As he prepares to step down as Executive Producer for Tara Arts, Jonathan Kennedy looks back over the steps of his career so far. Blog first featured in Arts Professional, March 2017.

By Hardish Virk

Engaging and sustaining new audiences is more than just going to see a play as it’s about a process: from print engagement to venue experience. Nothing happens in isolation and the whole experience can have an impact on the audiences’ decision to return. 

Black Theatre Live aims to effect a long-term transformation for Black and Asian theatre through national touring, audience and sector development. This is the driving ambition of the Black Theatre Live consortium.

Amanda Gould, the Engagement & Development Manager at Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham shares the story about the exciting outreach work for young people done around the Tara Arts'  national tour of Macbeth in spring 2015.

One of the objectives of Black Theatre Live (BTL) is to develop new audiences for a range of venues across the UK.

Soon after arriving to the Black Theatre Live launch at Derby Theatre, I was suddenly surrounded by so many new faces; all these people with different roles and all sorts of specialties and tasks. It felt like witnessing a start of a huge road works project with all the heavy machinery and workforce lining the road.

Last week I started my new job as a Tour Manager for the Black Theatre Live.  One of the first tasks I was asked to do was to start a blog about the project and its last week’s launch at Derby Theatre. Haven’t blogged before, so I’ll stick to logic and try to explain, in my own words, what this project is and what makes me excited about it.