A Coventry charity that creates theatre performances with people of all ages and abilities has been working behind-the-scenes to boost its digital skills.
EGO Performance Company on Cook Street has received free Business Support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce to help its social media play a starring role in its growth plans.
Nicola Cashin, general manager at EGO Performance Company, wanted to take the organisation to new heights on the back of Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021, and sought advice and support on their digital marketing strategy from the Chamber, which operates free Digital Skills training and Business Support on behalf of Coventry City Council.
The advice and support, which is available to Coventry businesses and delivered online by Emma Woodward of Stories Marketing, led to EGO receiving one-to-one advice on how the company could increase the frequency of social media interactions and boost engagement on posts across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and introduce a new Consumer Relationship Management system.
EGO, which is a registered charity, runs theatre workshops for people of all ages and abilities to create original productions. The training has been part of a drive to raise its profile online, with the public, and amongst businesses and arts organisations in the region.
The company was involved in a number of events across the City of Culture year, including Pirates of the Canal Basin, which was performed to sold-out crowds from a temporary pirate ship in Coventry Canal Basin across four evenings in April.
Nicola said: “Our people are at the heart of what we do at EGO, so it’s crucial that they have the skills to make our customer engagement, and the way we do things generally, as effective as possible so that we can spend more time delivering amazing projects with talented people in the region.
“The support we have received has been absolutely faultless and has helped to set the standard for how we want to operate – as an arts organisation of the highest quality.
“We are investing in the future of the company by putting time aside to upskill our team in the hope that this will make us more sustainable and are extremely grateful to Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber for their support in helping us on our way to realising that vision.”
Emma Woodward, of Stories Marketing working on behalf of the Chamber, said: “It is a privilege to be able to offer this kind of support to local businesses working in the culture and arts sector.
“The work that EGO does deserves to be celebrated and allowed to prosper, and we hope that with some guidance they can continue to grow and capitalise on the opportunities that Coventry’s year as City of Culture has brought.
Keely Hancox, Operations Manager at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is great to see businesses of all kinds, including those in the cultural and artistic sectors, making use of the support available to them to help take their businesses and organisations to the next level.
“EGO is a valued member of the cultural community in Coventry and Warwickshire, and we can’t wait to see what this new investment in skills and training will do for them in the near future.”
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has been awarded funds through the Coventry Creative Growth & Cultural Tourism Recovery Programme, funded by the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund which is distributed by the West Midlands Combined Authority and Coventry City Council, to support more creative and cultural organisations across Coventry.
The Chamber will launch a new suite of workshops, focusing on digital marketing, social media and maximising the impact of business websites, as well as a variety of one-to-one support available.
For more information on the workshops please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/ or for one-to-one support please complete our expression of interest form: https://forms.gle/iyCjAvnmQXbr9YBt5
Follow EGO Performance group on Facebook, Twitter (@egoperformance) or Instagram (Egoperformancecompany) for latest news and updates.
Caption: left to right; Nicola Cashin, General Manager at EGO Performance Company with Cheyenne Angliss of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Corinne Robinson, Director at EGO Performance, and Emma Woodward of Stories Marketing