engaging hard-to-reach audiences at polka theatre … · few parents perceived theatre experiences...

ENGAGING HARD-TO-REACH AUDIENCES AT POLKA THEATRE FOR CHILDRENA research report exploring perspectives on the barriers and incentives to live theatre access for family audiences

DR. EMMA MILES Published 2019

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CONTENTS

Introduction 3

ExecutiveSummary 3

Abouttheresearcher 3

TheresearchcontextatPolkaTheatre 4

Thewiderresearchcontext 5

Reviewofpreviousevaluationsandstatistics 7

ResearchMethodology 8

Findings 9

Recommendations 14

AschoolaudienceatPolkaTheatre

Engaging hard-to-reach audiences at Polka Theatre for Children 3

INTRODUCTIONThisreportdocumentstheresearchandfindingsofaqualitativeevaluationofPolkaTheatre’sSchools & Libraries Reach project. The Schools & Libraries ReachprojectatPolkaTheatre,fundedbytheStavrosNiarchosFoundationbetween2015and2018,hasaimedtoinvolvenewaudiencesinPolka’swork.Aspartofthisproject,Polkahasestablishedorstrengthenedcommunitypartnershipswithmainstreamschools,librariesandSENschools,thus

enablingthemtoprovidefreetheatreticketstoschoolsandfamiliesinmoredeprivedareasoftheLondonBoroughofMertonwherethetheatreissituated.Amongstthemanysuccessesoftheprogramme,Polkafoundthatuptakeofthesefreeticketvoucherswaslowerthanexpected.Thisresearchwasthuscommissionedtobetterunderstandtheincentivesandbarrierstoaccessinglivetheatreforparents.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThequalitativeresearchusedinterviewmethodsinfiveofthefourteenschoolswhoparticipatedintheproject.Theseinterviewsfocussedon‘booker’and‘non-booker’parents,usingsemi-structuredinterviewschedulestoexploreanunderstandingoftheirresponsestothefreeticketoffer.Theperspectivesofteachersandsomechildrenwerealsoincludedininterviews.

AnumberoffactorswerefoundtoinfluenceparentaldecisionsintermsofattendanceatPolkaTheatre,bothpositivelyandnegatively.Thesewere:Culture and confidence –howfamiliarwiththeatreattendanceadultswerethemselves;Language –languagebarrierstounderstandingthepurposeoftheticketsandthenatureoftheexperiencebeingofferedwerediscoveredamongstsomeparents;Learning –incontrasttoteachers,veryfewparentsperceivedtheatreexperiencesaspotentiallyeducational.Forthosethatdid,however,thiswasahighlymotivatingfactorforbookingtickets;Values and interests –manyparents(bookersandnon-bookers)identifiedthetheatreeventatPolkaasachanceforenjoymentasafamily,whilstparentswerealsoseentoevaluatewhethereachproductionfittedwiththeirinterestsandvaluesbeforebooking;Time and timing –parentsreportedthatfindingthetimetovisitthetheatrecouldbeachallenge;Family –thisresearchshowedthevalueoffamiliesexperiencinglivetheatretogether.However,thoseparentswithlargerfamiliesalsoexpressedthechallengeoftakinguptheticketofferwhenitwouldinvolvefinancialoutgoingsorarrangingchildcare;Affordability –thereweremixedresponsesabouttheaffordabilityoftheatrevisits,althoughitwouldcertainlyseemthatthisisabarrierforsome;Location and access – all‘booker’parentsfoundPolkatobeaneasilyaccessible

building.Therewasthesuggestionfromsomeparentsandteachersthatperformancesatschoolvenuesmayovercomesomeofthepreviouslymentionedconstraints;Logistics and communication –parentshadsomehelpfulsuggestionssurroundingcommunicatingaboutperformancesinwaysthatmightcapturetheirattention.

TheS&LReachprogrammehashadsomeconsiderablesuccessesinengaging‘hard-to-reach’parents.633setsofticketswereusedoverthecourseoftheprogrammeandPolkaaredevelopingabestpracticemodelforhowtoengageparentsviatheirstrongschoolpartnerships.Therecommendationsoftheresearch,inlightofboththesuccessesandchallengesencounteredbyPolka,areto:

1.Establishcloseworkingrelationshipswithteachersasadvocatesfortheatreamongstfamilies.

2.Makecontactwithparentsdirectlythroughvisitsbytheatrestafftoschools.

3.Continuetoremovefinancialbarriersthroughtheprovisionoffreeordiscountedtickets.

4.Writeclearcommunicationswhichmaybenefitfromtranslationintootherlanguages.

5.Consideroutreachasameanstoofferafirstpointofengagementfornewtheatre-goers.

6.Communicateclearlythebenefitsoftheatricalexperiencesforchildrenandfamilies.

7.Consideraprocessofconsultationandcollaborationwhichconnectstheartisticchoicesofthetheatrewiththedirectinvolvementofthehard-to-reachaudiencegroups.

ABOUT THE RESEARCHERDr.EmmaMilesisaSeniorLecturerinEducationatAngliaRuskinUniversity.HerPhDresearchatRoyalHolloway,UniversityofLondon,lookedatchildren’sengagementwith

TheatreforEarlyYearsaudiencesatPolkaTheatre.Shecontinuestoresearchpedagogyandengagementinrelationtochildren’sandfamilies’artsexperiences.

Engaging hard-to-reach audiences at Polka Theatre for Children4

THE RESEARCH CONTEXT AT POLKA THEATREPolkaTheatrehas,foroverfortyyears,beenapioneerinthefieldofchildren’stheatre.Itsobjectiveistousetheatre,storiesandplay-basedactivitiestofuelyoungimaginationsanddevelopchildren’spotential.Polkarunaprogrammeofin-houseproducedandtouringproductionsintheirstudioandmainstagetheatresthroughouttheyear,aswellasahostofcreativelearningactivities.Theyhavebeenhistoricallydedicatedtowideningaccessandparticipation,aimingtomaketheirworkaccessibletoasmanychildrenaspossible,regardlessoftheircircumstances.Anexampleofthisistheir Curtain Up!scheme,whichhasbeenrunningforovertwentyyearsandprovidesfreeticketsforschoolssituatedindeprivedareasofMertonandthewiderSouthLondonarea.Around2,000childrencurrentlybenefitfromthisprogrammeeachyear.Thisresearchemergesdirectlyfromthiscorevalueofdiversifyingaudiences,lookingspecificallyatthePolkaSchools & Libraries Reach(S&L)Programme.

This programme was launched in 2015 for a period of three years, enabled by a generous grant awarded to Polka by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. This new initiative was designed to create a sustainable new model for accessing and engaging the most difficult-to-reach and disadvantaged children in Polka’s South West London community.

Tomeettheseobjectives,Polkahaveestablisheda three-strandprogramme,involvingworkwithmainstreamprimaryschools,SENschoolsandlibraries.Ateach,theyhaveofferedfreetickets,schooltransportsubsidies,teachingresourcesandworkshops,alwaysaimingtoestablishrelationshipswithfamiliesaswellaschildrenandteachersorlibraryprofessionals.Thestrandoftheprogrammethatthisresearchfocussesonisthatwhichtookplaceinmainstreamschools.PolkahaveworkedwithschoolsintheirLondonboroughofMertontoofferfreeticketsandtransportsubsidiesforclassesofchildren,aswellasworkingwithteachersthroughprofessionaldevelopmentopportunitiesandfreeworkshopsforchildrenconnectedtotheperformancestheyhavewatched.Alongsidethis,theyofferedoneortwosetsoffreeticketsforafamilyofuptofourpeople(tocaterforsiblings)foreachchildinacademicYearTwoandagaininYearThreeineachgivenyearoftheprogramme.Polkaworkedwith14schoolsintotaloverthethreeyearperiod,workingwith7schoolsinthefirstphase(PartnerAschools),followedbyadifferent7schoolsinthesecondphase(PartnerBschools),beforereturningtotheinitialsevenschoolsforthethirdphase(PartnerA2schools).ThisresearchtookplaceatthePartnerA2schools,andthisreportthusfocussesontheseschools.

