s demographic is unique, boasting audiences of four months to 84 and above, often bringing in three generations of family in one night. As per our Breakin’ Out campaign to bring in new audiences, and hip hop into new theatres, capturing ticket sales data for Breakin’ Convention is crucial when it comes to programming other hip hop shows in future. Storify.com, as mentioned and illustrated on page 11, can be used to capture tweets and account names from people for future use – make use of it!



MORE SOCIAL NETWORK CAMPAIGNS Visit TwitterFall.com to experiment with how you can use this!

Bloggers Breakin’ Convention is a melting pot of hip hop culture, whether for dancers, old school music lovers or trendspotters. As a result, your venue may be approached by bloggers and online writers – people we value with the constatnt decline of magazines and lack of available column space! It’s worth looking at how many followers an individual has on Twitter, how many Facebook likes, and if they produce video content, how many subscribers they have. We appreciate the hard work bloggers put in to reporting on niche subcultures, and in order to have a steady build up of online coverage we recommend producing a media contract with simple guidelines requesting an article is published before a specified time—we can provide an example template if needed. Smartphone users Registered on Foursquare or added a location on your Facebook page? Why not reward people that check in on their smartphones a special offer, such as claiming a free drink with their food, or a discount on merchandise, as illustrated on the next page.



We also added QR codes (previous page) to our posters to allow smartphone users to scan and watch a trailer for the show on YouTube. If ever you are mystified, call Dave Barros at Breakin’ Convention on 0207 863 8215 or email [email protected]



Film Makers Mentorship BCTV Local Film-Makers Training and Mentoring Programme What is BCTV? Scheduled for a 2014 launch Breakin’ Convention TV (BCTV) will be an online video channel/platform which will capture the full range of Breakin’ Convention’s work and the artists we work with - from live performances to interviews, short documentaries, video diaries and conceptual videos. It will provide a slick insight into our world and give an international platform to the plethora of talent that we work with. BCTV will create stylised, dynamic and original content from our existing programme/projects and extensive network of dancers from the UK and the world that is both in demand, relevant and engaging to our audience. BCTV Local Film-Makers We are looking for emerging local film-makers from every city/town we visit on tour. We want to hear from innovate film-makers with an understanding of hip hop culture to tell unique stories and promote the positive aspect of local hip hop to the rest of the world. In September an application process will be opened to find our BCTV Local Film-Makers. The successful applicant will be invited to our BC Local Film-Makers Day in London where they will take part in a range of sessions delivered by experienced film-makers and industry specialists. Our mentor will also spend a day with them in their hometown focussing on film-making techniques and skills specific to their needs or knowledge gaps. Film makers will work closely with Breakin’ Convention, our mentor and venues to create and follow briefs to document the festival as it comes to their city. They will be expected to make a minimum of 2 short films which will be uploaded to our online channel. They will create a highlight film of the Breakin’ Convention Festival in their city and at least one other film which they will be responsible for conceptualising, writing a proposal/treatment and delivering. We hope that these film-makers will form relationship with venues that can carry on into future projects and inspire venues to think about how they work digitally.



Box Office Briefing Notes About Breakin’ Convention

• Breakin’ Convention is a festival of hip hop dance theatre • The event involved two international acts and one UK act which are toured

throughout the UK. • These acts are then joined by local hip hop or street dance crews who are

auditioned in advance of the show. • The three touring acts are: iLL-Abilities – an international group from all over the

world who all have different disabilities. Their motto is: No excuses. No limits. Wanted Posse are a hip hop crew from France, and Ukweli Roach is a hip hop dancer who starred in the film StreetDance 3D.

