[中] [ENG]後疫情時代的超前部署國家兩廳院：以藝術推廣建立與觀眾的連結

文：黃馨儀

國家兩廳院於1987年落成，為台灣表演藝術劇場指標性場館，兼容台灣內外大型製作與實驗性展演。在節目策劃之外，藝術推廣與會員經營等公共溝通也是兩廳院的重點工作，此兩項目長年的經營，也在疫情期間為兩廳院維持穩定的觀眾能量。

嚐劇場《韓德爾先生，您好！》親子說故事（2022）Bon Appétit Theatre's Hello, Mr.Handel! Story Tme for Kids (2022)（照片由兩廳院提供 Photo provided by the National Theater and Concert Hall）

目前兩廳院下設八個部門，分別負責節目企劃、演出技術、業務發展、公共溝通等業務。其中公共溝通部涵蓋公關、行銷、會員與藝術推廣等四個組別，是廳院對外溝通的主要部門，不僅面對買票觀眾，也會面對進到場館的民眾，涵蓋面相廣泛。公關組主責議題、媒體與品牌操作；行銷組則是專營節目銷售。會員組對應到經營兩廳的核心觀眾，以會員制直接和會員產生互動。藝術推廣組主要透過教育推廣的方式，進行觀眾開發，試圖去跟最多的觀眾接觸，讓更多人可以接觸表演藝術。

除了觀眾觸及，兩廳院也是希望逐步推進、進行觀眾養成。現任公關組組長，並曾為藝術推廣組組長的蔡宛凌表示公共溝通部的工作是層層的銜接和洗選，維持不同的群眾黏著需求：「有些人參加完活動可能對節目產生興趣，進而成為節目觀眾；有些則不一定想看節目，但會透過參與周邊活動、使用圖書館等，與場館保持某種程度的關係，而某些人或許會成為忠實會員。」

表演藝術圖書館 NTCH Performing Arts Library ／攝 photo：丰宇影像 YUCHEN CHAO Photography（照片由兩廳院提供 Photo provided by the National Theater and Concert Hall）

蔡宛凌於2015年進入兩廳院任職，進入較新成立的教育推廣部活動組。而後經過幾次組織改制，2020年藝術推廣業務與表演藝術圖書館業務結合，成立藝術推廣組，希望能連結圖書館資源，成為民眾認識表演藝術的渠道，更專注於分眾推廣與圖書館經營。

對宛凌而言，分眾推廣目的不在分別民眾：「我們知道每個年齡層或族群，習慣接觸藝術的方式或是內容多少有所不同，因此針對該年齡層或族群，希望找到最合適的方式跟他們溝通。尤其對沒有接觸過表演藝術的民眾，要怎樣進到表演藝術的世界裡面？」

目前藝術推廣的對象上分為親子、學生、樂齡三大族群，同時也回應台灣文化部所推行的文化平權理念。兩廳院從疫情前就開始工作文化平權與共融概念，不管是節目類型或是場館設施，都一直在創造能使不同族群進到廳院的方式。最近更以成為永續共融場館為目標，思考怎樣可以讓藝術文化場館能更好、更持續地發展下去。在過去的實踐累積之下，疫情反倒成為一個學習的機會，讓兩廳院更能有彈性去關注社會變化與脈動，也迅速因應疫情做調整。

2020年初，台灣開始受到新冠肺炎影響，並於2021年5月開始近三個月的封城，在2022年開始與疫情共處，進入後疫情時期。面對疫情對於表演藝術界的衝擊，兩廳院亦首當其衝，然而卻也因為多年的會員經營與藝術推廣累積，雖然增加推票難度，但初步來看，並沒有直接造成觀眾樣貌的大幅變化。

兩廳院《感覺超能力親子音樂課》Parent child music lessons（由兩廳院提供 Photo provided by the National Theater and Concert Hall）

談及疫情的影響，蔡宛凌覺得還可再持續觀察，以蒐集更多數據。即使疫情對產業衝擊很大，但台灣現在也才進入疫情後的第一年，無法具體看出後續變化。台灣現階段的許多討論都仍對應著疫情前的狀態在進行，但到底我們可不可以回到疫情前？蔡宛凌引用總監劉怡汝的話：「世界的劇場已經不一樣，經歷過疫情、戰爭、種族與性別覺醒的種種運動之後，身為劇場一分子的大家都知道，我們再也沒有『疫情前』的劇場可以回去了；或者，可以更精確地這麼說：我們不打算『回去』了。我們回不去是因為心變大，看世界也不一樣了。邀請大家跟我們一起看世界，跟我們迎接下一個更美好的世界！」

而在藝術推廣的現場也是如此，細數這幾年的實踐經驗，藝術推廣對於蔡宛凌而言不僅有觀眾觸及的目的，更是建構觀眾與表演藝術關係的重要方式：「假設我們觸及到的是第一次接觸表演藝術的觀眾，那我們在做的這件事情就會是他們接觸的印象。他們怎麼認識這件事情、從哪一條路徑進來，會影響這些人怎麼跟表演藝術維持關係。」

因此，藝術推廣組的活動設計著重在後續影響的發酵，並依據實踐的觀察，每兩年調整一次策略方向。以樂齡族群來說，起初以工作坊為主要方式，讓大家來認識朋友與學習。後來則希望打破既定參與的群體、讓其他社區的長者也能參與，所以有了OUTREACH計畫，開始走出兩廳院辦理活動。之後又因為發現長者對青年世代的好奇，有溝通交流的想法，2020年起有了青銀有約與青銀共創的設計，讓長者與青年能藉由劇場活動深刻討論議題。

保持開放、回應社會，作為台灣代表場館的兩廳院，將以此態度，持續作為創作者與民眾的橋樑、推廣藝術、觸及群眾，穩健面對後疫情時代的來臨。

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黃馨儀

德國羅斯托克音樂與戲劇學院，戲劇教育碩士；國立臺灣大學中國文學系學士。現為應用劇場工作者與評論人。2015年回台後，持續以戲劇作為媒介，接觸群眾、開啟對話，探索自身與周邊議題。'

Planning for the Future in the Post-COVID Era

National Theater and Concert Hall: Connecting with Audiences through Art Promotion

Text: Huang Shin-yi

Translator: Laura Chan

Completed in 1987, the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH) is the key venue for performing arts in Taiwan, staging large-scale productions and experimental work from both Taiwan and overseas. In addition to programme planning, the NTCH gives high priority to art promotion and membership management, something which helped to keep audience numbers stable during the pandemic.

