Description
In the midst of the Corona era and global isolation, moving our professional base from the Mid-Jutland Region to the South and launching a new theatre project presented both a challenge and an opportunity because it required coming up with innovative ways to build connections with a new audience. From 2021 on, we focused on enhancing our presence in the Triangle region of Denmark and to aim for regular performative actions at Billund International Airport, a dynamically growing travel destination with nearly 4 million yearly passengers. During the restrictions, we adapted to present open-air interventions and events in the urban space that citizens could enjoy from their windows, gardens, or in the streets. These activities helped us build a local audience base and get funding, continue our operation despite the restrictions, and initiate a network of local cultural institutions. In this period, we also worked on a future collaboration with Billund Airport, and when travel restrictions were eased, we launched our project in the airport. By now, we are currently working with multiple arts organisations, municipalities, and festivals in the area, such as the Triangle Region’s annual Trekantomradets Festuge. In 2022, the Flying Theatre’s concept was exported to the global public and presented on three continents. From the beginning of 2023, we moved in a new, permanent studio theatre at the terminal, through which we will be able to give a new function to an airport area, transforming it into a cultural hub attracting a local audience from the nearby cities and a space of collaboration and exchange for cultural professionals. This is the first theatre in the world with a stage and an official base in an international airport.
Challenge they identifed
Our pilot project was aiming to create new models for cross collaboration between travel and art sectors that can improve the cultural sector’s actors’ economic potential, providing an improved image for the travel sector’s businesses in exchange. Creating examples of widely accessible urban art interventions helps to reconnect the audience and offer citizens inclusive artistic and cultural experiences.
How they assess the results?
We document each event with photos and videos and regularly publish the audio-visual material online. This material also helps us review and evaluate. We also conduct surveys and collect feedback from the partners, such as festivals, participating institutions, and schools, with the help of the local event responsible. At the end of the actual year, we prepare a final evaluation under the supervision of the board. The results are sent to all participants in the project. Our evaluation and monitoring measures are:
1. qualitative
- discussions and exchanges at the partner meetings – audience surveys (online or physical) in each city, feedback from the airport, visited institutions
- internal evaluation meetings after each step of the process
- evaluation board meeting at the end of the project
2. quantitative
- audience and participants in each event and their feedback
- interest in the social media channels of each project
- cross-collaborations reached
We take into consideration during the annual report:
- the amount of public reached
- the organisation of the individual events
- feedback and surveys – the realisation of the budget
- the promotion and communication tasks
- the artistic quality
- the development of new professional and cross-sectoral relations and their future potential
- if we reach concrete ideas for future continuation
- results and steps forward concerning the policy of sustainability
Tools
- Site specific art interventions
- Participative, accessible events
- Cross sectoral collaborations and network
Links
http://www.detflyvendeteater.dk/
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