Theprogrammeheraldedmanysuccessesinitsfirsttwoyears,withteachersreportingthevalueofitforthechildrentheytaught(manyofthemfirsttimetheatre-goers).AteacherfromMertonPrimarySchoolsaidafterthefirstyearoftheproject:“Goingtothetheatrewasanincredibleexperienceforthem[thepupils]andgettingtheopportunitytobecomepartoftheshowattheworkshopreallywastheicingonthecake.”Teachersalsoreportedlearningnewskillsinhowtofacilitatedramawithchildrenintheirclasses,particularlyinsupportoftheirliteracylearning.Parentswhotookuptheticketofferreportedhighlevelsofsatisfactionwiththeexperience,withalmostallsayingthattheywouldbelikelyorhighlylikelytorecommendtheexperiencetoafriend.

However,Polkafoundtheredemptionrateforthefreeticketsofferedtofamilieswaslowerthanexpectedinthefirsttwoyears(seetable1,p.5forfigures),leadingtoPolkacommissioningresearchtounderstandwhythismightbe.Theysoughttounderstandthereasonswhyparentsmaychoosetotakeupafreeticketofferand,mostcrucially,thereasonswhymanydidnottakeupthisoffer.AstheS&LReachprogrammehasprogressed,Polkahaveadvancedtheirunderstandingofthepossiblebarrierstoparticipationthatliebeyondthefinancial,aswellasdevelopingstrategiesforovercomingthese.Thisresearchaimstofurtherdeveloptheseunderstandingsandstrategies,drawingouttheimplicationsofthisforPolkaastheycontinuetostrivetoextendthereachoftheirwork.Theseimplicationsmayalsobeofinteresttootherartsorganisationswhoareseekingtounderstandthecomplexintersectionsthatleadtocertainaudiencesbeingunderrepresentedattheirvenues.


THE WIDER RESEARCH CONTEXTThisresearchsitswithinthewidercontextofrecentconcernsthattheartsprivilegecertainaudiencesintermsoftheirappealandaccessibility.Manyartsinstitutionshaverespondedactivelytothis,placingthemselvesattheforefrontofapoliticaldrivetoensureequityofchoicearoundaccessandacultureofparticipationfromdiversegroups.TheTaking Partsurvey(Buntingetal.,2007),publishedbyTheArtsCouncil,lookedintothereasonsforparticipationandnon-participationintheartsthroughinterviewswitharepresentativesampleofaround29,000adults.Thereportfoundthat,amongstthosewhodoparticipateinartsattendancebutinfrequently,thefactormostinfluentialonfrequencyofattendancewastheneedformorefreetime,followedbyproximitytohomeandcost(Buntingetal.,2007,p.46).Forthosewhohadnotattendedanartseventatallinthetwelvemonthspriortothesurvey,lackofinterestwasthemostsignificantfactor,followedbylackoftime.Asthereportconcludes,theresponseof‘alackofinterest’mustbemorefullyunderstoodinordertoberespondedtoinpolicy,sinceitislikelytobefarmorecomplexthanitsunilateralcategorisationinthissurveywouldsuggest.Thiscomplexityiscorroboratedbyanarticlewhichlookedatarangeofresearchintobarrierstoengagement,findingthat‘somefactorsareconsistentintheseperiodicstudiesandsurveys;however,othersdiverge,andtheydonotusecommonframeworks,makingtrendanalysisdifficult’(Evans,2016,p.6).Evans’reviewoftheliteratureemphasisesthe‘prosaicandgeographic’(Evans,2016,p.6)barrierstoparticipation,butalsomentionstheimportanceofthequalityoftheprogrammeanditsrelevancetoparticulargroups(Evans,2016,p.6/7);again,thepicturewasmulti-facetedandrevealedarangeofreasonsfornon-participation.Indeed,Bourdieu’s(1986)explorationinthelate20thcenturyofthedifferentformsofcapitalandthewaytheyshapetastehasexpandedourtheoreticalunderstandingofthecomplexsystemsinfluencingthewaypeoplespendtheirleisuretimeandtheculturalactivitiesthattheyengagewith.Culturalandsocialcapital,aswellaseconomiccapital,determinethechoicesthatpeoplemake,asPolkafullyunderstandincommissioningthisresearch.Thereisaneedtounderstandmoredeeplyhowartsproducerscanengagewiththesocioculturalreasonswhysomeaudiencesparticipatefarlessfrequencyineventsattheirvenues.

Therehasbeenmorelimitedresearchintothespecificattendancepatternsofchildaudiences.AreportpublishedaspartoftheTaking Partresearchinitiativesurveyedaround3,000childrenofsomeoftheadultsparticipatinginresearch.Theresearchersfoundthat‘theoverarchingempiricalfindingfromtheresearchwasthepositiveassociationbetweentheparticipationbehavioursofparentsandchildren’(Shiblietal.,2014,p.4),includinganobservationthatparents’levelofeducationimpactedchildren’sratesofparticipation.Noconsistentpatternwasfound,however,betweenparentalincomeandchildren’s

participationintheartsorothercultural/sportingactivities(Shiblietal.,2014,p.4).Theyalsofoundthattherewasastronggenderbias,withmoregirlsparticipatingintheartsthanboys.Thepublication’scategorisationofartsactivitiesiswideanditisunclearwhethertheresearchersincludedvisitingthetheatreaspartoftheirunderstandingof‘participation’.Nonetheless,theirresearchsuggeststhatchildren’sparticipationratesarelikelytocorrelatewiththewiderobservationsofthecomplexsocioculturalbarrierstoartsattendance.

Thepatternsofattendanceseenintheresearchmentionedabove,withtendenciestowardsmorefrequentattendancefromprivilegedsocioeconomicgroups,canalsobeseeninPolka’saudiencedata.ResidingintheLondonboroughofMerton,Polkaareawareofthesocioeconomicdiversityamongsttheirlocalaudiences,whichintheirownwordsandthoseofcommunitystakeholdersmanifestsasa‘boroughoftwohalves’withmoreaffluentfamiliesinthewest,whilstthosewithfewereconomicresourcesareconcentratedintheeast.Totheeast,fourMertonlocations(PollardsHill,CricketGreenx2areasandFigge’sMarsh)areinthebottom20%oftheNationalIndexofDeprivationandafurther12locationsareinthebottom30%(DepartmentforCommunitiesandLocalGovernmentEnglishIndicesofDeprivation,2015).Heretherewillbeupto50%ofchildrenlivinginpoverty,aboveaverageloneparenthouseholds,refugeefamilies,andmanychildrenspeakingEnglishasasecondlanguage(morethan160languagesarespokenintheborough’sschools).Thepopulationisprojectedtoincreasefurtherby2020,includinga4.4%increaseinchildrenandyoungpeopleand37%increaseinthosefromBAMEbackgroundswithdensitygrowingmostinmoredeprivedareas(Source:LondonBoroughofMerton).DemandforsubsidisedaccesstoPolka’sproductionsandcreativelearningprogrammesisprojectedtoriseaccordingly.

The S&L ReachprojectwasdesignedtoreducethisaudiencegapandtoreachouttocommunitiesinMertonthatarecurrentlyunder-representedamongstPolka’saudiences. AstheArtsCouncilpublicsurveysuggested,thisisparticularlyimportantinlightofPolkaasapublicallyandcharitablyfundedinstitution,drawingmoneybothfromtheArtsCouncilandfromMertonCouncil.More(1998)alsoarguesfortheaccountabilityofpublicallyfundedvenuesinherliteraturereviewonPoverty and Access to the Arts: inequalities in attendance.Aswithallofthestudiesabove,sheidentifiesthesocialaswellastheeconomicbarrierstoattendance,suggestingthatitisessentialtoconsultwithnon-attenders,toshapecontentaroundthis,andtobeflexibleintermsofhowandwherethishappens.

