2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK WELCOME! 2019: A Decade of Fringe

CONTENTS

SNAPSHOT OF SYDNEY FRINGE...... 3 THE PROCESS...... 15

WHY BE A FRINGE VENUE...... 4 IMPORTANT DATES...... 16

BENEFITS OF BEING INVOLVED...... 5 HOW TO REGISTER...... 17

VENUE SNAPSHOT...... 7

AUDIENCE SNAPSHOT ...... 8

ARTIST SNAPSHOT...... 9

EVENT SNAPSHOT...... 11

WHAT CAN YOU OFFER?...... 12

HOW WE WORK...... 14 A SNAPSHOT OF SYDNEY FRINGE

Each September we create the vibrant night Our curated and headline program grew to life Sydneysiders dream of year-round. We love Sydney and we love our local creatives include a new Touring Hub that presented and venues. For 30 days Fringe celebrates a program of award winning interstate and and amplifies the cultural life of our city. international productions. Be part of the party and join the largest independent arts festival in NSW. New partnerships were formed with This year we are celebrating a decade of Parramatta City Council and Liverpool Sydney Fringe. That’s ten years of local Council to expand our Western Sydney Fringe stories, new artists, activations, adventures program. and experiences. We truly are Sydney’s fringe festival. Young and emerging artists were again supported in our Emerging Artist Hub that In 2018, Sydney Fringe hosted 402 events, expanded to three venues, we activated our providing Sydney audiences with over 1227 Festival Village for a second year and built an sessions of theatre, cabaret, live art making, epic Fringe Club. exhibitions, workshops, talks, live music, comedy, concerts, parties, activations and Experienced artists had access to spaces more. that wouldn’t otherwise be available, and isn’t available at other times of the year, allowing Engagement by artists was at its highest level them to take creative risks as they developed yet with a 22% increase in artist registrations. bold new work. The diversity of our festival offering expanded as the festival increased its footprint to include Our audiences and artists’ purpose remained activity hosted in 21 postcode areas across aligned with 60% of audiences flocking to see Greater Sydney. new work and have unique experiences, and 75.55% of artists participated in Sydney Fringe 2018 saw a 59% increase in participating to develop new work or to expose their work Venues, with 78 venues showcasing our city’s to a new audience. new work across the month of September. Our global relationships were strengthened Our ground-breaking space activations have with new award partnerships created made us a global leader in the activation of between Brighton Fringe (UK) and San Diego performance space and after three major International Fringe (USA). More artists were pilot projects over the past years, in 2018 we given the ability to tour their work via the released An Anthology of Space 2015-2018 continued award partnerships with NZ Fringe, that is being recognised by government and Melbourne Fringe and (WA). the corporate sector as leading the way for understanding how we can better support We’re investing in the Sydney’s cultural life through temporary activations. cultural life of our city.

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 3 SO WHY BE A 2019 FRINGE VENUE?

Our audiences and artists love new work global city.

• Build new, and strengthen existing audiences • Work with new artists and facilitate further links and networks with artists • Provide a supportive platform and greatly needed performance space for local artists

Our audiences love new experiences and venues

• Increase awareness of your venue • Use the fringe as an opportunity to showcase your year-round programming Geometry | Dance Hub, PACT | Sydney Fringe 2018 • Test out new performance spaces • Gain experience in hosting arts events

People know who we are

• Our brand is growing and audiences know we’re here in September. Be part of the noise.

We’re a multi-art festival

• Use the fringe as an opportunity to develop, test and explore new programming streams and to host different art forms. Alice Terry | Ariel Booksellers | Fringe Ignite 2018

Our footprint is expanding

• Join us as the festival expands into Western, Northern and South Sydney. We are Sydney’s fringe festival. And that means all of Sydney.

We love Sydney

• We are committed to year-round advocacy work to grow and strengthen the cultural and night life of our city. Join us as we invest in the cultural life of our vibrant

Liverpool Hub | Sydney Fringe 2018 2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 4 SOME EXTRA BENEFITS OF BEING A VENUE

• Your venue listed in over 40,000 Sydney Fringe Guides distributed throughout Sydney, as well as 13,000+ online views every year.

• Your venue promoted on sydneyfringe.com through a dedicated venues page.

• Support and advice from team, from licensing and council approvals through to venue programming and marketing.

• Your ticketing requirements managed and marketed via Sydney Fringe. The Last Supper | Kensington Street | Sydney Fringe 2018

• Exclusive product and promotional offers from Sydney Fringe partners.

