Friday 28 June, 2pm – 3:30pm (Online)
BFI FAN Members from across the UK are invited to join this special Open Session from the REACH: Strategic Audience Development programme.
About the session
Yi Wang, Director of Queer East and Joan Parsons, Head of Culture and Arts at Queen’s University Belfast, will be presenting case studies on how they have successfully developed audiences through Branding and Memberships respectively.
Queer East, established in 2020, has quickly created an effective brand presence for their festival that has helped them nurture an impressive audience from scratch. Yi will talk us through what inspired his approach to brand-building and how it has continued to develop as the festival has grown.
Joan Parsons will be joining us to provide details on how Queen’s Film Theatre created its membership offer. QFT has grown its membership over the last few years, helping drive revenue and acting as a vital tool in audience development. We’ll look at their methodology and how membership data helps guide repeat attendance.
Running during 2024, normally for a closed group of selected participants, REACH: Strategic Audience Development is a workshop-based, project-driven training programme for BFI Film Audience Network members who want to build on their expertise in growing and diversifying audiences.
Book your place
This session will take place online via Zoom. It will be recorded, so if you are unable to attend the event live, the recording will be shared with all registrants shortly after the event.
Speakers
Yi Wang
Director, Queer East Festival
Yi Wang is the Founder, Director and Programmer of Queer East, a London-based festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities, exploring notions of what it means to be queer and Asian today. He also works as a cultural and creative producer in performing arts with primary interests in marginalised voices and intercultural productions. Yi Wang has been a jury member for festivals such as Iris Prize, MIX Copenhagen, and Taiwan Women Make Waves Film Festival and has delivered occasional lectures and panels about festival programming and queer cinema for various institutions and festivals.
Joan Parsons
Head of Culture and Arts, Queen’s University Belfast
Joan Parsons is an experienced cinema professional with over 20 years of work in the cinema sector, across all operational roles and in more recent years working in senior leadership positions. Currently Head of Culture and Arts for Queen’s University Belfast, Joan leads Queen’s Film Theatre, Naughton Gallery and Film Hub NI teams while developing wider cultural projects and engagement plans. Joan has successfully delivered financial and cultural excellence and has organised and delivered significant UK-wide partnership projects.
Eligibility
This training event is open to all BFI FAN members. Not a member? It’s free and easy to join.
Bursary support
If you would like to apply for additional support to attend (whether towards the cost of your fees, childcare or other) you may be eligible for a bursary from your Film Hub.
