Travel and Tourism students from QE have received an exclusive tour of Darlington Hippodrome to learn more about this important local attraction. The students are currently completing an assignment on how the Hippodrome markets itself to audiences and the visit provided a detailed insight the different methods used by the organisation, including its approaches to branding. Led by Heather Tarren-Jones, Programming and Development Director, and Julian Cound, Marketing Officer, the tour saw students set foot in all areas of the beautifully refurbished building, from the seats and exclusive boxes to stars’ dressing rooms and the old water tower which was used to store water for performances. The group was then able to ask questions to help them with their assignment before sharing their own thoughts on shows they would like to watch with the Hippodrome keen to appeal to the next generation of theatregoers.
Student, Olivia McAllister, comments: ‘Visiting the Hippodrome definitely helped a lot with my understanding of the organisation’. Matthew Tempest says: ‘The tour was incredibly interesting and I’ve been able to develop the answers to my coursework. It was amazing to learn that they used to flood the stage and there were animals swimming!’ William Booth adds: ‘It was great to be in the theatre again and the speakers were really informative’. Julie Vickerman, teacher of Travel and Tourism at QE, concludes: ‘The trip was extremely worthwhile and we’re grateful to the staff for giving up their time to speak with us. Heather and Julian said that our students were very attentive throughout the tour and were a credit to the College’.