• Networking opportunities with Sydney Fringe partners.

• Access to the Fringe Club for you and your staff. THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Becoming a registered Fringe venue is extremely rewarding, but is not something to take on lightly if hosting live performance is new to you. You will need to think about your Parramatta Friday Night Lights | Sydney Fringe 2018 venue and the space(s) you have available, what works and what doesn’t.

You should consider: • What you hope to achieve? • What spaces do you have available? • What art-forms and artists will suit your venue? • What technical support, facilities and marketing you can offer artists? • What level of accessability can you offer audiences? • What performance days and times will best complement your existing business? • What you need to budget for to cover things like marketing and staffing of your Sarah McCloskey, Eats Beats Street | Kensington street | SFF 2018 Fringe venue and program. 2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 5 Legs Hub, Supported by Legs on The Wall, Red Box Photographer: Jordan Shields 2018 VENUE SNAPSHOT

78 VENUES PARTICIPATED IN 2018 (59% INCREASE)

2017 2018

10% +73% 17% OF VENUES IN OF VENUES OF VENUES IN OTHER INCLUDING IN CITY OF SYDNEY WESTERN SYDNEY

54% 44% OF EVENTS LOCATED OF EVENTS LOCATED IN CITY OF SYDNEY IN INNER WEST

In 2018 the Sydney Fringe continued to develop our unique venues and artists services model. The Fringe team worked with artists 36 NON-TRADITIONAL OR to ensure they achieved greater audience POP-UP PERFORMANCE numbers and a greater chance of success by SPACES (29% INCREASE) working closely with venues and events to ensure a good match. This ensures that venue operators are satisfied with their venue’s Fringe program and that the existing identity of the venue is maintained.

The largest challenge currently facing the

Sydney Fringe Festival and the independent 2017 2018 sector in Sydney, is still the lack of appropriate and affordable small–medium sized culturally focused venues. xxxx 2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 7 2018 AUDIENCE SNAPSHOT

2018 Ticketed Attendance

32.9% 63.9% 0.6% 2.6%

WERE ALTERNATIVE WOULD WERE MALE WERE FEMALE GENDER IDENTITY RATHER NOT SAY

2018 Ticketed Audience by Age 37.4%

2018 31.2%

2017 32.2% 26.4% 19.9% 16.5% 13.8% 13% 4.7% 4.8%

18-24 25-34 35-44 45-59 OVER 60+ YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS

Why did you go to the Sydney Fringe Festival?

57.43% 44.99% 43.09% 87% AUDIENCES ATE OR DRANK AT A NEARBY ESTABLISHMENT TO SUPPORT TO SEE NEW WORK TO HAVE UNIQUE OR FRINGE BAR EMERGING ARTISTS YOU WOULDN’T EXPERIENCES OTHERWISE SEE

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 8 2018 ARTIST SNAPSHOT

Fringe participation

71.2% 28.8% 1,976 OF ARTISTS WERE NEW ARTISTS WERE INCLUDED OF ARTISTS PREVIOUSLY TO SYDNEY FRINGE HAD AN EVENT IN THE FRINGE

State breakdown

11% INTERSTATE

1% 3% 3% QLD INTERNATIONAL WA 3% SA 86% NSW 1% ACT 3% VIC

Creating a safe platform for artists to create new work Reasons why artists participated in Sydney Fringe

75.55% 43.48% 32.07% 8.15%

DEVELOP NEW WORK / EXPOSE WORK MAKE NEW WORK TESTING GROUND BEFORE EXPOSE THEIR WORK TO A NEW AUDIENCE TAKING WORK TO OTHER TO A NEW AUDIENCE FESTIVALS AND SEASONS

2.17% 5.43% 8.7%

MAKE MONEY GAIN ACCESS TO FOR THE FUN OF IT ARTISTIC NETWORKS

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 9 Artist experience level

EMERGING ARTISTS FIRST TIME ARTISTS / PRODUCERS 26.63%

60.87% 12.50% EXPERIENCED PRODUCERS / PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS

Average age of all participating artists in each event 35% 31% 15% 11% 4% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%

14 YEARS 15-16 17-24 19-25 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ & UNDER YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS YEARS

Performance experience of majority of artists in each event 50

40

30

20 PERCENTAGE

10

YEARS 0-5 5-10 10+

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 10 2018 TICKETED EVENT STATS