• The evening is compared by Breakin’ Convention’s artistic director Jonzi D. Running Time TBC Age Suitability There is no age limit on Breakin’ Convention. It is suitable for all the family Special Effects TBC



Images and artwork Images of the touring acts and the main creative can be downloaded from here: www.sadlerswells.com/tour-marketing/bc14tour Please send all ads, leaflets and any use of the artwork to [email protected] for approval Logos The Breakin’ Convention logo can be downloaded from here: www.sadlerswells.com/tour-marketing/bc14tour






Biographies ILL-Abilities ILL-Abilities™ is an International group comprised of B-boys that have overcome extraordinary challenges to become some of the best dancers in the world: Canada, Chile, Holland, and U.S.A. Originally created in 2007 with the idea of being a "Super Crew" of disabled dancers, it is now becoming a global movement helping to spread the message: No Excuses, No Limits. ILL-Abilities' mission is to redefine society's view of disability, promote empowerment, and encourage limitless possibilities through motivational entertainment. Bboy Redo ILL-Ability: Born with several physical malformations with no right hip, the right leg shorter than the other as well as his right arm being shorter and lacking an elbow joint. His dance style is very much oriented on his flexibility and smoothness making his movements look like they are just slithering across the floor. Bboy Checho ILL-Ability: Born with a major malformation in his legs, his condition is unknown but suspected of being a "Thalidomide" case. His dance style is very much based on his arm strength; making his movements look like he is constantly floating. Bboy Tommy Guns ILL-Ability: At the age of 18 he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (malignant bone tumor) in his right knee. Given the choice of amputation or prosthetic bone implants, Tommy decided on amputation for the ability to continue high-level physical activity. Bboy Kujo ILL-Ability: Jacob was born completely deaf in his right ear and has lost most of the hearing in his left ear, due to ear infections at a young age and to a number of traumatic head injuries. Jacob is known for having innovated air flares and the use of upper-body strength in Bboying. His style consists of many dynamic and strength-related movements that allow him to fly around the entire dance floor. Bboy Lazylegz ILL-Ability: Luca was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition affecting the bones and causing stiffness in the joints in the body. For Luca, it has affected him mainly in his legs creating weak muscle developments, which makes him walk and dance on crutches. His dance style mainly consists of strength movements on his crutches and on the ground. Ukweli Roach Ukweli Roach began taking tap dance classes at age 10 as he had shown an enthusiasm for dancing from an early age. It was at age 16 that he decided to take it more seriously and saved up pocket money to attend breakdance and locking classes once a week at Pineapple Studios. This extended to hiphop and commercial choreography classes and shortly after joining international dance company Dance2XS he got his first professional work at age 18 dancing for Mariah Carey in Monaco. In the following years he worked with Mariah Carey on other occasions as well as stars like Kylie Minogue, Cheryl Cole, JLS, Alexandra Burke and others.



This was all whilst training as an actor at the world-renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) where he achieved a BA (Hons) Degree in Acting. During this time he was part of the founding of BirdGang Dance Company which has blossomed since 2006 and led him to choreograph and perform in showcases and competitions both in the UK and all over the world as well as working as an actor in the film, television and theatre industries. Ukweli's choreography, whilst being largely hiphop-based, borrows from disciplines such as tap, house dance, popping, breakdance, contemporary and jazz, fusing them all into theatrical manifestations of whatever music he is dancing to. Wanted Posse Wanted Posse are widely acknowledged and respected among the underground hip hop scene. In 2001 they won Battle Of The Year in Germany and have since gone on to win many of the world’s most high profile hip hop dance battle events. At a time when popular protests are rumbling, when movements of indignation spread worldwide, Wanted Posse wanted to express their own revolution, one that has guided its members from their beginning and allowed them to reveal their originality and differences. Jonzi D Jonzi D has been actively involved in British hip hop culture, rapping and B-boying in clubs and on the street since the early 1980s. Since graduating from London Contemporary Dance School, Jonzi has been committed to the development of hip hop theatre. As an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells, Jonzi has devised and directed TAG and IVAN both in 2006, and Markus the Sadist in 2009. Jonzi D is the curator and host of the acclaimed Breakin’ Convention, the international hip hop dance theatre festival, nominated for a South Bank Show award and now in its tenth year. Follow Jonzi on Twitter @JonziD



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