「廳院學計劃」在新北市林口國民中學的當代音樂課 NTCH Open School programme in New Taipei Municipal Linkou Junior High School/ 攝photo：周嘉慧（照片由兩廳院提供 Photo provided by the National Theater and Concert Hall）

The NTCH has eight departments. Among them are Programming & International Development, Technical Management, Business Development and Communications. The Communications Department covers four areas: public relations, marketing, membership and outreach, and is the NTCH’s main channel of external liaison. The Public Relations Section handles public affairs, media and branding, while the Marketing Section handles programme sales. The Membership Management Section interacts with audiences through membership schemes, while the ArtReach Section seeks to develop new audiences through education and outreach, and to expose as many people as possible to the performing arts.

Thus, in addition to connecting with existing audiences, the NTCH aims to gradually nurture new audiences. Tsai Wan-ling, Director of Public Relations and former Director of ArtReach, says that the Communications Department uses a variety of elements to serve the needs and encourage the loyalty of different audience groups. “Some might become interested in our programmes after attending an event, some are not interested in performances and would rather maintain a bond with the venue through going to other events and visiting the library, while others become loyal members.”

Tsai started her career at NTCH in 2015, when she became part of the newly-established Education and Events Section. After several restructurings, in 2020 the art promotion team merged with the library of performing arts to form the ArtReach Section, using the library as a means of outreach and focusing on segment promotion and library development.

To Tsai, segmentation does not mean differentiating between sections of the public. “Different age or cultural groups have different approaches in terms of interacting with art, and therefore we want to find the most suitable way to communicate with each of them. How can we best help people to discover the world of performing arts, especially those who have never experienced it?”

「廳院學計劃」在新北市林口國民中學的當代音樂課 NTCH Open School programme in New Taipei Municipal Linkou Junior High School/ 攝photo：周嘉慧（照片由兩廳院提供 Photo provided by the National Theater and Concert Hall）

Currently the target audience can be divided into three groups: parents and children, students and senior citizens, which also matches the Taiwan Cultural Department’s emphasis on cultural equality. Before the pandemic the NTCH had already started to work on cultural equality and inclusivity, and made efforts to ensure different groups were able to enjoy its programmes and facilities. Recently, they have been working on the goal of becoming a more sustainable and inclusive venue moving forward. The pandemic became a learning opportunity, making the departments more flexible in observing and responding to social trends and community needs and making adjustments quickly .

Taiwan has been affected by COVID-19 since early 2020 and had a 3-month-lockdown in spring 2021, finally entering the post-pandemic period in 2022. Although the NTCH felt the impact of the pandemic, due to its robust membership base and many years of art promotion, despite initial challenges in terms of ticket sales, its audience landscape was largely unaffected.

Tsai feels that more data will have to be gathered before the real effect of the pandemic on the industry can be determined, as Taiwan has just entered its first post-COVID year and it is not yet possible to get a clear picture. Many ongoing discussions in Taiwan are still based on pre-pandemic experiences, but is it possible to go back in time? Tsai quotes NTCH’s artistic director Liu Yi-ru, “The world’s theatres are no longer the same after all the upheavals brought about by the pandemic, war, and ethnic and gender awakening movements. As part of the industry we all know that there is no longer a “pre-pandemic” theatre for us to go back to, and we are not going back anyway. Our hearts have grown bigger and our horizons broader and we see the world differently. We invite everyone to see the world with us and welcome a better world together.”

表演藝術圖書館 NTCH Performing Arts Library／攝 photo：丰宇影像 YUCHEN CHAO Photography（照片由兩廳院提供 Photo provided by the National Theater and Concert Hall）

The same thinking applies to art promotion. Reflecting on the experiences of the past few years, Tsai feels that the goal of art promotion is not only to boost audience numbers, but also to build the public’s relationship with the performing arts. “What we do affects the first impression of the performing arts for those who are new to them, and in turn their future relationship with the performing arts.”

With this in mind, the ArtReach Section designs its events with a focus on making a long lasting impact on the audience, and adjusts its strategies every two years based on what it observes. For example, workshops set up for elderly people were originally intended for them to meet their friends and learn about the arts. Later, participation was expanded to include elderly people from other communities in order to broaden the mix of participants. This developed into the OUTREACH programme. Eventually it became apparent that the elderly were curious about the younger generation and wanted to have contact with them. As a result, starting in 2020 Intergenerational projects were designed for elderly and young people to have in-depth discussions through participating in theatre activities together.

As Taiwan’s iconic venue, NTCH continues to be open and responsive to society. It acts as a bridge between creators and the public, promotes art and connects with audiences while moving forward in the post-pandemic era.

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Huang Shin-yi

Huang Shin-yi graduated with a Master of Theatre Education from Rostock University of Music and Theatre in Germany and a Bachelor of Chinese Literature from National Taiwan University. She is now an applied theatre worker and commentator. Since her return to Taiwan in 2015, she has continued to use drama as a medium to reach the public, initiate dialogue, and explore herself and social issues.