1.1 Introduction
Theatre management refers to the meticulous planning, arranging, and coordinating of several individuals' collaborative efforts to meet the theater's aims (Awodiya, 2001). The main goals of theatre management are to make sure that the material and human resources of the theatre are efficiently integrated to create a standard production and to develop scientifically validated strategies for drawing in sufficient patronage and funding. Thus, the main goal of this research is to assess the difficulties associated with theatre management in Nigeria. Following an analysis of these issues, recommendations for improving theatrical management techniques in Nigeria will be made. The majority of the materials will come from reading, seeing, doing, and interacting with Nigerian theatre management professionals.
This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Theatre management encompasses all non-artistic support tasks required to perform plays and artistic programmes in professional, community, and educational contexts. It falls under the broad category of arts management, which often includes theatrical and other artistic event production, planning, fundraising, managing, marketing, and advertising. It was not customary in the past to refer to those who created and planned theatre productions as arts managers. These individuals came from a variety of backgrounds and essentially had a talent for securing funding and completing tasks, whether it was because they were interested in the arts, were working as artists themselves, or were just motivated by a desire to make money.
In contemporary times, however, as specialization grows, a growing number of graduate-level arts administrators work in large city performing arts complexes, art museums, repertory theatre companies, and other comparable establishments, filling roles and doing highly specialized duties. When they communicate the goals and requirements of an arts organisation to individuals who could be future patrons, subscribers, or contributors, some create brochures, run marketing campaigns, or recruit volunteers. Managers of facilities, box office supervisors, audience reception and fundraising dinner organisers, stage managers and their helpers, and managers handling the artists' housing, transportation, and other requirements are some of the people that oversee real events.
Numerous other people could plan rehearsals and work calls, oversee the writing and design of audience programmes, or even manage an organization's finances and bookkeeping. Individuals can observe a number of positions are required in order to organize an arts event properly.
Therefore, in Kogi State Art Council where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Technical Design as a Challenge in Theatre.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that Nigerian theatre designers have encountered a number of challenges, the most of which stem from the higher education institutions in the nation's acclimatization to theoretical growth at the price of experience and empirical learning. Technical theatre experts have fervently examined and emphasized that inadequate lighting, sound, and makeup equipment in certain postsecondary educational institutions, together with substandard theatrical infrastructure, are the primary reasons of this problem.
Despite these obstacles, technical theatre is still present in almost all Nigerian theatre institutions. Therefore, the problem confronting the research is to appraise the Technical design as a challenge in theatre management using Kogi State Art Council as a reference point in the course of this research.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to appraise the Technical Design Challenge impacting Theatre Management in the study area. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To evaluate the theatre management in the area under study;
- To assess the relevance of theatre management; and
- To present a critique of technical design as a managerial task in theatre.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- How efficient is theatre management in the area under study?
- What is the relevance of theatre management?
- What is the level of challenge of technical design in theatre management?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There are no significant challenges of Technical design in Kogi State Art Council's theatre management
- H1: There are significant challenges of Technical design in Kogi State Art Council's theatre management
1.7 Significance of Study
Researchers will greatly benefit from this study, and non-researchers might utilize it to further their own research endeavours. This work advances knowledge and may function as a model for future research.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the appraisal of Technical design as a challenge in theatre management using Kogi State Art Council as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this research work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this establishment to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
- Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.
1.10 Definition of Terms
Theatre Management:
It refers to the tasks required to present plays and creative programmes in professional, communal, and educational contexts. It falls under the broad category of arts management, which often include staging and other artistic events' creation, planning, financing, managing, marketing, and advertising. It was not customary in the past to refer to those who created and planned theatre productions as arts managers.
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