Engaging parents is not just good for business, it’s essential for creating a thriving performing arts community. Our recent survey found that 87% of parents value effective communication from their child’s activity provider. Parents who feel involved and valued become enthusiastic supporters of their children’s growth, advocates for your school, and long-term community members. However, with busy schedules, performing arts instructors and admins need efficient and meaningful ways to connect with parents.
Here are 8 ways performing arts schools can keep parents in the loop and build stronger relationships, encouraging them to bring their children back for more!
1. Regular progress updates
Parents want updates on their child’s growth but catching them for a quick chat after class isn’t always feasible. Sending regular, personalised updates about their progress and key achievements – whether it’s mastering a monologue, improving choreography, or perfecting vocal techniques – will keep parents informed and connected.
Tip: Set expectations early with when you will communicate with parents, if every parent knows they’ll receive a monthly or end-of-term progress report, they’re less likely to ask every week!
Ideas:
- Schedule termly or quarterly parent evenings to review achievements
- Email digital progress reports and include video clips of rehearsals, performances, or solo practice sessions
- Include at-home practice tips such as vocal warm-ups, script memorisation techniques, or stretches
- Remember not everything needs to be practise-related, sending fun games, movies, or plays for children to watch will inspire their interest and excitement. Make sure to emphasise other skills beyond the lessons, such as team-building and confidence skills
How can LoveAdmin’s performing arts software help? Effortlessly send tailored messages to individuals or entire classes with our industry-leading communication tools. Include images, video links, or attachments for scripts, training content, or performance invitations. LoveAdmin lets you post work-in-progress videos, photos, or written feedback in the parent’s personalised online portal – almost like a digital portfolio.
2. Celebrate milestones
Recognising achievements keep both children and parents motivated. Whether it’s landing a lead role, earning a ‘Most Improved Performer’ award, or excelling at a festival, celebrating achievements demonstrates your appreciation for student progress.
Ideas:
- Create themed awards or certificates, like ‘Best Ensemble Member’, ‘Stage Presence Star’, or ‘Most Creative Improvisation’
- Host mid-term ‘Spotlight Sessions’ to showcase students’ recent progress through mini-performances. Invite parents to come and watch!
- Share candid rehearsal photos or videos with parents (with permission)
- Send congratulatory emails when a child lands a role in a play, and invite parents to be the first to buy tickets for the event, or to purchase performance DVDs
What can LoveAdmin do? Set up customisable development programmes with automatic achievement notifications, that send out congratulatory emails when students complete a skill or level. Helping to reduce your admin time while keeping parents up to date!
3. Parent portals
Investing in a parent portal is a great way for parents to stay connected to your school. It can be their one-stop hub for everything from schedules and payments to performance updates and announcements. When parents can self-serve, manage their child’s details, see upcoming classes, and all your school’s communications in one place, it reduces the confusion and minimises the back and forth.
With LoveAdmin, when a customer signs up for one of your classes, it creates them their own account, where they can manage their details, payments, and see upcoming schedules, and communications from your school. It’s easy and simple to use and they can even access your booking site to purchase more from you!
4. Open days, watch weeks, and showcases
Parents love seeing their children in action! It doesn’t need to be a full-scale production, host an informal showcase, or open class that lets parents witness and celebrate their child’s skills and growth.
Ideas:
- Offer a live-streaming option for families who can’t attend in person
- Pair observation days with Q&A sessions to connect parents with instructors. 53% of parents value quality instruction, so introducing your instructors and their approach will build trust and confidence
Streamline event promotion and ticketing with LoveAdmin. We provide you with a branded booking site that lets you manage any event type, from free open days to ticketed performances. Collect payments, capture customer data and consents, and manage attendance seamlessly with our all-in-one platform.
5. Regular newsletters
A monthly or seasonal newsletter is a great way to share updates and news with parents. Sending digital newsletter saves time and money on printing and sending costs, while helping you to track engagement.
What to include?
- Behind-the-scenes glimpses, such as costume fittings, tech rehearsals, or set building
- Updates on upcoming productions, auditions, workshops, or festival opportunities
- ‘Parent Tip of the Month’ to help with home practice or performance prep
- A spotlight on student achievements like ‘Performer of the Month’ or ‘Class of the Month’
- Recaps of recent events like performances or charity showcases
- Announcements about new classes, exams, private coaching slots, or after-school clubs
- A ‘Meet the coaches’ or ‘Staff Spotlight’ section to boost familiarity among parents
- Add links to your socials and booking site to make browsing, booking, and paying a breeze
Remember, not everything has to focus on progression and practice – sharing fun activities, plays, films, or tv shows they can enjoy with friends helps keep their efforts light-hearted and enjoyable!
LoveAdmin’s email builder lets you create artistic email newsletters, along with images, gifs, video links, attachments, your brand colours and so much more. Track engagement metrics to see who opened or clicked on it and how many times!
6. Offer branded merchandise
Parents love to support their children’s activities, and branded merchandise is a great way to foster school spirit while generating extra revenue. Did you know around 73% of parents are interested in purchasing branded merchandise? Get in on the trend!
Ideas:
- Sell T-shirts, tote bags, or hoodies featuring your school’s logo or artistic quotes
- Create limited-edition merchandise for special events, like annual performances or competitions
- Consider offering discounts for multi-item purchases during show seasons or for performance-specific roles
With LoveAdmin, parents can browse and buy merchandise alongside class bookings, or you can invite specific classes or performance groups to browse and purchase exclusive merch. You can even offer multi-purchase discounts or seasonal specials, that automatically apply at checkout, to make it even more attractive.
7. Gather parent feedback
Feedback is vital for growth – and inviting parents to share their insights makes them feel like valued members of your school’s journey. When parents feel heard, they’re more likely to advocate for your school and recommend it to others.
Remember you can’t please everyone, and it’s best to set boundaries so parents know they’re not involved in decision-making processes.
Ideas:
- Send post-performance or end-of-term surveys to gather feedback on events, communication, or instruction.
- Use surveys to evaluate potential new offerings. If there’s demand for new class or event type, then fill it!
With LoveAdmin, you can distribute survey links via the group communication tool, or set up an automatic notification to send out a survey link following a trial or event. Easy track who’s open and clicked on the link, so you know who to resend to for maximise engagement.
8. Social media shout-outs
Social media is a great way to celebrate student milestones and build community engagement.
Ideas:
- Show student achievements through ‘Spotlight Posts’, and sharing videos or photos of their progress
- Host ‘Behind-the-Scenes Days’ with fun rehearsal moments or instructor insights
- Collaborate with families for interactive challenges, like family skits or choreography contests.
- Tag parents to make them feel part of the celebration and use hashtags to extend your school’s reach
Pro Tip: Always secure consent for photos or videos, and ask parents for their social handles to maximise engagement. With LoveAdmin, you can collect any customer information you need, from photography and videography consent, to asking parents for their social media handles, or getting them to agree to your social media policy.
Performing arts education is about more than just technique – it’s about fostering creativity, confidence, and collaboration. Engaged parents are essential allies in this, helping to build a vibrant and supportive school community. By implementing these strategies, you’ll strengthen relationships with parents and ensure they remain excited and invested in their child’s artistic journey.
LoveAdmin’s performing arts software makes communications, event management, and engagement effortless. Want to learn how we can elevate your performing arts school? Get started today.
Currently a LoveAdmin customer? Read our blog on the 10 LoveAdmin comms features you need to know about and use
