Marketing
3 min read

Drawing New Spectators with Theatre Captions: The Intersection of Inclusivity and Opportunity

Every city teems with untapped potential spectators: tourists, expats, or locals with hearing disabilities. Many avoid theaters due to language barriers.

Bring more audience by improving accessibility of your theater shows

Captitles app significantly simplifies the creation of theatre subtitles and supertitles, allowing any theatre to start captioning their shows at almost no cost.
Let's make your theatre grow

In the sanctified realm of theatre, words dance on the precipice between speech and song, holding the power to touch souls, inspire minds, and elevate spirits. Yet, what if those words could be made more accessible, opening doors to a wider, more diverse audience, while securing the financial future of theatre troupes? Enter Captitles, a groundbreaking solution with a promise to not just caption plays but to transform the theatre's outreach entirely.

Uncharted Spectator Potential

Every city teems with untapped potential spectators: tourists, expats, or locals with hearing disabilities. Often, the transient nature of tourists and expats means that they might overlook theatres, fearing language barriers. Captitles alleviates this issue. By integrating captions seamlessly onto the theatre screen, theatres can effectively bridge this linguistic divide. By some estimates, cities that are tourist hotspots could have a latent audience population increase of anywhere between 15% to 30%. That's a significant number of potential ticket sales, particularly for plays that otherwise rely on local patrons.

The Art of Effective Marketing for Theatres

  1. Spotlight on Accessibility: In your marketing materials, whether online or in print, prominently highlight the availability of captions. Visual indicators like the universal symbols for subtitles or hearing impairment can be instantly recognized and appreciated. Tip: add also language(s) you are captioning in, with proper label. Such as "Captioned in English".
  2. Community Collaborations: Partner with organizations that work for the welfare of expats or the hearing impaired. Their newsletters, meetings, or social media channels can be an invaluable platform to spread the word.
  3. Localized Advertisements: Given that tourists are one of your target groups, think of placing ads or promotional materials in tourist hubs, hotels, or even local attractions. A captivating poster showcasing the theatrical experience along with the promise of accessibility can be a game-changer.
  4. Social Media Callouts: Use hashtags relevant to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. Platforms like Instagram or Facebook allow you to target specific demographics. A short video clip demonstrating the captioning feature, for instance, could generate both interest and trust.
  5. Audience Feedback: Encourage spectators who benefited from the captions to share their experiences. Genuine testimonials have a certain authenticity that resonates deeply with potential patrons.

Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion

Theatre has always been a mirror to society, reflecting its multifaceted nature. By incorporating Captitles, theatres don't just introduce captions; they make a profound statement on inclusivity. This gesture conveys that every person, irrespective of linguistic capabilities or auditory faculties, deserves to experience the magic of theatre.

Furthermore, by emphasizing this aspect in marketing campaigns, theatres align themselves with the broader global movement of diversity and inclusion. They become not just venues for performances but spaces of equality, acceptance, and universal love for art.

In Conclusion

The theatre world stands at the cusp of an evolution. Through tools like Captitles, it can weave narratives that resonate with a broader audience, ensuring not just artistic appreciation but also financial sustainability. As Samuel Beckett once remarked, "Words are the clothes thoughts wear." By giving these words the wings of accessibility, we invite a world of spectators to embrace the boundless realm of theatre.

Frequently asked questions:
How can theaters attract a more diverse and international audience?
Theaters can attract a more diverse and international audience by providing seamless captions through tools like the Captitles app, which bridge language barriers and make performances accessible to tourists, expats, and individuals with hearing impairments. By highlighting the availability of captions in marketing materials, partnering with relevant community organizations, and targeting advertisements to tourist hubs, theaters can significantly increase their audience reach and enhance inclusivity.
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