Samantha
Shulver
Freelance Creative Support Pro in Arts & Entertainment | I will get your to-do-list done | Let's get YOU back to being creative with a capital C!
Theatre
The theatre is where creativity, passion, and precision converge, and I've had the privilege of contributing to this vibrant world as a freelance administrator and lighting / sound board operator. From pre show organisation and occasional backstage chaos to the magic of live performances, I've been a part of numerous theatrical productions, in one way or another, playing a supporting role to many artists, backstage crews, stage managers & directors. Dive into my portfolio to see how my combination of admin & crew skills have added a touch of efficiency to the enchanting world of theatre.
Theatre Productions & Play Wright: Michael Punter
After operating lights for one of Michael's captivating plays a few years back, and having previously worked with the very talented Director, Jane Richardson and actress, Rachel McCarron on the indie film 'Highly Inflammable,' the director approached me with an intriguing proposition: developing a compelling social media campaign for their upcoming theatrical masterpiece. Following a visit to a rehearsal and a deep dive into the script, I eagerly shared my creative concepts. Subsequently, I was entrusted with the responsibility of curating an spellbinding campaign. The objective was to generate buzz for the eagerly anticipated shows at the Etcetera Theatre in Camden and The Stables Theatre, Hastings. I devised a cohesive theme and crafted 20 engaging posts to enhance the online presence and promotion of these theatrical endeavours. My tasks encompassed:
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Creating post ideas for Facebook, using Canva and ClipChamp - video editor (Microsoft) with accompanying text slogans for weekly posts, over a month, leading up to performances
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Increased social media presence
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Increased followers and audience reach in Facebook
Theatre and Arts Centre Members of the Little Theatre Guild of Great Britain and is run entirely by volunteers
Since my enlightening experience at a Stage Management Workshop in 2015, my passion for theatre has been the driving force behind my dedicated volunteer work at The Stables Theatre. From 2016 onward, I've had the privilege of operating lights and sound for numerous captivating productions. In 2022, eager to contribute more to the vibrant theatre community, I reached out to the Chairman. Drawing on my administrative background and unwavering commitment to the backstage arts, I was entrusted with a pivotal role as a bridge between the technical and backstage departments, serving both in-house and incoming productions. My multifaceted responsibilities in this capacity have included:
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Working closely with the Chairman and Heads of Technical/Backstage, attending meetings as required
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Ensure that the in-house & incoming shows/performances have provided the technical data as required in advance using Google drive
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Arranging volunteer sound and lighting board operators for the shows using Google chat.
Ellen Terry Barn Theatre Society
It is always a huge honour to be asked to operate lights for productions at the gorgeous and historic Ellen Terry Barn Theatre which is part of the National Trust, SmallHythe Place.
​Lighting Board Operator for: -
Skerryvore - June 2018
Upingham Hall - July 2018
Midsummer Nights Dream - August 2018
ART - May 2023
Merry Wives of Windsor - August 2023
America Ground - The Musical, Fetch Theatre - Production Assistant
I was super excited to be asked to provide some support on this brand new musical with:
Songs and Lyrics Bob Tipler
Story and script John Knowles
Director Dominique Gerrard (co-direction John Knowles)
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The musical will be performed in Hastings in June 2024 and as you can imagine, there is so much to do when putting on a brand new show! This is where Admin To The Arts can really bridge the gaps of what needs to be done and getting it done, enabling the creatives to fully focus on the job in hand and getting show ready!
Following a phone call and initial chat with the director, there were some adhoc tasks which the writer and co-director needed doing, but just couldn't find the time to do with everything else going on and I was so excited to be of some support to this show.
Tasks included:
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Preparing and sending out contracts to cast and musicians
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Create a promotional letter and send out to schools & colleges
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Collating headshots and bios of cast / musicians and sending over to be added to the website.
Theatre Productions & Play Wright: Ben Randall, Brandalised Productions
Having worked with Ben through my volunteer role at The Stables Theatre and on some other social media packages, I was extremely pleased when he asked if I could help publicise his new play 'Bard Times', with a brief, targeted social media campaign in the two-week lead-up to its debut.
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The campaign reached between 1k to 2.4k plays per post. I thoroughly enjoyed creating and designing four unique slides for eight posts, incorporating music and text to build a simple, engaging social media package.​​
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My brief: To use the title text and the cream and red colour scheme from the flyer. Here’s how I approached it:
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Read the play to get a feel for the story and themes.
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Attended a meeting to discuss campaign goals.
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Collaborated with the writer for insights and approval.
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Designed individual slides and wrote captions in Canva.
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Scheduled eight posts across two weeks leading up to opening night.
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Shared posts in relevant local and regional Facebook groups.
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Offered flexibility by adding extra posts to highlight press coverage as it emerged.
Planning Ahead: This campaign structure is ideal for productions going on tour. The social media posts can easily be adapted for each new venue and set of performance dates, providing a consistent brand presence with ready-to-share slides. Captions can be updated for each location, and there’s even room to add a slide featuring audience reviews and comments!
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The video plays a compilation of the slides. Photos by Peter Mould Stagesnaps
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