402 1,227 30 EVENTS HOSTED INDIVIDUAL DAYS BY SYDNEY FRINGE SESSIONS

Premieres

82.07% 58.7% 66.3%

SYDNEY PREMIERES WORLD PREMIERES AUSTRALIAN PREMIERES

Primary Genre

THEATRE MUSIC COMEDY DANCE 20% 20% 41% 2%

FRINGE KIDS SPOKEN WORD VISUAL ARTS WORKSHOPS 2% & POETRY & FILM & TALKS 1% 1% 3%

PHYSICAL THEATRE MUSICAL THEATRE SPECIAL EVENTS/ & CIRCUS & CABARET ACTIVATIONS 2% 7% 1%

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 11 WHAT CAN YOU OFFER?

It’s good to consider what you can offer artists, how you are going to attract them to present their show at your venue and how Fringe will sit alongside your regular business.

Artists often look for: • A dedicated area for ticketed performances.

• A strong location with existing customer or foot traffic and good transport links nearby.

• Attractive time slots for shows including peak times such as weekends.

• A competitive venue hire deal.

Venue Hire Deals

There are a variety of models for charging artists to hire your venue:

• No venue hire – Provide the venue at no cost to the artist, with the potential to increase bar and food sales.

• Flat venue hire fee – Offer a flat fee for venue rental that ensures you cover your costs. For example a per night fee or a weekly hire rate.

• Box office split – Share the risk with the artist and offer splitting ticketing income instead of a set hire fee. A common split is 70% artist, 30% venue.

• Combination – You can create your own deal that combines the above.

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 12 The Last Supper, Kensington Street Photographer: David Li HOW WE WORK

OPEN ACCESS EVENTS, VENUES AND THE FESTIVAL SHARE THE RISK Individuals and venues choose to participate in the Fringe and they decide what type of show Sydney Fringe markets the Festival overall, they want to present - Sydney Fringe doesn’t including managing an extensive advertising curate the program for the Festival as a whole. campaign, website and ticket sales platform, It’s up to the artist to decide whether Fringe is and producing key print materials such as the the most suitable platform for their work and Festival Guide. The promotion of individual in what venue they would like to present their events and independent venue programs is the show. It’s up to the venue to decide if Fringe is responsibility of the event presenter and the the right platform for their business. venue. As such events, venues, and the Festival all share the responsibility of putting our best DIFFERENT TYPES OF VENUES efforts into marketing.

Artists decide what venue they want to SYDNEY FRINGE IS HERE TO HELP perform in. Artists often look for venues that can offer an affordable and flexible space with Venues and artists that participate in the good potential of passing traffic. They also Festival have direct access to our Venues and look for venues specifc to their genre needs Artists team. Our team is able to assist with and technical requirements. enquiries, questions and provide support to maximise your festival experience. LOW REGISTRATION AND BOOKING FEES NOT-FOR-PROFIT

Their is no cost to register as a Sydney Fringe Sydney Fringe is a Not-for-Profit organisation. venue! Any profit generated by the Festival is invested into further developing the Festival and hence Down the track, we charge a small booking fee supporting the local cultural ecology. on tickets sold to cover some of the festival’s core operating costs such as box office, staffing and marketing to promote the Festival.

VENUES AND ARTIST SERVICES

Sydney Fringe continue to develop our unique venue and artist services model. In 2019 we can work with you (and with artists) to ensure a strong match between event and venue, OR you have the agency to build direct relationships with artists, and programme your venue yourself.

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 14 THE PROCESS

ARTISTS REGISTER INDEPENDENT ARTISTSSYDNEY REGISTER FRINGE THEIR EVENTS VENUES REGISTER REGISTERSTHEIR EVENTS OUR THEIR VENUE MANAGED HUBS

ARTISTS CAN FIND THE RIGHT VENUE BY ARTISTS REGISTER SEARCHING ALL VENUES IN OUR VENUE THEIR EVENTS FINDER LIST

ARTISTS APPROACH ARTISTS SUBMIT AN INDEPENDENT VENUES TO APPLICATION FOR A FRINGE HUB ARRANGE THEIR FRINGE SEASON / SIGN UP FOR A HUB AND NEGOTIATE DEAL