The S&L Reachprojectlooksnotjusttoprovidetheatreexperiencesforchildrenandteachers,buttoincludefreefamilyticketsforparentstoaccompanytheirchildrenonfurthervisits.Polka’shopeisthatthiswelcomemaythenleadtofurtherengagementwiththetheatrebythesefamilies.


Anderson,EwingandFleming(2014)publishedresearchonthetopicofThe Role of Family in Young People’s Theatre AttendanceinAustralia.Theyweresurveyinganolderdemographicofyoungpeopleaged14to30inordertobetterunderstandtheirtheatre-goinghabitsand,indoingso,revealed‘thecriticalroleoffamilyasfacilitatorsininductingyoungchildrenintotheworldoflivetheatreperformanceandlaterongoingtheatreattendance’(Andersonetal.,2014,p.61).Intheirreviewofliteratureonthetopic,theyquotearesearchprojectbyOskalaet.al.(2009),whoanalysedtheresultsofthepreviouslymentionedUK-basedTakingPartsurvey,subsequentlysuggestingthatearlyattendancecanhaveanimpactonsustainedattendance.Anderson,EwingandFleming’sresearchsawaclearlinkbetweenfamilyattendanceandyoungpeople’sattitudestothetheatre,buildingonapreviousqualitativestudywhichrevealedthat‘themostconsistentfactorlinkedtoreceptiveartsparticipationwasfrequencyoffamilyattendanceatperformingartsevents’(Martin,Anderson,andAdams,2012,p.326).Inconcluding,theauthorssuggestedtwofactorsemerginginrelationtotheroleoffamilyinyoungpeople’stheatre-going:thefirst,thatfamilyinteractionsanddiscussionsabouttheatre-goinginfluenceyoungpeople’sconfidenceandliteracy;thesecondthat‘thedevelopmentandmaintenanceofasustainedcultureoftheatre-goinginyoungpeople…supportedtheirengagementandmotivationtoattenddramaticworks’(Andersonetal.,2014,p.63).InlinewiththefindingsoftheArtsCouncil,thisstudyfoundthatcertainyoungpeoplefeltdisenfranchisedfromtheatreculture,describingtheirfamilyenvironmentasunconnectedtothisartform.Theysuggest,asaresultthat,

perhapsonewayforwardistomakemoretangiblelinkswiththeatrecompaniesandworksemergingfromandfordiversecultures.Inthisway,theflagship,main-stagetheatrescouldbecomemoreaccessibleformoreofourcommunityandtheirfamilies.Currently,noteveryonefeelscomfortableatAustralia’slargepublicallyfundedculturalprecincts.(Anderson,EwingandFleming,2014,p.71)

Polkaarecertainlycommittedtodiverserepresentationinrelationtotheemploymentofactorsforrolesintheir

productions,aimingforatleast40%ofcastingtogotoBAMEactors.Andersonet.al’sresearchwouldencourageaninterrogationofwhetherthisistranslatingtoasenseofculturalinclusionandconnectionfortheparentsinvolvedin the S&L Reach project.

ThisconcernwithrepresentationandinclusionintheartsisexploredbyJohnHoldeninhispaperDemocratic culture: opening up the arts to everyone(2008).Inthis,heidentifiesthreetypesofculture–publiclyfundedculture,commercialcultureandhome-madeculture.Holdenattemptstounpicktheexclusivitythatheperceivesincertaininstancesofpublicly-fundedculture,inwhichhesometimesseesan‘usandthem’scenariowhere‘thepublic’areperceivedasamassseparatetothegate-keepersofpublicly-funded,orevencommercial,culture.Instead,hepositions‘thepublic’aseveryone,withdemocraticculturebeingframedinmuchthesamewayastheidealofdemocraticpoliticsinwhicheveryonehasavoice(Holden,2008,p.25).Holdenarguesthat

Promotinguniversalaccesstoculturemeansworkingwithpeoplewheretheyare,andnotexpectingthemtocometotheculture.Inturnthatmeans:

• funderspayingmuchmoreattentiontodemand-sidefactors,alongsidenurturingthesupplyside

• morecooperationandcoordinationbetweenpubliclyfundedcultureandmainstreambroadcasterstoreachwideraudiences

• agreaterunderstandingofhowexistingaudiencesresistnewentrants,andstrategiestoovercome suchresistance

• workingcloselywithschoolsandtheeducationsystem(Holden,2008,p.30)

Holden’sfinalpointisexactlywhatPolkaaimstoachievethroughthisproject,whilstthisresearchprovidesachancetolookatthefirstandthirdpoints.WorkingtowardstheinclusionofpeoplefromacrossthediverseaudiencesinPolka’sLondonboroughofMerton,accordingtoHolden,requiresdirectconsultationwiththoseaudiences;thisresearchformsapartofthatpicture.


REVIEW OF PREVIOUS EVALUATIONS AND STATISTICSThisresearchwascommissionedtowardstheendofthethreeyearS&LReachproject,thusprovidinganopportunitytoalsodrawtogetherfindingsfrompreviousyearsaspartofthisevaluationprocess.Overthethreeyearsoftheproject,Polkadevelopedtheirapproachtoprovidingfreetickets,tryingnewwaysofovercomingbarrierstoparticipationbeyondthefinancial.Polkawereworkingwith7differentPartnerAschools,eachwithdifferentlevelsofengagementfromfamilies.Inthetablebelow,Ihavethereforepresentedthemeanpercentagefiguresforfreeticketuptakeforeachproductionoverthethreeyears,alongsideahighestandlowestpercentageacrossthesevenschoolstogiveanideaofthedisparityacrossdifferentsites.

BehindthesestatisticsarestoriesofgreatsuccessesforPolka,aswellasideasfordevelopmentwitheachphaseoftheproject.Afterthefirstyear,Polkawereincontactwith81newfamiliesthroughtheirdatabase,after377familiestookthemupontheirticketoffer.Theyalsohadoutstandingfeedbackfromthesenewfamilies,with90%givingthetopratingof‘verygood’totheirexperience(CropperandKirkham,2016,p.10).Polkameanwhilediscoveredbarrierstoticketuptakebeyondthefinancial,includingthepossibilitythattheremaybelanguageandculturalbarriers,whilstthisinitialyearrevealedtechnicaldifficultieswiththeonlinebookingsystemwhichwerequicklyresolved.Inthesecondyear,Polkaestablishedcontactwithnewschools,whilstthenumberofnewfamiliesontheirdatabaseroseto215;allrespondentstothesurveyoffamilies’experiencesratedtheirexperiencesas‘good’or‘verygood’(CropperandKirkham,2017,p.11).Intotaltheprogrammehasintroduced633first-timebookersfromhard-to-reachfamilies.Forthisyearoftheproject,Polkaimprovedcommunicationsbyaskingfora

memberofstaffateachschooltoactasliaisonbetweenPolkaandthefamiliesbeinggivenfreetickets,whilsttherewereupdatestothebookingsystemtoensurethatonlythefamilieswhohadbeengiventicketswerebooking.Similarlytotheyearbefore,Polkafoundthattherewerepotentiallylanguageandculturalbarrierswhichpreventedparentsfromtakinguptheticketoffers.Theyplanned,forthefollowingyear,tosimplifytheletterusedtocommunicatetheofferwithparentsinordertoattempttoovercomesomelanguagebarriers.PolkadoubledthenumberofopportunitiesforfamiliestoseeproductionsatPolka–offeringafree4ticketvouchertoMichael Rosen’s Chocolate CakeandanotherwhichcouldberedeemedagainstachoiceofthreeplaysintheTechtopiaFestival.Theyalsoplannedforchildrentobeinvolvedinthisfestival,boththroughtheuseofvox-popswhichfeaturedintwoperformancesofanewproductioncreatedwithchildren(The First Girl in Space)andthroughanin-theatredisplayofchildren’sworkthatwasproducedinaPolkaworkshop.Ascanbeseeninthestatisticsabove,theperformanceofChocolate Cakeinthisthirdyearoftheprogrammehadthehighestlevelofengagementofthewholeproject.However,Techtopia,whichcameshortlyafter,hadthelowest.Thelevelsofuptakeoffreeticketsalsovariedgreatlyacrossschools.PolkacommissionedthisresearchbeforeChocolate CakeandTechtopiahappened,interestedinlookinginmoredepthattheprocessofreceivingthefreeticketsfromparents’perspectives.Theywantedtoinvestigatewhetherthemeasuresthattheyputinplacehadthedesiredeffect,andtounderstandmoreaboutthosewhowerenotengagingwhenPolkareachedouttothem.ThefollowingsectionoutlinesthemethodologyIusedinordertofindoutmoreaboutthereasonswhyticketswereandwerenotbookedbyparents.

