In this episode of Executive with a Cause, host Tammy Ven Dange chats with Grant Dodwell, Creative Director of Australian Theatre Live.
How can the experience of the theatre be made more accessible to those in regional communities, lower income or living with a disability? And how do you deliver your solution when it’s excluded from the existing guidelines of funding organisations? In this episode, Tammy chats with Grant Dodwell, multi-Logie Award winner and founder and Creative Director of Australian Theatre Live, about bringing the theatre to the people.
Grant has combined the beauty of the arts with the technological advancements of the digital age to deliver filmed theatre productions through roadshows and streaming channels to those who may not otherwise have the experience. We hear how this innovation didn’t fit with funding designed exclusively for screen or theatre. However, funding boosts during COVID-19 allowed the organisation to broaden their reach and expand their team.
Australian Theatre Live is a unique Not for Profit in their project-based operations, which causes funding challenges because each idea must be researched and pitched before securing financing. In addition, Grant also describes the nuances of philanthropy and how to deliver with integrity and an understanding of donors’ motivations.
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IT in Plain English
In this week’s segment, Tammy explores Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and the value they can provide to NFP organisations. If you’re considering implementing a CRM for the first time, learn how they can improve your organisation’s efficiency.
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Topics from this episode:
- 00.00 | Introduction
- 01.15 | Australian Theatre Live
- 2.53 | Filling a gap
- 5.19 | The theatre experience
- 10.00 | COVID impact
- 13.51 | Funding and philanthropy
- 22.29 | Operating costs
- 34.44 | Expanding internationally
- 38.06 | Commercialisation
- 40.55 | Long-term planning
- 43.19 | Closing thoughts
- 45.15 | IT in Plain English
Quotes from Grant Dodwell in this episode:
“So basically, that’s what Australian Theatre Live does. We film the live theatre, and we have additions to it as well. There might be a director interview; we might interview the designer. So, it comes with a package of information around that particular Australian production.”
“The experience of live theatre has an impact; as we know, it’s a very old profession and still has that impact. So, I understood what happens when it tours and the reaction we get. Now we couldn’t take the actors out live. But the technology had improved to the point where we could put up to 17 cameras over one performance, film it, edit it, and it’s high quality, and we don’t lose the theatricality. So, we take that to all these little venues around the country.”
“As a Not for Profit, brand recognition, marketing and funding is always difficult to manage. So, the opportunity to screen five of our films on national television made a huge difference. So, we were fortunate in that way.”
“There were two benefits that came to us during COVID. And quite honestly, to me, it was a good time for us just to sit back a little because there was support from our government at that stage for organisations.”
“You know, COVID, we were one of the only, I guess, industries that experienced a spike. And it was simply because all the theatres were closed. And the ABC, which in Australia is like a government-funded television station, approached us and asked for five of our productions. So that was a step up.”
“It evolves. I mean, we weren’t a Not for Profit, to begin with. I might just clarify that. But the more we ventured into philanthropy and foundations, we realised that we had to become a Not for Profit because sustainability was not happening and won’t happen for some time.”
“That landscape that I mentioned earlier, around Screen Australia and other funding bodies that are specific to screen and specific to theatre, is changing. There is a swing towards digital. And I think we’re going to be in a really good position.”
“We mustn’t forget that our primary aim is for people that cannot. People who are disabled, who have hearing issues, who can’t attend theatre for economic reasons, for distance reasons. That’s, that’s our vision; sustainability is something we certainly need to get to. But along the way, it’s not to lose sight of why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
Links & Resources
Other Episodes Mentioned in this Show
- Watch our interview with Simon Rowe of sleepbus
- Watch our interview with Jim Lynch of Zealandia
Credits
Thanks to our Producer, Nick Whatman, and the entire team at Lonsdale St. Studio. Thanks also to our Digital Content Creator, Laura Kleinrahm.
Tammy Ven Dange is a former charity CEO, Not for Profit Board Member and IT Executive. Today she helps NFPs with strategic IT and data decisions with her business, Roundbox Consulting.