PROJECT 1

HCLA’s We Are Fest

An extraordinary exercise in team-building and a community-defining event.

Challenge

After weathering the storm of a pandemic, a corporate acquisition, and two brand changes in three years, the small filmmaking and performing arts school, Hussian College Los Angeles (fka Relativity School & Studio School), was facing a myriad of threats. A downsized recruiting and marketing budget was causing a shrinkage in leads and enrollment numbers; unstable identity and shifting modalities were leading to significant retention problems; cultural issues were simmering between departments as they battled for limited resources within what had always been a siloed departmental structure.

Objective

With collaboration already at the heart of the curriculum across all majors at HCLA, our team aimed to unify stakeholders around a common purpose… to emerge from the volatility of the past in a way that set the stage for long term growth and sustainability. Rather than producing a season of separate production events, as had always been the case, we together would pool our resources and move toward a universal finish line. An objective that would help us learn more about each other across departments, increase our collective visibility, operate more efficiently, and define who we are as a school.

Result

In its first year, HCLA’s new production ritual played host to more that 3,000 audience members, engaged one hundred percent of HCLA students in the collaborative process, and enjoyed broad support amongst the school’s parent and professional community. Visibility and recruitment opportunities increased and, in the subsequent months, retention stabilized. Additionally, significant income was generated, community partnerships were solidified, most significantly with the host venue, and the event was delivered well below the projected budget. Surveys revealed extremely high satisfaction rates amongst participating students, faculty, and audience members.

How does a vision become a reality?

Results by the numbers…