Table1:FreePolkaTheatreticketuptakebyfamiliesofpupilsfromparticipatingschools

PRODUCTION (YEAR OF PROGRAMME) MEAN TICKET UPTAKE HIGHEST TICKET UPTAKE

(SCHOOL)LOWEST TICKET UPTAKE (SCHOOL)

JamesandtheGiantPeach(Year1) 23% 48%(MertonAbbey) 9%(Bond)

Babe,TheSheepPig(Year2) 19% 34%(MertonAbbey) 6%(Lonesome)

ChocolateCake(Year3) 29% 41%(Malmesbury) 12%(Lonesome)

Techtopia(Year3) 6% 22%(Malmesbury)0%(Heathmere,Links, AllSaints,Bond)

Table1:Ticketuptake


RESEARCH METHODOLOGYThisresearchtookplaceduringtheMay,JuneandJulyperiodof2018.TheresearchervisitedfiveofthesevenschoolsthatPolkaworkedwithduringthisphaseoftheprojectandreturnedtooneoftheseforasecondtimetospeaktomoreparents.Thetwoschoolsthatwerenotvisitedwereunabletoarrangeaccesswithinthetimeframe.

Attheseschools,theresearcherspoketobothbookerandnon-bookerparentsabouttheirreasonsforbookingorbeingunabletobook,andalsogatheredaperspectivefromteachers.Atoneschoolinterviewswerealsoconductedchildren,whilstinsomeinterviewswithparents,theirchildrenwerepresentandsharedtheirperspectives.Theseparentswereeitherself-selectingsincetheyrespondedtoaninvitationsentoutbycertainschoolstocomeintospeaktotheresearcher,orwereapproached

byateacherattheschoolwhothoughttheycouldsharerelevantperspectives.Thismeansthatthesampleisnotrepresentativeofallparents,butopportunistic.Detailsoftheinterviewscanbefoundinthetablebelow.Mostparentinterviewstookplaceinsmallgroups,whilstinterviewswithteacherswereusuallyone-to-one.

ThisresearchgainedfullethicalapprovalfromRoyalHolloway’sethicscommittee.Allparticipantsweremadeawareoftheirrighttoconfidentialityandanonymityinthestudyandallsignedconsentformsbeforeparticipating,eitherforthemselvesor,inthecaseofinterviewswithchildren,asparentsactingfortheirchildren.Allchildrenweregivenfulldetailsofthestudyandaskedfortheirverbalpermissiontoparticipate,followingtheirparents’writtenpermission.

DATE SCHOOL INTERVIEW DETAILS

21.05.18 MalmesburySchool(visitone)

• Openafternoonscheduledtospeaktoparents,butwithnoattendees.• Interviewswithtwogroupsofchildren(somewhohadbeentoPolkawithfamilyandsomewhohadnot).

• Conversationwithonemother/teachingassistantattheschool(booker).• Conversationwithliaisonteacher.

26.05.18 MertonAbbey • Conversationswithparentsfollowingaperformancebythechildren.Threeconversationsintotal:Agroupofthreemothers(non-bookers),thentwomothers(non-bookers),thenonefather(booker).

• AconversationwitheachYearTwoteacher.

11.06.18 BondPrimary • IspoketoagroupoftwentytothirtyparentsafteranassemblygivenbythechildrenaboutPolka.Thiswaspart-facilitatedbytheheadteacherandfiveparentsparticipatedwithcommentsandsuggestions.

• Onefathercametospeaktomeindividuallyabouthisexperiencesafterthis.•Aconversationwiththeheadteacheroftheschool.

05.07.18 LinksPrimary • Aninterviewwithagroupoffourparents(non-bookers).• AninterviewwithaYearTwoteacher.

09.07.18 LonesomePrimary • Aninterviewwithonebookerandonenon-bookertogether(thebookerhadtoleavehalfwaythrough).

• Aninterviewwithonenon-booker(amemberofthePTA).

12.07.18 Malmesbury(visittwo) • Aninterviewwithafamilyofticketbookers.• Aninterviewwithabookeronthetelephone.•Aninterviewwithonenon-bookerparent.

Table2:Researchschedule


FINDINGS Theprocessofthematicanalysisofinterviewswithparents,teachersandchildrenledtotenseparatethemesemergingfromthedata.Thesethemesspaninfluenceswhichaffectedparticipationbothpositivelyandnegatively,showingfactorswhichPolkacananticipateasstrengthsoftheirprogramme,aswellasareasthatareholdingbackthe

inclusionofevenmoreaudiences.Thereare,ofcourse,alsomanyinfluencesuponfamilieswhichPolkadonothavethepowertochangethroughtheirworkalone.Below,isanoutlineofeachofthesethemes,detailingthecontextinwhichtheyemerged:

Culture and confidenceInmostinterviews,therewasadirectconnectionbetweenparents’ownexperiencesoftheatre-goingandtheirenthusiasmforPolka’sfreeticketscheme.Althoughtheremayhavebeenotherbarrierspreventingthemfromtakinguptheoffer,allparentswhohadenjoyedgoingtothetheatreaschildren,and/orwereinterestedinthisformofcultureasadults,eitherusedthefreeticketsorhadwantedto.Thisfamiliaritywithperformancecultureincludedvisitstothecircus,stand-upcomedyperformancesorthepantomimeatWimbledonTheatre.Itisworthnoting

thatmostoftheparentswhospokeoftheirattendanceatpublicallyfundedtheatreculturedidusetheirfreePolkatickets;thisincludedamotherwhohadworkedinthetheatreandamotherandfatherofPakistaniheritagewhohadenjoyedtheatrecultureinPakistanandcontinuedtodosointheUK.OneparentspokewarmlyofherownvisitstoPolkaasachild,buthadbeenunabletotakeupthisofferoffreetickets.However,thereweresomeparentswhowerelessfamiliarwith,orlessenthusiasticabout,performance,astheexamplebelowexplores.

Two parents that spoke with the researcher had grown up in the area but hadn’t booked because they were not sure what the experience would be like. One of the two had been with her aunt to watch a stand-up comedy performance when she was a child, but had found the experience overwhelming, resulting in an impression that the theatre was “too loud”. They had both asked their children if they wanted to see Chocolate Cake, and would have been happy to do so had they expressed interest; the same parent who had had a negative experience of performance herself when younger, however, said that her own child had enjoyed parts of The Snow Queen (the performance the Year Two class had seen together), but also found the experience frightening in some ways. The researcher found herself struggling to explain her positive perceptions of theatrical experience for young children in a language that could be shared.

This made her very aware of theatre as a particular experience, cloaked in assumptions by those who have visited, but which may be understandably mysterious or intimidating. Indeed, at Links Primary, the deputy head teacher said that she believed some parents would not be confident to navigate the new experience of theatre-going alone. The head teacher of Bond Primary also described a lack of confidence and self-esteem amongst some of the parents at her school, identifying this as a reason why tickets may not have been used. When the school was involved in a different project with The Southbank Centre, a teacher chose to arrange to meet parents at the school to accompany them on their visit in order to overcome this. This could perhaps be a way of bridging the cultural gap between Polka as advocates of theatrical experience for young children and parents who care for their children’s well-being and education but who have not themselves experienced theatre as a positive form of cultural engagement.

