A case study of the MANPAC Theatre Strategy

The Mandurah Performing Arts Centre is an icon for the performing and visual arts in the Peel Region with high quality facilities including the Boardwalk Theatre and the Fishtrap Theatre.

Like many venues, Manpac found theatre performance to be amongst its most challenging to market. High quality performances often saw small audiences and celebrated drama was often relocated from the main theatre to the small theatre. Despite a database of more than 10,000, audiences to acclaimed work often number less than 100 attendees. This is a common challenge for theatres, and one Manpac wished to overcome.

Manpac decided to pursue a strategy to analyse the low attendances at theatre, understand the theatre audience and wider audience motivations, and better understand communication and product development to grow theatre numbers and develop a long-term theatre strategy.