SESSION TIMES, DATES AND PRICES ARE DECIDED AND THE FESTIVAL GUIDE AND TICKETING IS CREATED

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 15 DATE DEADLINE

5 FEBRUARY VENUE REGISTRATIONS OPEN

28 FEBRUARY VENUE REGISTRATIONS CLOSE

1 MARCH ARTIST REGISTRATIONS OPEN

31 MARCH ARTIST REGISTRATIONS CLOSE

1 - 30 APRIL ARTISTS AND VENUES PROGRAMMED

30 APRIL DEADLINE FOR ARTISTS AND VENUES TO ENTER DATES, SESSIONS AND PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Pinocchio, The Warehouse Photographer: Brett Boardman HOW TO REGISTER

STEP 1: LOG IN

1. Head to our registration site www.eventotron.com 2. Enter your email address in the new users section 3. Click ‘Register’

You will then be emailed a password – use this password to sign in (you can change the password later if you like).

If you receive a warning saying ‘An account already exists for your email address. Please request a password reminder’ it means that your venue may already be in our system from last year’s festival, as well as the email address associated with that venue. If this is the case, simply click on ‘Forgotten or missing password’ and request a password, then use that new password to sign in.

STEP 2: COMPLETE YOUR PROFILE Once you have logged in, click on ‘Complete your Profile’ on the red banner, and fill out the necessary information. You will need to have a complete profile to be able to create your venue. When you finish, click ‘save’. You can also use this contact section to change your password - see the pink box above

STEP 3: CREATE YOUR VENUE

Now go to the top of the page and hover over ‘Find my stuff’, then click ‘Create a venue’. Enter the name of your venue, and a secondary contact if you’d like, then click ‘Create Venue’.

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 18 HAVE MORE THAN ONE PERFORMANCE SPACE?

You’ll need to fill out all the information for one performance space and then email [email protected] to let us know about the others. We will then duplicate this venue to save you filling out most of the information more than once. Every performance space needs to have its own venue in the system, even if they’re in the same building, managed by the same person. Rooms within the same venue need to be named in the following way: “Venue Name” – “Performances Space Name”. This will allow them to appear correctly in searches once ticketing is created.

STEP 4: ENTERING VENUE INFORMATION Now that you have created your venue start by filling out the ‘General’ tab. Continue to move through the rest of the tabs, filling in as much information as you can. Including plenty of details will help artists decide if your venue is right for them, and likely increase interest in your venue.

DollyWould by Sh!t Theatre, Archie Rose Touring Hub Photographer: Seiya Taguchi STEP 5: JOIN SYDNEY FRINGE

Once you have filled out all of the tabs up the top, click on ‘Join a Festival’.

You will be redirected to the next page. Find Sydney Fringe and click ‘Apply to Sydney Fringe 2019’.

You will land on the ‘Submission’ pop-up page.

Sign off on basic terms and condtions and hit ‘SUBMIT’

Our Venues and Artists Services team will check your listing and may contact you with any questions or clarifications. Your venue will them be approved and you’ll recieve a confirmation e-mail.

STEP 6: ENTER ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Now when you go back to your Venue page, you will see a ‘Sydney Fringe 2019’ tab.

Click the ‘Additional Access’ tab and fill these in. These details are important for patrons with access requirementsand for Sydney Fringe's reporting. Please ensure to answer every question!

You can see shows wishing to present in your venue under the ‘Applications’ tab.

NB: Don’t approve an event unless you’ve had a conversation with the artist and made an agreement outside of Eventotron.

When you speak to the artists who have aaplied you should: Come to a venue hire pricing arrangement Confirm the artist’s technical requirements and that you can provide what they need Mutually agree upon and confirm the session dates and times, as well as other times the artist will have access to your venue - for rehearsal, sound checks, technical rehearsal or bump in and out.

Sydney fringe recommend that you have a written agreement with your artists.

Once you have spoken to the artist and confirmed an arrangement you should approve the event in the Eventatron system. After this it will show up under the ‘Events’ tab.

Once the events in your venue have entered in their dates and times (agreed upon prior, with you!), you will see a full schedule of performances in the ‘Schedule’ tab.

2019 VENUE REGISTRATION HANDBOOK | 20 GET IN TOUCH

THE SYDNEY FRINGE ROGRAMMING TEAM ARE HERE TO HELP ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE, INCLUDING PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO DO AS AN VENUE MANAGER AND WHAT THE FESTIVAL DOES.

CONTACT US VIA: [email protected] (02) 9550 6087

The Market Is A Wind-Up Toy, Archie Rose Touring Hub. Photographer: Seiya Taguchi