Theideaofa‘culturalbarrier’toparticipationinthisresearchwasverymuchaboutbarrierstobeingaconfidentmemberofthetheatre-goingcommunity.Althoughthesampleofresearchparticipantswassmall,theredidnotseemtobeaconnectiontoethnicbackground,orevennecessarilytosocialclass.Instead,parents’ownfamiliarity

withandenjoymentoftheatreappearedtobetheculturalfactormostlikelytoinfluenceticketuptake.Thatsaid,therewasafactorconnectedtoculturalbackgroundthatdidappeartohaveatangibleimpact,andthiswasthelevelofEnglishlanguagefluencyamongstthefamiliesinvolved.


LanguageAlthoughnoneoftheparentsthemselvestalkeddirectlyaboutlanguageasabarriertotheirparticipation,everyteacherinterviewedexpressedtheirbeliefthatthiswasabigcontributortolowernumbersofbookingsatcertainschools.ThreequartersofallpupilsatBondPrimarySchool,forexample,speakEnglishasanadditionallanguage,withpupilsspeakingatleast40homelanguages(CropperandKirkham,2016,p.10).Thisfactorcertainlyimpactedupontheengagementwithparticipantsduringresearch,andhasgreatlyinfluencedthesampleofrespondentswhoseperspectivesareincludedthisstudy.AtbothMalmesburyandLonesome,forexample,someparentsgenerouslyagreedtospeakabouttheproject,buttheresearchercouldnotexplorethereasonswhytheyhadorhadnotbookedticketsbecauseofthelanguagebarrier.Thereisnodoubtthat,withoutcertainlevelsofcomprehensionofspokenandwrittenEnglish,parentswereunlikelytobeabletotakeuptheticketofferfromthisproject.OneliaisonteacheralsoindicatedthatthisbarrierdoesnotapplyonlytothosewithEAL,sincesomeparentswithEnglishastheirfirstlanguagemaynotbeabletoreadthewrittencommunications.AlthoughPolkabecameawareofthispossiblebarrierduringtheprojectandworkedtoovercomeitthroughsimplifyingthelettersenttoparents,someparentsmayhaveneedednon-writtenortranslatedcommunications.Translation,aswellasbeingofpracticalbenefitacrossalanguagebarrier,alsogivesaverypowerfulmessageaboutinclusionandamessageofwelcome.Intheonlinesurveyofparents’feedbackfollowingthe2018Stavrosperformances,50%ofparentsselectedtheanswerthattheyhadnotbeenbeforebecause‘wehaveneverbeeninvitedtoPolkabefore’,suggestingthattheinvitationtonewaudiencesattheheartofthisprojectisapowerfulone.Translationworkorverbalcommunicationmaytakethisevenfurther.

LearningOnlytwoofthenineteenparentsinterviewedindepthsaidthattheythoughtofthetheatreexperienceashavinganimpactuponchildren’slearning.Oneoftheseworksasateachingassistant,whilsttheotherwasanEALparent(highlyfluent)whowasinterviewedonthephone.Shespokeaboutthelanguage,communicationandsocialskillsthatshesawthepotentialforherdaughtertodevelopthroughtheatreexperiences.However,shealsoexpressedconcernsthattheperformanceofFirst Girl in Spacehadperhapsbeentoocomplexforherdaughtertofullygrasp;theartisticchoicetotellastorythroughtheatricalsymbolsandtheeducationalvalueofthischoiceseemedtobeatoddsinthisparents’assessmentoftheperformance.

Allteachers,aswouldperhapsbeexpected,identifiedthehugepotentialforchildren’slearningthatcouldbefoundinvisitstothetheatre.SeveralspokeofthenecessityforchildrentounderstandinferenceforthemtofullygraspThe Snow Queen,withitthusprovidinganexcellentassessmentandteachingopportunity.Theyfoundtheworkshopstobehugelybeneficial,too,supportingchildren’sexplorationoftheperformancesandtheirownclassroomteaching.

Severalteacherssuggestedthattheperceptionofthetheatreasentertainmentratherthanasourceoflearningcouldbeoneofthereasonswhysomeparentsdidnotchoosetoredeemthetickets;theybelievethattheseparentsareveryfocussedontheirchildren’sacademicdevelopmentorextracurricularachievements,andwouldprioritiseexplicitlyeducationalexperiences.Onechildcorroboratedasimilarpoint,sayingthathewas‘toobusywithgymnastics’,whilstanothersaidtheytookuptheticketofferbecausehe‘neededtogobecauseof(his)homeworksheet’.Thelatterchildparticipantwasreferringtotheinclusionoftheperformanceasahomeworktask,whichseveralschoolsmentionedasastrategythattheyusedforencouragingeducationallymotivatedparentstorecognisethetheatreasbeneficialtotheirchildren’slearning.

The First Girl in Space performedatPolka’sTechtopiaFestival,2018


Values and interestsParentsgaveavarietyofreasonsastowhytheyhad chosen to see Chocolate Cake or the TechtopiaFestival. Formany,thiswasachancetohaveapositive,entertainingexperiencewiththeirchildren;asoneparentputit:‘There’smoretolifethanschoolandchores.’Parentsdescribedthe‘fun’thattheirchildrenhadwatchingPolkaperformances,withmorethanonesayingthewords‘theylovedit’inrelationtotheirexperiencesatthetheatre.Itwasclearthatmostparents,perhapswithjusttwoexceptions,sawPolkaasaplaceforenjoyment.

Forsomeparentsandchildren,itwasclearthatparticularperformancesheldattractionorwererejectedbecauseofthemesintheperformance.OneYearTwochildsaid,‘MyMumsaidIcouldgo,butIdon’tlikechocolatecake!’Anon-bookingparentmeanwhilestatedthat‘parentsmightfinditmeaningless’whentheysawtheChocolate Caketitle.Indeed,aPolkamemberofstaffsaidthatoneparentfoundtheposter(aboywithhisfacecoveredincake)inoppositionwithherownchild-rearingvalues.Thisisareminderofthefactthatnotalltitleswillappealtoallpeople,andthatchoiceispersonalasmuchasitiscultural.Asoneparentsaid:‘Parentslovetobepartoftheirchildren’slearningbuteveryonehasdifferentinterests…interestsneedtocomefromwithin–noonecanpersuadethem.’

Valuescan,ofcourse,drawparentstothetheatre,too.ThefamilyofPakistaniheritagealsosharedthattheyweredrawntoFirst Girl in Spacebecauseofitsfeministvalues;theycommentedonthiscelebrationoffemalestrengthandintelligenceincontrasttosomeoftheirexperiencesinPakistan,leadingtothemactivelysearchingtosharesuchmessageswiththeirdaughters.Here,thecombinationofaninterestinthetheatreandaconnectiontotheirownpersonalvaluesintheproductionsubject-matterledthemtobehighlymotivatedtotakeupthefreeticketoffer.

Time and timingSeveralparentsmentionedthatthetimingoftheticketswasdifficultforthem;oneparentsuggestedthataslightlylongerwindowforbookingmightbehelpful,butthattoolongmightmeanthatpeopleforget.Anotherparent,whodidmanagetobook,alsomentionedthattheyhadreceivedtheticketswitharelativelyshortwindowforbookingandthatthishadbeendifficulttomanage.Ontheotherhand,theliaisonteacherfromMalmesburyPrimarySchoolbelievedthatthepresentationoftheticketsjustbeforetheschoolholidayswaswell-timed,asparentsaresearchingforactivitieswiththeirchildren.Atthisschool,therewasa41%uptakeoftickets.

Oneparentperceivedthatthosenottakinguptheticketoffersimplydidnothavethetimetodoso,statingthisasthemostsignificantfactoramongstthosesheknew.Asonedeputyheadputit,‘Allparentswantthebestfortheirchildrenbutsomehaveotherworries’.

