In an era where even Loehmann’s (THE original discount ladies clothing store w/famously-communal dressing rooms, spent many Saturday afternoons there with my mom as a child) has a Facebook page, you know it’s hard to get through to your network of supporters, much less engage them.
But giving folks a chance to go beyond — whether behind the scenes, after the show or standing in the shoes of — is a great way to do just that. Here are two great examples:
==> Behind the scenes: As a long-ago member of New York’s American Museum of Natural History, I was invited to participate in a behind-the-scenes tour of the entomology (bugs) department.
It was incredibly compelling, and gave me a real understanding of what it takes to find, research and exhibit the incredible shows at the museum. The research side of the institution is something the public is largely unaware of, and this was a powerful way to show how an exhibit evolves.
I renewed my membership for several years thereafter.
==> After the show: My husband and I see many experimental performances in the Peak Perfs series at a local university.
The performances frequently raise questions (and consciousness) and are often complemented by a live discussion with performers and/or director directly after the performance, continued online for a month or so.
Those opportunities ensure that we keep thinking about what we saw, and Peak Perfs! We renew our series year over year.
How does your organization open up your “behind the scenes” to your network? Please share your experiences in Comments. Thanks!
Behind the scenes is a proven method of increasing engagement, so if you’re not doing anything along these lines why not experiment with a test program this fall?
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