Case Studies

Shakespeare UNDER THE STARS
A system-level intervention within a regional council

This project is presented as an example of how I work within complex systems:

When I stepped into the role of Manager Performing Arts at Southern Grampians Shire, the system was fragmented and underperforming.

Audience attendance was inconsistent and often extremely low.
Subscriptions were declining.
Marketing was ineffective.
The schools program was operating at a loss and under threat of cancellation.

Internally, there was little alignment.
Different units within Council operated in isolation, with no clear mechanism for collaboration.

At the same time, Council held a separate ambition:
to create a major, regionally distinctive event that could drive tourism and increase visitation.

A previous attempt had failed.
As a result, staff had become risk-averse – reluctant to pursue anything ambitious or outside the walls of the performing arts centre.

What I Saw

Rather than treating these as separate issues, I recognised them as parts of the same system.

I could see that:

• audience behaviour, marketing, and programming were interconnected
• internal silos were limiting what was possible
• community groups were disengaged, but capable of meaningful contribution
• there was no shared sense of ownership across the system

I also identified a key structural opportunity:

The absence of a pre-sale culture was creating uncertainty across every level of planning and delivery.
Shifting this behaviour could stabilise and strengthen the entire system.

More broadly, I could see the potential to design something that would:

• connect internal teams
• engage the community
• activate local businesses
• increase participation
• and reposition the region externally

What I Designed

I developed a unifying concept:

Shakespeare Under The Stars

Not as a standalone event, but as a system-level intervention.

The concept allowed multiple goals to be addressed simultaneously.

I structured it to:

• operate across multiple Council units (Performing Arts, Parks & Gardens, Works, Marketing, OH&S)
• involve local community groups as contributors, not just audiences
• integrate local food and wine businesses into the experience
• build a long-term partnership with the Australian Shakespeare Company
• support and promote the broader performing arts program

Critically, I designed the project to be community-led.

Before any formal planning, I held a public event at the performing arts centre.
Through a structured, game-based process, the community selected Shakespeare as part of the upcoming program.

This created:

• ownership
• anticipation
• and early engagement

What followed was not a top-down event, but something the community felt they had chosen.

What Was Activated

The project became a platform for coordinated action across the system.

• Council units that had previously operated independently began working together
• Community groups contributed directly (including the creation of 600 hand-knitted roses for audiences)
• Local businesses were integrated into the experience through food and wine offerings
• Audiences were engaged earlier, through pre-sale strategies and shared ownership

At the same time, broader changes were implemented across the performing arts program:

• a shift toward pre-sale culture
• improved marketing approaches based on direct engagement
• strengthened partnerships with external organisations

What Changed

The impact extended beyond the event itself.

• Shakespeare Under The Stars sold out via pre-sale in its second year
• Annual subscriptions to the performing arts centre doubled in the first year
• Audience behaviour shifted from last-minute purchasing to early commitment
• The schools program moved from loss to profitability and long-term partnership
• Internal collaboration across Council increased significantly
• Community perception shifted – from scepticism to pride and ownership

What began as a single initiative became a catalyst for broader systemic change.

The Pattern

This project reflects a consistent way of working:

• identifying latent connections within complex systems
• designing a unifying concept that aligns multiple objectives
• activating stakeholders across different layers of the system
• shifting behaviour through structure, not instruction
• creating outcomes that extend beyond the original intervention

The result is not just a successful project, but a system that operates differently afterwards.

More case studies coming soon.