Family TheticketstoPolkawererecognised,evenbymanynon-attenders,asanopportunityforfamiliestospendtimetogether.Aparentwithonechildspokeofhowmuchtheyappreciatedtheopportunitytobetogetherasafamilyatthetheatre,whilstafamilywithtwodaughterswhohadbeeninvolvedintheprojectinitsfirstandthirdyearspokewarmlyoftheirexperiencestogether;itwasclearthatthesesharedexperienceswereanopportunityforfamilyconnection.Ininterviewswithagroupofchildren,inparticular,thechildrenspokeaboutwhotheyhadvisitedthetheatrewithandwhotheywouldliketotakeinthefuture.Theytalkedaboutthereactionsoftheirfamilymembers,andtherewasgenuineexcitementattheprospectofreturningwithotherlovedones.

Children’sworkfromS&LReachprojectworkshopsdisplayedatPolka’sTechtopiaFestival


Inothercases,familysizeswereabarriertoparticipation.Therewereseveralparentswithfourchildrenormoreofdifferentageswhohadwantedtousetheticketsbutwereunabletoarrangechildcareforthosewhocouldn’tbeincluded,particularlyinsingleparentfamilies.Somementionedthatthetargetagerangesoftheperformanceswereabarrierastheyfeltthatyoungerchildrenwouldnotbeabletocome.Others,however,broughtyoungerchildrenalongdespitetheadvisoryagenotesanddescribedtheirexperiencesaspositive.Theremaythereforebeaneedtoeitherofferticketprovisionforlargerfamiliesinspecificcircumstances,ortooffersupportandadvicearoundhowlargerfamiliescanaccessPolka.

AffordabilityTherewasmixedfeedbackfromparentsaboutthepricingoftheperformances.Somesaidthatitwouldbetooexpensivetoattendwithoutthefreetickets,particularlythosewithlargerfamiliesasmentionedabove.TheheadteacherofBondPrimaryalsotalkedaboutthis,sayingthatsomefamiliesattheschoolstruggletoprovidetheverybasicssuchasfoodandclothingfortheirchildren.Oneparentsaidthattheywouldbeabletoattend,buttheywouldneedtomakesacrificesinotherareas.Otherscomparedthecostofthetheatretootheractivitiessuchasthecinemaorcircus,observingthatPolka’sticketsareoftencheaperandthereforeaffordable.Oneparentspokeofthepsychologicalimpactofbeingofferedfreetickets,sayingthatthisgenerosityandthewarmwelcomethatthisimplieswouldencouragehertocomebackagainasapayingcustomer.Inthesurveyresultsofbookersforthe2017–2018Stavrosacademicyear,50%ofthe12respondentscitedtheatreticketsasbeingtooexpensiveasthereasonfornotcomingbefore,whilstfreeticketswouldbethestrongestmotivatorforcomingback.However,themajorityalsosaidthattheywouldconsiderpayingbetween£5and£15fortheexperience.

Location and accessAgain,therewasdifferingfeedbackonthelocationandtransportoptionsforattendingPolka.Whilstallpeoplewhobookedticketsdescribedthevenueaseasilyaccessible,somewhodidnotsaidthattransport,parkingorvisibilitycouldbeaproblem.Allparents,however,saidthattheymadetripsintoWimbledoneitherfrequentlyorfromtimetotime.

SeveralparentscommentedonthewarmwelcomethattheyreceivedatPolkaoncetheyarrived,withonefrequentvisitornotingthatherchildbecamemoreengagedeachtimetheywent.AfamilysaidthattheyfoundthesignageatPolkatobehugelyeffectiveforlocatingthetheatreandfeelingwelcomedthere,aswellascommentingonhowenjoyabletheplayareawasasanadditiontotheirtheatrevisit.

Twoparentssuggestedthatperformancesatschoolcouldbeeffectiveasawayofovercomingbarrierstoaccess,forexampleatpickuptimewhenparentsarealreadyscheduledtocometoschool.Twoteachersalsosuggestedthatthis

couldbehelpfulforavarietyofreasons,overcomingbarriersoftime,locationandculturalconfidenceinengagingwiththetheatreevents.Oneschoolhavesetprecedentsinthisareainputtingonmovienightstoinvitefamiliestospendtimetogetheratschooloutsideofschoolhours.

IntermsofaccessibilitytochildrenwithSEN,oneparentofachildwithautismwashugelycomplimentaryofthisareaofPolka’swork.Thiswastheparentwhoisafrequenttheatre-goerwithherchildren,andwhoperceivesPolkaasofferingtheverybestpracticeinrelaxedperformances.Itwasinterestingtothereforehearanotherparentexpressthebeliefthatherson’sautismwouldbeabarriertoparticipation,thereforepreventingherfromtakingupthefreeticketoffer.Thisleadsintothefinalthemeofthefindingsofthisresearch,onthetopicofcommunicationwithparentsaboutPolka’swork.

Logistics and communicationBoththeparentabovewhodidnotknowaboutthepossibilityofrelaxedperformancesforherautisticson,andthoseparentswhodidnotknowwhattoexpectfromthetheatreevent,mayhavebenefittedfromthechancetocommunicateinmoredepthaboutwhatitwouldbeliketotrythisnewexperience.Polkaandtheschoolstheypartneredwithareverymuchawareoftheimportanceofcommunications,andallpartiesworkedhardoverthecourseoftheprojecttorefinetheircommunicationmethods.

AsPolkaidentifiedfromtheverystart,teachersupportisabsolutelykeytoensuringthesuccessofaprojectlikethis,leadingthemtorequesta‘linkteacher’contactateachschool.TheseteachersgiveoutPolka’slettersandticketvouchers,andcommunicatewithchildrenandparentstogivethemtheinformationandencouragementneededtosupportthemwithbookingtickets.WiththeestablishmentoftheSchoolsRelationshipOfficertosupporttheproject,PolkaalsoputinplaceahighlyeffectivemeasureforensuringthatteachersremainedinformedandsupportedintheiressentialroleasadvocatesforPolka’swork.Twoteachersexplainedtomethatthechildrenarethemostpowerfulinfluenceontheparents,observingthatifyoucangetthemexcitedaboutthetrips,thenparentswillbemorelikelytobook.Teachersidentifiedavarietyofapproaches,fromverbaldiscussions,totextmessages,tosettingthetripsashomeworkasameansofcommunicatingwithparentsaboutthepositivityoftheatreexperiencesfortheirchildrenandtheirfamilies.Aswasidentifiedabove,thechildrenaretheeasiestpeopleforteacherstocommunicatewithsincetheyspendsomuchtimewiththem,andthesemessageswillhopefullybepassedontoparents.TeachersalsodiscussedtechniquesforensuringthatPolka’scommunicationmakesitswaytoparents,sinceseveralmentionedthatlettersputintobookbagsmaygounnoticed.Thisincludedgivinglettersdirectlytoparentswherepossible,orgivingchildrentheletterstotakeouttoparentsintheirhandsratherthanintheirbags.Someteachersidentifiedthattheirownpunctuality


ingivingoutticketsmayhaveaffecteduptakeinsomeinstances,althoughthisisofcourseunderstandablewhenteachershavemanyresponsibilities.AtMalmesbury,aspecialistteacherisemployedtosupportliteracydevelopmentacrosstheschool,whodoesnothaveaclass.Thisteacherhadmorefreedomtospeaktoparentsatdrop-offandpick-up,anditmaybethatthisisoneofthereasonswhyMalmesburyhadthehighestuptakeofticketsforbothChocolate CakeandTechtopia;theserelationships–betweenPolkaandteachers,andbetweenteachersandparents-areabsolutelycrucialtoensuringthesuccessofaprojectsuchasthis.

