Info Pack for Fringe Artists

Links to things you need
fringe 2019 logo: see www.bathfringe.co.uk/about-the-fringe/links/
fringe 2019 artwork: not yet available
venues list: see www.bathfringe.co.uk/about-the-fringe/links/
venues poster: not yet available
press list: not yet available
how to publicise your event: there is a page of suggestions here.
deadlines: there is a timeline here. It may be updated as we go.
March 8th is the important date to remember

How to put a show into the Fringe:
You know all about your show, of course….
but here are some of the other things to think about!
There’s some relevant preamble here: www.bathfringe.co.uk/about-the-fringe/putting-a-show-into-bath-fringe/

finding a venue
• There’s a Fringe venues list (see above) which includes every indoor space that has been regularly used for Fringe events and is easily available.
• There is always of course the possibility of using a space for the first time: if you like the look of somewhere, talk to the owner/manager. We have some guidelines for venues that might help, or EMail the Fringe Office for advice.
• Outdoors or other public realm spaces: this too is always possible. Bath Fringe has years of experience in this area (in this area) but the considerations involved are quite complex – here too it’s probably a good idea to EMail us.
• If your show is short, consider sharing the venue with another show. This might also be a good idea to help create a festival atmosphere in a venue: a week of Fringe events is easier to promote or get enthusiastic about than one on its own.

work with your venue
• Make sure the venue knows what you will be doing, what time you’ll need to be in to prepare the evening, and how this might fit in with anything else they do in the space.
• Check whether you need to provide any more staff: is there a technician? Do they have all the information they need from you? Is there someone to do the door? (Is there a place to take money from and check tickets? Do you have a cash tin and a float? How are you going to remember who has the right of entry?).
• Especially, talk to the venue about advertising the event. Make sure you have the details right. Can you put a poster in the venue? Does the venue communicate with the media or should you do it? (both is often best!).
• When deciding on a ticket price, think about how much other events in the same place are charging (and about how much comparable and competing events elsewhere charge).
• Check that the venue has a Premises Licence for what you want to do and for when. If a new venue or outdoors, talk to the Fringe Office about this. The process isn’t difficult, but needs to be done!
• Check that the venue is covered for The Music Licence – PRS (and PPL if applicable). Most regular venues are, but you may need to check who will do the return. The Fringe accepts no responsibility for covering this.
See the Fringe Guidance for Venues if you have doubts about any of these licences.

working with the fringe
What the fringe needs from you:
You enter an event into the Fringe by filling out an online listings form and paying us the entry fee. At the moment you do this by EMailing us, and we will send you the information you need. If you’ve got a show that is going ahead, make sure that the Fringe Office knows about it – then we can make sure you get full help and coverage. EMail Wendy at the Fringe Office.

box offices
There are a number of useful box offices, both actual offices (eg. Bath Box Office, now with Tourist Information on Bog Island) and online. You can organise this yourselves, or we have set a deal up with Komedia Box Office that we will pass on the info for with the Event Registration information – either when you register and event or when you enquire about doing so. It’s OK to use more than one Box Office if you want to (eg. if you have one you habitually use).

Ticket prices.
During the Fringe there is some competition for the contents of ticket-buyers’ pockets. Although premium events do work, we always advocate making shows cheap as you can in order to get people in. The price of a cinema ticket is quite a good guide, and if you undercut that you’re doing still better…

telling the world:
You certainly need to get involved with the marketing of your show. Although you’re in the Fringe programme brochure and on the website, so are 200 other events, and to be fair to everyone we can’t differentiate between them. We mostly look to publicise the festival as a whole (sometimes promoting prominent events and artists to help this), although we do send complete event listings to all the outlets we think might use them.

We have made a page about publicising your event. It’s here.
There will be a press contacts list but it’s still in preparation: look at www.bathfringe.co.uk/about-the-fringe/links/ in April.

It’s very much worthwhile having your own event poster. Though there is a lot of competition for poster space at Festival time (we will try again to make more spaces) it’s an unmissable opportunity to use pictures, typography and information to get over the unique flavour of your event in a way that a simple listing cannot. It’s worth giving us a small number of posters just in case we have access to places that you don’t in the lead-up to the Festival.

it’s showtime!
•  Be back in contact with the venue. Make sure nothing has changed there, and that they still know what you’re doing (staff or contacts may have changed).
• Look after yourselves! Preparing and putting on a show can be stressful. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and enough help!
• Sometimes we manage to have a Fringe Club to hang out in after the show, and other networking opportunities to meet audiences and other performers and artists. There certainly are always some events that we all go to. More details nearer the time.