Wee Stories worked with consultant Abigail Carney on the Ambition Approach journey. It included a digital audit, a workshop day for Board and staff to identify the possibilities and priorities for digital development of the company, a business case for future development, culminating with an application to the Make:IT:Happen organisational development fund.
The Ambition Approach process complemented our organisational review in helping the company to move away from fire-fighting and look at potential future developments. We have already developed our digital capacity, for example creating a standalone temporary website for the run of One Giant Leap as part of the Made in Scotland programme at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, and improving how we communicate with our audiences via social media.
Wee Stories’ application for Ambition Approach support stemmed from an organisational review looking at how (and if) the company could be sustainable on a project-funded basis. The review had already identified that the creative team’s desire to create cross-generational work for children from 8 up and adults is not served well by the existing “Wee Stories” brand originally created for work for younger children. The Board therefore agreed that an additional brand / name should be developed to identify and promote the scale and age suitability of work for older children, young people and adults, whilst maintaining the Wee Stories name and brand for work for children aged 8 and under. The Ambition Approach process enabled the company to identify how digital might support this brand and organisational development process.
The aim is to develop a new online presence comprising website and social media, supported by a new project and data management system, which
- reflects and communicates the quality and reputation of the company’s work
- reaches and engages more promoters and audiences
- promotes and sells the company beyond Scotland to the rest of the UK and abroad
- drives more audiences to a live theatre experience
- supports a more resilient organisational model developing the company’s business overall
The Ambition workshop day enabled Board and staff to identify the company’s digital development needs and its stakeholder groups.
The Ambition consultant and Wee Stories’ producer worked together to produce a business case for future development in four main areas: brand development, online development, project management and a sustainability plan. The business case includes the ‘story so far’, an analysis of the context, a risk assessment and a schedule. It formed the basis of a technical specification which was sent to developers for comment and indicative pricing. This then enabled us to submit an application to the Make:IT:Happen organisational development strand.