For the Techtopia Festival,Polkaexperimentedwithchildren’sinvolvementasameansofattractingparentstothetheatre.Teachershadadvisedthatparentalengagementisbestincitedthroughchildren’sworkorperformances,andindeedthiswasthemeansthatseveralschoolsusedforencouragingparentstocometospeaktotheresearcher.ThechildreninvolvedinthethirdyearoftheresearchwerethusincludedintheperformancesatPolkaviavox-poprecordingsfortheproductionofFirst Girl in Spaceandthroughadisplayofthecreativeworktheyproducedduringapre-showworkshopatschool.This,however,clearlydidnothavethedesiredeffect,asticketuptakefortheTechtopia Festivalwasthelowestofallproductions.Fromspeakingtoparents,itseemedthattheirchildren’sinvolvementwasnotsomethingthattheywereawareof,soitmaybethatthishadnotbeen

communicatedeffectivelywiththem.TheTechtopiaticketswerealsoreleasedinquicksuccessiontotheticketsforChocolate Cake,anditistheresearcher’sspeculationthatthismayhaveinfluencedthetimegiventocommunicationsaroundthisproject.ItshouldalsobementionedthatticketsalesforTechtopiawereconsideredtobelowingeneralforPolka,withFirst Girl in Spacesellingto34%ofcapacityaccordingtoPolka’saudiencereports.Moreresearchandtrialswouldbeneededtoconfirmwhetherornotchildren’sinvolvementinthisfestivalcouldhavethepotentialtoattractnewaudiencestoPolka.

Parentswerekeentoshareideasforattractingaudiencesfromtheirlocalarea.Theymentionedsocialmediaandmarketingwebsitessuchas‘StreathamMums’onFacebookand‘MumtoMummarket’,ortheuseofpostersandflyersinthelocalarea.Oneparent,amemberofthePTA,suggestedthatrepresentativesfromPolkameetingparentsfacetofacecouldalsobeveryeffective,sinceshealwaysperceivedthemasbeingforschoolsratherthanfamilies.Shewonderedifhavingastandattheschoolfayrecouldbeeffective,oronthegateattheendoftheday.Shealsowonderedifmoreceremonyoradifferentticketformatmayhavehelpedraiseexcitementaroundthefreetickets,forexamplebygivingthemascertificatesorinthelayoutofapartyinvitation.AteachersuggestedthatYoutubeadvertsforperformancescouldalsobesharedwithparents,particularlyasthiswouldgivethemaflavourofwhattheexperiencewouldbelike.

Vox-popforThe First Girl in Space, anewplayforPolka’sTechtopiaFestival


RECOMMENDATIONSThisresearchrevealedsomuchpositivityaboutPolkaamongstchildren,parentsandstaff.Allofthosewhohadvisitedcommentedonthequalityandbenefitsoftheirtheatreexperiences,andthoseparentswhohadtakenupthefreeticketofferwerehighlycomplementary.TwelverespondentsansweredPolka’selectronicsurveyfollowingthetheatreevent,andallratedchildren’senjoyment,thequalityoftheperformancesandthequalityoftheoverallexperienceaseithergoodorverygood.ItwasparticularlypowerfultoseeevidenceofhowtripstoPolkabroughtfamiliestogether,givingthemsharedmemoriesandqualityartsexperiencestodiscuss.Intermsofparent-childrelationships,thefreeticketsforfamiliesthroughthe S&L Reachprojecthasbeenverysignificantforthosefamiliesthattookuptheoffer.Theimpactofparentalinvolvementuponlearninghasbeenprovenmanytimesinresearch(see,forexample:Wilder,2013).Desforges(2003)publishedaliteraturereviewoftherelationshipbetweenparentalinvolvement,parentalsupportandfamilyeducationonpupilachievementandadjustmentinschools.Thissuggestedthathowparentsengagedwithchildrenathomehadasignificantimpactontheireducationaloutcomes.Inparticular,in‘theprimaryagerangetheimpactcausedbydifferentlevelsofparentalinvolvementismuchbiggerthandifferencesassociatedwithvariationsinthequalityofschools’(Desforges,2003,p.4/5).InsupportingqualitysharedfamilyexperiencesthroughtheS&L Reachproject,Polkahavethepotentialtocontributetowardsthesepositivepatternsofparentalengagement.

Polkahaveestablishedamodelofworkingwithschoolsthatbringsthemveryclosetocommunitiesthatwouldotherwisebeunder-representedamongsttheiraudiences.ThroughtheirSchoolsRelationshipOfficer,theyhavebeenabletoestablishstrongconnectionswithteachers,whichisthekeytoencouragingnewpeoplethroughthedoor.Thesuccessesofthisprojectinclude633ticketsusedbythefamiliesofparticipatingschools,manyofwhomwereexperiencingthistypeoftheatreforthefirsttime,anddirectcontactwith539familieswhoweren’tpreviouslyontheirdatabase.Asthisfigurereveals,thenumberoffirsttimebookershasbeenveryhighacrosstheproject,andforthisthirdyearstoodat198.

Itisclearfromparentalfeedbackduringthisresearch,aswellasthatprovidedthroughPolka’sonlinesurveysthat,formany,therearefinancialbarrierstoparticipationasaudiencemembersthatthisprojecthasdonemuchtoaddress.Withoutthefreeticketoffer,itislikelythatmostofthefamiliesmentionedabovewouldnothavevisitedthetheatre.However,thelower-than-expecteduptakeofticketsatsomeschoolshasrevealedthattherearebarriersbeyondthefinancial.Polka’sworkontheS&L Reachproject,enablingthisresearch,hasthusleadtoaseriesofrecommendationsforfuturepracticeinsimilarprojects,eitheratPolkaorotherorganisations.Theserecommendationsincorporateboth

thesuccessesofthisprojectandareasfordevelopmentasidentifiedduringresearch.TheyhavebeengeneratedbytheresearcherincollaborationwithstaffatPolkainresponsetoadraftofthisresearch:

1. Establishing close working relationships with teachers as advocates for theatre amongst families. ThemodelofhavingaSchoolsRelationshipOfficeratPolkaworkingdirectlywithanamedliaisonteacherhasworkedverywellinthisproject.Wherethatrelationshipwasstrongestandteachersadvocatedforthework,thiswasreflectedinticketuptakefromparents.Thishasimplicationsforothertheatreswhomaybelookingtoinitiatesimilarprojects.Intermsoffuturedevelopment,Polkahavesuggestedthatstrengtheningthisrelationshipmightincludeplanningfurtherinadvancewithteacherssothattheirschemesofworkcantiedirectlyintotheatretrips.TheyhavealsosuggestedthatmoreCPDwithteacherscouldstrengthentheschool/theatrelink,whichisparticularlyrelevanttoPolkasincetheynowofferINSETtraining.AspartofPolka’sPlayhouseproject,allteachersmeetandtakepartinPolka-ledCPDsessionsbeforereceivingclassroombasedworkshopsforpupils,andthismodelmaybeeffectiveforanyfutureiterationsoftheS&L Reach project.

2. Making contact with parents directly through visits by Polka staff members to schools, particularly at times when parents gather together such as at school fayres.DirectcontactwithparentsfromPolkastaffmembersmayhelpovercometheproblemoflettersbecominglostornotbeingseen,whilstalsogivingparentsachancetoaskquestionsorfindoutmoreaboutthetheatre.Polkahavealsosuggestedthattheremaybepotentialtobuildrelationshipswithparentswhocouldactaspeeradvocateswhoencourageattendancefromothers.

3. The removal of financial barriers through the provision of free tickets.Itisclearthatmanyoftheparentsinvolvedinthisresearchattendedbecauseofthefreeticketprovision,whilstotherswouldonlyconsiderattendinginthefuturewiththissupport.Polka’sdedication,throughvariousschemes,toprovidingfinancialsupportfortheatreattendanceisanexampleofexcellentpracticeforbreakingdownbarrierstoparticipationforcertaincommunities.

4. Clear communications which may benefit from translation into first languages for EAL parents. Considering new formats for ticket vouchers that make them appear more enticing.Certainparentsmaybenefitfromseeingtranslatedversionsofthelettersthataresentouttofamilies.Polkaalreadyproducetrailersfortheirshows,sothismayalsobeaconsiderationforcommunicatingwithchildren/familiesandgeneratingengagement.


