Website captures all the drama of stunning new Marlowe Theatre project
Howard Lake | 6 May 2009 | News
Sagittarius Marketing has created a dramatic new website to support the launch of a £6 million fund-raising appeal for Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre development.
The website, www.newmarlowetheatre.org.uk, is at the heart of one of the biggest ever performing arts projects in the South East.
Kent-based Sagittarius Marketing was commissioned to undertake the project by Canterbury City Council after winning a three-way pitch.
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Sagittarius’ Director of Digital, Nick Towers, said: “The New Marlowe Theatre development is bold, modern and fresh so we wanted to create a website that reflected this and would capture all the excitement and emotion of the project.
“We decided to take visitors on an interactive, documentary-style journey through the project’s progress, from start to finish and beyond.
“As well as being the primary source of information about the project, its progress and the fund-raising campaign, the website includes a 3D interactive tour of the new-look theatre; an animated film clip showing the modern new building rising from the Marlowe’s foundations; and video clips of stars such as Orlando Bloom talking about their passion for the project and why they are supporting it.”
The website also shows visitors how they can play their part, with tips on organising fund-raising events and information on how to donate, and offers the chance to enter competitions and sign up for regular newsletters to follow the development’s progress.
A blog spot will feature the thoughts of those involved in the project, including developers, Canterbury City Council and Marlowe Theatre management, and theatre-lovers will be able to book tickets and keep in touch through an events calendar with forthcoming Marlowe productions, which are to be staged at alternative venues across the county while the old building is closed.
The website also takes a nostalgic look back at some of the Marlowe Theatre’s greatest performances and gives visitors the chance to share their own memories of the venue.
Celia Glynn-Williams, Assistant Head of Culture and Communications at Canterbury City Council, said: “We set Sagittarius Marketing a challenging task as the site needed to bring together the three different but vital strands of this great project – the fund-raising appeal designed to encourage people to support the new theatre; the Marlowe Theatre and the productions it will be staging while the theatre is closed; and the information about the building work as it progresses.
“We hope it will encourage individuals, businesses and schools to stay in touch, get involved and donate money so that, together, we can make this fantastic vision a reality.”
Celia added: “We wanted the website to have a real wow factor, reflecting the clean, modern design of the new building itself. It needed to be friendly and easy to navigate, provide a comprehensive overview of the development and show all the wonderful benefits and opportunities the new theatre will offer.
“We commissioned Sagittarius Marketing because they have an excellent reputation for producing entertaining, captivating and compelling website experiences and they’ve done a fantastic job. The New Marlowe Theatre website is engaging and informative and promotes a real sense of pride in what is a very innovative project.”
For further information about digital services, visit www.sagittarius-digital.com, call 08450 553883 or email
ju***@sa*****************.com
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Notes to editors:
Sagittarius Marketing is an award-winning full-service advertising and marketing agency, providing a comprehensive portfolio of services to local, regional and national clients. Sagittarius Marketing has worked with a diverse range of clients for 30 years from the public and private sectors, including travel and tourism, inward investment and regeneration, publishing, motorsport and insurance. Sagittarius Marketing offers clients a myriad of services, including marketing strategy and planning, creative and design, interactive and digital marketing, print management, event management and direct mail.
Sagittarius Marketing has recently launched Sagittarius Digital to recognise 15 years of digital services, from website design and build, search marketing (search engine optimisation and pay-per-click) and online advertising to social media planning, and targeted email and viral marketing.
The £25.6m New Marlowe Theatre project is one of the most ambitious arts development projects taking place in the South East. It will include a new three-tier, 1,200-seat main auditorium, a second ‘producing and performing’ space and enhanced public areas, including a foyer, restaurants and bars, a riverside walk and city-centre piazza, creating new opportunities for outdoor performances and exhibitions. The Marlowe Theatre is one of the region’s major cultural businesses, with a gross turnover of more than £5m per year. Almost 300,000 tickets are sold each year for its 400 performances and audiences have grown 40% during the past 10 years.
A selection of images is available on request – contact Edwards Harvey PR.
Press contacts:
Leah Taylor / Jeff Sims at Edwards Harvey PR. Tel: 01622 604600 or email:
le*********@ed***********.com
/
je*******@ed***********.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.