Towards An Audience Development Plan for the National Theatre of Ghana

Abstract

This study explores the concept of audience development in an attempt to create an audience development plan for the National Theatre of Ghana. For the National Theatre of Ghana, the relationship and attendance of audience to its programmes and resident groups’ productions is an issue of concern. The management of the Theatre faces a problem in developing audiences as most performances they present including those of the resident groups are not well patronised as against private theatre companies that hire the space for performances. Through a comprehensive review of literature on the concept of audience development, the study discusses the various definitions and approaches on the concept in theory and practice to enhance understanding. Then, using the National Theatre as a case study, the study analyses both past and present innovative strategies to attract audiences to its programmes and productions. This is achieved through conducting interviews with key informants at the National Theatre, theatre practitioners and Roverman Productions, a private theatre company in Ghana. The data collected on the two objectives is then analysed to attempt an audience development plan for the National Theatre of Ghana. The tenets of the audience development plan calls for audience research, audience education, and marketing.