Norwich Theatre’s corporate community is as diverse as the shows on our stages. We work with many amazing businesses from a variety of sectors, from solicitors and financial planners right through to those working in the creative industries. One of those creative companies is Nu Image, a digital marketing agency based in Norwich.
Our Business Development Manager, Lauren Farley, chatted to Nicole Howes from the organisation to find out what the organisation does, why they became a corporate member and the thriving arts scene in Norwich.
Tell us about yourself and Nu Image, and the work you do?
Hey, I’m Nicole. I am the co-owner of Nu Image, a digital agency in Norwich, which I run alongside my husband, Ian. We are about to enter our 16th year in the industry, so you may have seen us kicking about.
We are a full-service agency, which means we offer design, development, digital marketing and offline advertising – all from our studio on Thorpe Road. Basically, if you are looking to grow your business, sell online or just get your name out there to reach new people, then that’s our bag.
We pride ourselves on being an approachable bunch, and whilst we happily work alongside some great national and international organisations, our favourites are ALWAYS Norfolk-based businesses (shhh… don’t tell the others). The simple reason being that we love to really get to know the people we are supporting. We are big fans of being able to visit clients or have them swing by for an impromptu cuppa and a catch-up.
The other cool part of working primarily in the Norfolk area is the sense of community. When our clients experience growth as a result of the work we carry out, we get to experience it first-hand, whether that’s spotting more of their vans on the road, seeing them expand into new offices or hearing their business mentioned in passing.
Why did Nu Image decide to become a Norwich Theatre Member?
For the same reason, we make so many of our decisions… nostalgia. I have always loved the theatre. As a child, I had the opportunity to perform on the Norwich Theatre Royal stage a few times and remember having the run of the building in between performances. For me, it has always been such a big part of Norwich and the community.
It wasn’t until we became Corporate Members, though, that I began to fully appreciate how much the team at the Norwich Theatre Royal support and give back to local groups and supports individuals through the arts.
Why do you think it is important to support the local arts community?
The arts have always had a way of enhancing and connecting communities. The arts scene in Norwich is thriving thanks to the presence of organisations such as the Theatre, NUA and The Sainsbury Centre. As a creative organisation ourselves, it is important that we support these entities to allow the work they do to be felt by those who may not find the arts easily accessible and to ensure that they are able to stick around for future generations.
Why is it important that your staff have access to creative wellbeing?
‘Keeping it balanced’ is a core value of our company, our staff all have a lot of responsibility day to day, and it is important that we encourage and support them to keep the balance right between downtime and work. For us, that means overtime is a rarity, family and friends are priorities, and access to arts is available. Social prescribing (or arts on referral) is recognised by the NHS to improve wellbeing and reduce reliance on GP consultations, so for us as a business, creative wellbeing has to make up part of our offering.
What has been your favourite show you have seen so far?
Chicago was great. That said, I always love attending the Panto at Christmas with our children and the grandparents in tow. It’s the pull of nostalgia again! There is just something so nice about the theatre at Christmas time. Everyone is there simply to have a great night, the cast is always spot on (Joe Tracini in particular), and the children just love it.
It’s a formula that really hasn’t changed through the generations, and I always leave with a smile on my face, except for this one time that Lionel Blair made me cry as a child…but that’s a story for another day.
If you are interested in further information regarding our Corporate Membership or would like to discuss the membership in further detail, please get in touch by email corporate@norwichtheatre.org or call 01603 598556.
You can find more about our Membership here.