5. Understanding that cultural/social barriers to participation for those from non-theatre-going families can be very strong. Theatresmayconsideroutreachasameanstoofferafirstpointofengagementforthoseforwhomcomingdirectlytothetheatreistoobigaleap.Alternatively,ateacherormemberoftheatrestaffmayoffertoleadagroupvisit.

Polkahavebeguntoconsiderstrategiesbasedonthisrecommendation,includingofferingparentsandschools‘RelaxedPacks’and‘SocialStories’tohelpwithexpectationsandtoovercomelanguagebarriers.Theyarealsolookingtoincludemoreparentticketsintheirfreeofferstoschools,sothatparentscouldaccompanyteacherstothetheatre.Polkahavealsosuggestedaladderofengagement,beginningwithanactivityinschool,followedbyaninvitetoasmall-scaleeventinthefoyerofthetheatre,followedbyticketstoashowforallages(withlowcoste.g.£3extraticketsthatcanbebookedforadditionalsiblings)andsubsequentlowcostticketscontinuingtobeofferedthereafter.Finally,Polkahavespeculatedonthepossibilityofengaginginpartnerschemeswiththeatresofferingworkforadults,wherebyparentscouldbuildtheirownexperienceoftheatre-goingbeforetakingtheirchildren.

6. Communicating clearly the benefits of theatrical experiences for children in order to engage parents in the learning that happens at the theatre.Polkaareconsideringsettingupafter-schoolclubsinsomeoftheschoolsinvolvedinthisproject,throughwhichnotonlywouldchildrenhavethebenefitofthisprovision,butPolkawouldhavethepotentialforsustainedconversationswithparentsandteachers.

7. Considering a process of consultation and collaboration which connects the artistic choices of the theatre to the direct involvement of the groups that Polka is aiming to engage.ThisrecommendationisforanextensionoftheworkthatPolkahavealreadydoneduringthisprojectininvolvingchildrenintheirproductions,withmoretimeallocatedforthistobecommunicatedclearlywithparents.PolkahavealsonotedthattheycouldperhapsofferamirroroftheirYoungVoicesPanelthroughaFamilyVoicesPanel,wherebytheyinvitefamiliestoconsultontheirwork.

ThisfinalpointarisesasmuchoutofHolden’s2008paper,Democratic culture: opening up the arts to everyone,asthisresearchprojectitself,althoughthebeginningsofthiswerefoundintheinvolvementofchildrenintheTechtopiafestival.Moreexperimentationandresearchisneededtounderstandthelevelofcollaborationwhichisneededforchildrenandtheirfamiliestofeelapartofthetheatreandinvestedinseeingitlive.Holdenoffersadviceonthismatter:

Inpubliclyfundedculturethepublicstilltendstobeseenintermsof‘audiences’or‘attenders’or‘nonattenders’,whereasincontemporarysocietytheindividualis‘the

originratherthantheobjectofaction’(ZuboffandMaxmin,2004,p36)AstheHarvardBusinessSchoolProfessorShoshanaZuboffexplains:‘thenewindividualsseektruevoice,directparticipation,unmediatedinfluenceandidentity-basedcommunitybecausetheyarecomfortableusingtheirownexperienceasthebasisformakingjudgements’(ZuboofandMaxmin,2004,p.37).Ifthatistrueinbusinessandpublicservices,whywoulditbedifferentinthecaseofculture?(Holden,2008,p.24)

HoldenwouldundoubtedlyagreethattheavenueofparticipationthatPolkabegantoexploreinthisprojectmaybeafruitfulone,inwhichtheyusedirect,non-tokenisticparticipationtomakepeopleapartofthework.For,ifaudiencesareapartofthework–throughmakingchoicesaboutit,consultingonitsdevelopment,orthroughartisticcontributions–thenthequestionofbarrierstoparticipationhasbeeninpartremovedbeforetheyevenenterthedoorofthetheatre.Polkaareworkingtirelesslyandinnovativelytoremovebarrierstoaccessandtomakeeveryoneapartoftheirtheatre.Ofcourse,personaltasteandpreferenceswillmeanthatsomeparentswillneverchosetovisit,andthisisasmuchademocraticrightastherighttoexperiencecultureforthosewhoareengagedorcurious.However,inunderstandingmorefullyhowPolkaisperceivedandwhattheneedsoftheirlocalcommunitiesare,theycancontinuethelong-termworkofensuringthatfamiliesintheirlocalareaknowoftheirwork,understandtheadvantagesoftheatreexperiencesforchildren,canaccesstheatretickets/thetheatrebuilding,andknowthattheywillbewarmlywelcomedshouldtheychoosetocome.TheS&LReachprojecthastakenastepfurtherinthiswork,engagingasignificantnewnumberofaudienceswithPolka’swork,whilstshowingthenextstepsforengagingevenmoreinthefuture.


REFERENCES Anderson,M.,Ewing,R.,&Fleming,J.(2014)TheRoleofFamilyinYoungPeople’sTheatreAttendance,Youth Theatre Journal,28:1,61-73.

Bourdieu,P.(1986).The forms of capital.InRichardson,J.,HandbookofTheoryandResearchfortheSociologyofEducation.Westport,CT:Greenwood,241-58.

Bunting,C.,Godlieb,J.,Jobson,M.,Keaney,E.,Oskala,A.,Skelton,A.(2007)Survey findings from the first 12 months: Executive Summary.London:ArtsCouncilEngland.

Cropper,A.(2015)Project Information: Polka Theatre’s ‘Schools & Libraries Reach’Programme.PolkaTheatre.

Cropper,A.&Kirkham,R.(2016)Stavros Niarchos Foundation: Polka Theatre’s Schools and Libraries Reach Programme 1st Year Report.PolkaTheatre.

Cropper,A.&Kirkham,R.(2017)Stavros Niarchos Foundation: Polka Theatre’s Schools and Libraries Reach Programme 2nd Year Report and 3rd Year Plan.PolkaTheatre.

Desforges,C.&Abouchaar,A.(2003)The impact of parental involvement, parental support and family education on pupil achievement and adjustment: A literature review.DepartmentforEducationandSkills.RetrievedfromNationalNumeracywebsite:https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/sites/default/files/the_impact_of_parental_involvement.pdf

Evans,G.(2016)Participationandprovisioninarts&culture–bridgingthedivide,Cultural Trends,25:1,2-20.

Holden,J.(2008)Democratic culture: opening up the arts to everyone.London:Demos.

Keaney,E.,Bunting,C.,Oskala,A.,Saucek,J.,Smith,L.(2007)The arts debate: Summary and analysis of consultation responses.London:ArtsCouncilEngland.

Martin,A.J.,M.Anderson,andR.J.Adams.2012.Whatdeterminesyoungpeople’sengagementwithperformingartsevents?Leisure Sciences34(4):314–31.

Miles,E.(2015)The Lost Lending Library: A case study of Punchdrunk Enrichment’s practice and impact.RetrievedfromPunchdrunk’swebsite:https://www.punchdrunk.org.uk/s/LLL-Case-Study-v5-PRINT-SPREADS.pdf

Moore,J.(1998)Povertyandaccesstothearts:Inequalitiesinartsattendance,Cultural Trends,8:31,53-73.

Oskala,A.,E.Keaney,T.W.Chan,andC.Bunting.2009.Encouragechildrentodaytobuildaudiencesfortomorrow.London:ArtsCouncilEngland.

Shibli,S.,Kokolakakis,T.,Davies,L.(2014)Child taking part survey: multivariate analysis of the determinants of child participation in arts, sport, heritage, museums and libraries. SheffieldHallamUniversity:SportIndustryResearchCentre.

Thompson,C.(2011)Capturing Imaginations.RetrievedfromtheSirJohnCassFoundationwebsite:https://sirjohncassfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Unicornfeb130212.pdf

Wilder,S.(2014)Effectsofparentalinvolvementonacademicachievement:ameta-synthesis,EducationalReview,66:3,377-397.

www.polkatheatre.com

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