96448 - Laboratory of Theatre Promotion and Information (1)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the laboratory the student: acquires knowledge in the field of communication and promotion of theater events and projects; acquires skills in marketing and communication of cultural events; learns the fundamentals of promotion, press office, web and social media communication; is able to work on real case histories.

Course contents

The promotion and information modes for theatre are heterogeneous, and call for different know hows. Visions and tools change according to different perspectives, from actual marketing to the promotion of cultural audience development and engagement. These topics will be dealt with in class, with a focus on the changes in the figure and role of the theatre critic and on the distinction between traditional mass media, digital and social media. The second part of the course is a workshop. It is made in collaboration with ERT, and coordinated by the teacher together with the researcher and theatre critic Lorenzo Donati. In this part, students will have the possibility to learn about and report a performance of the ERT theatre season, taking part in meetings with artists and with the professional staff working at the Theatre. They will accordingly produce video, audio and textual promotional material.

Readings/Bibliography

1. Alonzo Giulia, Ponte di Pino Oliviero, Dioniso e la nuova. L’informazione e la critica teatrale in rete: nuovi sguardi, nuove forme, nuovi pubblici, Franco Angeli, Milano, 2017.

2. Mazzaglia Rossella, Lorenzo Donati (eds.), Promozione e informazione teatrale, dispensa, a.a.2023-2024. (Available since the beginning of the course on the virtuale page)

3. Maulini Andrea, Comunicare la cultura, oggi, Milano, Bibliografica, 2022 (attending students, only pages 9-102; non attending students: whole book).

Teaching methods

Lectures, dialogs, seminars and workshops. In the laboratory sessions, students will work individually, in couples and as a group to prepare promotional and study material, discuss it and share it with the class. Classes will be held in via Barberia and in the ERT theatre sites within the course scheduled time. However, students are requested to consider the possibility that one class may be held in the afternoon, in order to audit at least a rehearsal of the performance that the workshop in theatre promotion and information will focus on.

Assessment methods

Attending students will be assessed based on their participation in class, on the works handed in during the course, and on a final oral exam, concerning the exam bibliography.

Attending students will hand in a dossier with the work made during the course (at least 8 days before the exam date, via email: rossella.mazzaglia@unibo.it; lorenzo.donati16@unibo.it).

Non attending students will be assessed primarily through an oral exam on the bibliographical material. However, they will have to hand in a home assignment in order to be admitted to the oral exam. They are, consequently, requested to get in touch with the teacher by email in order to agree on the form and topic of their assignment at least one month before the oral exam date (emails: rossella.mazzaglia@unibo.it and, in cc., lorenzo.donati16@unibo.it). The deadline to hand the work in is 8 days before the oral exam.

Teaching tools

Audio-visual and online data will be integrated. The e-learning page (virtuale.unibo.it) will be used for sharing materiale and communications with the class.

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Nancy Maria Mazzaglia