Brandeis Arts Engagement

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Building an Audience

First Steps

Consult the Brandeis Events Calendar to make sure your event does not conflict with any similar events, and to see what locations are already reserved.
Define your event. Come up with a creative and appealing title and description.
Clarify the content. Not everyone knows what a semester show is, for example. Keep your description short and lively and accessible.
Who is your target audience? Define who would be most interested and likely to attend. Invite a department, program or club to co-sponsor the event to broaden the circle of interest.

Get the Word Out

Once you have confirmed your date, time, and location, submit your event announcement to:

arts@brandeis.edu
The Brandeis Events Calendar
news@brandeis.edu, with a link to your event website
Your academic department
Departments and programs with related interests. Consider inviting them to be a co-sponsor.
Arts and culture clubs. The Clubs website lists contact information for club leaders to whom you can send an email for wider distribution.

Word of mouth is one of the best ways to get people to attend your event. If everyone is talking about it, then it must be something worth attending. A preview in The Justice or Hoot, social media and posters will all help inform people of your event and get people noticing, but how do you get people to talk about and attend your event?

Get moving. Create a short preview performance and tour the campus. Sing in the dining hall or dance in the campus center. The unexpected will get people talking.
Tag #BrandeisUniversity, #Brandeis and #Waltham in your social media posts. Use Brandeis University as your location.
Be sure to include the words Brandeis University on all your publicity, so that off-campus people know where to go. View the Brandeis logo and usage guidelines.
Hold a post-event reception or talkback and ask a department or club to co-sponsor.
Build alliances! It can't be said enough that working with other groups, departments and organizations will get more people involved and spread the word.

Reach the Media

Have you written a press release describing the event? Look at news stories by the Office of Communications for guidance.
Ask the Office of Communications to help you get the word out or to find an appropriate outlet for an op-ed piece. Contact news@brandeis.edu.
Have you notified The Justice or The Hoot? E-mail your press release or a description to the arts editors and suggest a newsworthy perspective on your event.
Have you notified WBRS, the campus radio station? They may be able to do a preview or livestream of your event.
Is the event a photo opportunity? Will it be useful to have a record of it? Consider creating a photo for marketing and media use. The Justice or The Hoot may be able to run a photo if it can't offer you full feature coverage.

Creating Printed and Digital Materials

Distributing Printed Materials

The mailroom, located in the basement level of the Usdan Student Center, can distribute materials to staff and faculty mailboxes. Call 781-736-4530 for more information.
Have you contacted the student arts clubs? They maintain mailboxes on the second floor of the Shapiro Campus Center.
Who are the key opinion shapers, faculty and administrators you want to invite? The president? The provost? The dean? Even if they are unable to attend, they will be interested in your project.
To post flyers in the Shapiro Campus Center and Usdan Student Center, you must get them stamped at the Shapiro information desk. Your flyer must include a recycling logo.
Goldfarb Library maintains bulletin boards of arts information in the Creative Arts Library.
Can faculty help? Is there a specific class that might enjoy attending? Is this event significant enough that you want to request a class announcement or ask the faculty to distribute flyers? Search the Faculty Guide to find professors in related areas.
Can Community Living help? Ask your CA about organizing a group from your residence hall to attend your event. If your event is not free, offer a group discount.