25 May Building an Audience II. Companhia Urbana de Dança. FUNDarte for MAMP

Arts & Business Council of Miami |  DIVERSIFYING YOUR AUDIENCE

The long-term success of arts organizations depends on audience diversification and engagement

This story is about how we built an audience for Companhia Urbana de Dança, previous to their concert in Miami.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION

I’m going to start using the words of the journalist, Brian Seibert, of The New York Times.

Companhia Urbana de Dança is a Brazilian dance troupe composed of young people, mostly men of African descent, from the favelas, or slums, of Rio de Janeiro (who grew up in an environment of high violence and crime). The group is led and choreographed by Sonia Destri Lie, a white woman, not from the favelas, trained in ballet and American and European contemporary dance, yet the works are based on hip-hop, somehow refined. Then, what some might interpret as another story of condescension and Exploitation when watching them perform on stage, turns into the opposite, in a story of search and reaffirmation of a bleeding dignity, in a story that speaks of including, diversifying, and of merging art to generate a powerful identity.

And now you will see how through our actions, we repeat the process of Identifying an Audience, establishing a relationship, creating content, attracting attention and achieving an engagement.

These images are from a show previous to the premiere in Miami. We presented their show Nego, free of charge for various schools.

The connection with the youth audience was immediate and powerful. The effect on the students was so strong that the next day, at the premiere for the Miami audience, they showed up with their parents.

Here are some words from some young spectators at the exit of the Theater. (…)

I would like to thank the support and collaboration of Culture Shock for the promotion and content creation previous to this show and the logistics provided by Miami Dade-County Schools. The help of these Organizations was one of the key factors to develop our marketing actions and achieving the success of this event. That is why Strategic Alliances are an important factor in the diversification of audiences.

FUNDarte is a multidisciplinary non-profit organization dedicated to producing, presenting, and promoting music, theater,dance, film, and visual arts that speak to Miami’s diverse cultures with an emphasis on Hispanic/Latino arts and culture. FUNDarte particularly works to nurture emerging artists and those with little or no exposure to South Florida audiences; facilitate intercultural and international exchanges; and provide local audiences and artists with educational opportunities that expand their creative, critical, and social perspectives. Visit us at www.fundarte.us for more information about our exciting and diverse live programming. FUNDarte@Home