Welsh film exhibitors focus their business vision

Led by Mustard Studio, this invaluable development programme was designed to help Welsh exhibitors focus their audiences, project their brands and build sustainable businesses. 

The Call Sheet

Torch Theatre
Established in 1977, Milford Haven’s Torch Theatre is one of only three building-based producing theatres in Wales, offering more than 2,000 events and activities to over 100,000 people every year. The arts centre includes a 300-capacity theatre space, a 102-capacity studio theatre and cinema screen, an art gallery and a café, making it a focal point for communities across Pembrokeshire to enjoy drama, comedy, live music, dance, pantomime, opera and of course, film.

Kotatsu Festival 
Created by Eiko Meredith, Kotatsu Festival launched in 2010 at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre to bring the best in Japanese animation and culture to a new audience. As well as a vibrant variety of animated short and feature films, the annual festival hosts stalls and activities that showcase Japanese culture and create a fun and friendly atmosphere for anime fans young and old.  

Mustard Studio
Mustard Studio is a brand and marketing company specialising in services for the film and cinema industry. Co-founder Mandy Kean ran the revered Electric Cinema Portobello in London, and Kate Gerova managed the Curzon Cinemas’ brand. Using their expertise and skills, they offer business development and sustainability, audience growth, and brand development services to companies. 

How it started

Kotatsu Festival and Torch Theatre embarked on an in-depth programme of business development to help them expand their audience and increase their revenue, each led by a dedicated member of the Mustard Studio team. Kate and Mandy worked with the exhibitors to identify, define and communicate their brand and culture. 

Branding workshops focussed on the business’ vision and voice, how they communicate that through their content, and the audiences to whom they want to tell their story. By identifying their culture, the organisations then established their vision, mission and values, and explored how to define them internally, as well as communicate them externally.

How it’s going

Through the development programme, Torch and Kotatsu have: 

• Created a strategic business vision
• Gained a better understanding of how to communicate their brand and culture
• Developed a strategy document with clearer goals, objectives and Key Performance Indicators.

These strategic goals included: 

• Developing a cinema programme as an integral part of a wider offer
• Revaluating membership schemes
• Learning to live the values of the organisation. 

Each goal was given a success factor and a strategy for achieving them, to help the organisations plan and measure their progress. Perhaps most importantly, the programme afforded the exhibitors time to think and provided a creative space to discuss ideas.

“The Strategic Business Vision programme exceeded our expectations,” said Chelsey Gillard from Torch. “As the process developed it became very bespoke and focused on our needs. We were able to undertake deep work in focused areas with expert guidance.”

Kotatsu Festival’s Eiko Meredith agreed. “It was beyond my expectation. Mandy really helped us to identify the potential areas we can improve to increase our income. It was useful to have support to identify our weaknesses and strengths; listing them up and working out the solutions; logical understanding and different perspectives to see how we can move forward from now on.”

The next reel

Both exhibitors are now looking ahead to a new act in their organisation’s story, with a detailed forward plan mapping out their business and audience development activity for the next three years.

“We have a list of everything we are hoping to achieve and improve until 2028,” says Eiko. “We can use this as a set goal and carry on what we are doing. It is great to have something solid, so we know where we stand.”

Chelsey adds: “We have come away with a clear strategy with action points, which we have been sharing with our colleagues. It's a full programme of development that can be adapted as we progress, and needs may change.”

Mandy from Mustard says: “Working with Kotatsu and Torch has been an inspiring process. Their commitment to growing their audiences while staying true to their identities has been fantastic to see. This programme was about more than just business development - it was about giving exhibitors the tools and confidence to shape their future.”

Ffilm Cymru Wales’ Chief Executive Lee Walters adds: “Ffilm Cymru Wales were delighted to work with Mustard Studio on the Strategic Business Vision programme. It has been inspiring to see the work achieved to date, and look forward to seeing Kotatsu and Torch put their plans into action.”