hollywood fringe venue packet

6133 Fountain Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028 | [email protected] | www.HollywoodFringe.org

Thank you for your interest in the Hollywood Fringe Festival venue program.

Fringe Festivals thrive through massive artistic participation and key venue partnerships. Fringe programming includes performances developed by hundreds of artistic groups in theatre, music, dance, comedy, variety, and more. Each group requires a space to perform or exhibit their work; the partners in the Fringe venue program provide that space.

Using our website, relationships are fostered between venues and artists. The venue enjoys full control over programming and rental prices charged to artists. Traditionally, artists keep 100% of their box office in exchange for rental fees.

If you are an artistic organization with rights on a space, you may present your own work in the Fringe. Foot traffic created by well-chosen additional programming provides an opportunity to further promote the "home team" show.

The concept of the entrepreneurial venue is the key to success for most Fringe Festivals. Every year, independent venues present new and interesting work to the public with hopes of becoming the most visited, most successful, or most admired in the Fringe.

We look forward to working with you and hope you will join us for the Fringe!

Kindest Regards,

Ben Hill, Executive Director [email protected] 240-401-7459

Dave McKeever, Producing Director [email protected] 202-412-2355


The Hollywood Fringe Festival

Dates: June 17 - June 27, 2010 (annual)

Ticket Sales: >15,000 (projected)

Artistic Companies: >100 (projected)

Number of Performances: >600 (projected)

Location: Hollywood, CA

"I'm excited that Hollywood has been selected as the site of Southern California's Fringe Festival, which will bring artists from around the world to share their works in this creative environment,"

~ L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti.

“I am honored to support the Hollywood Fringe Festival coming to Los Angeles in June 2010. A variety of communities make up Los Angeles’ rich tapestry of cultures and art and I am excited to see the effort and energy underway to promote it. “

~ Assemblymember Kevin de Leon, 45th Assembly District

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an annual celebration of the emerging arts. Environments for the Fringe include both traditional and unorthodox venues: Fully equipped theatres, street corners, clubs, bars, and places unexpected. Performances are self-produced by local, national, and international arts companies and independent performers. In the spirit of most Fringes, participation is open and uncensored.

Hollywood is home to dozens of Los Angeles' premiere theaters and clubs, making it the perfect epicenter for the 2010 festival. The neighborhood has always been a source of unapologetic opinion, underground mentality, and a deep passion for the cutting-edge of everything artistic. The Hollywood Fringe seeks to throw an immersive festival worthy of the neighborhood's reputation.


About Fringe Festivals

First Fringe Festival: Edinburgh, Scotland 1947 1.5+ million tickets sold in 2008 $100+ Million to local economy

US Fringe Festivals: 16

World Fringe Festivals: 35

Fringe Festivals exist throughout the world as havens for underground and emerging arts scenes. The concept of Fringe Festivals was incubated in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 1947, eight performance groups appeared uninvited on the "fringes" of the exclusive Edinburgh International Festival. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has since grown into the largest arts festival in the world with hundreds of artists, thousands of performances, and millions of patrons every summer. It annually grosses over $100 million for the local economy and remains the biggest tourist draw in the United Kingdom.

Fringe Festivals have since sprung up in dozens of cities across the world.

Most Fringe Festivals are unjuried and open preferring lotteries, first-come-first-served, and find-your-own venue systems to a formal selection process. This open means of programming fosters the work of both the well-established and the obscure; everyone has the opportunity to participate. Fringe Festivals nourish young visionaries by providing networking opportunities and production experience. They also provide large economic and cultural boosts for their hosting communities.

photos from The Edinburgh Fringe Festival


Why become a Fringe venue?

There are many reasons to partner with the Fringe:

• Cashflow throughout the year as artists book performances in your space

• Hundreds of new patrons exposed to your venue

• Press for your venue through the Fringe's promotional office

• Relationships developed with local, national, and international artists

Who can become a Fringe venue?

Any space that supports performed or visual art can become a Fringe Venue, including:

• traditional theatrical spaces • class rooms and lecture halls • coffee shops, bars, and restaurants • outdoor spaces • art galleries • “found” and nontraditional spaces (limousines, phone booths, trees, etc.)

The 2010 Festival includes venues in North, Central, and East Hollywood including many Theatre Row venues along Santa Monica Blvd.

Invertigo Dance and Vox Dance Theatre at ARTBASH, December 2008, produced by Hollywood Fringe and Need Theater


Listing your venue… Here’s how it works:

1. Venue determines space availability and rental prices

2. Venue posts performance spaces on the Fringe web application

3. Venue receives applications from Fringe Artists

4. Venue finalizes arrangements with approved artists

5. Artist is charged for the rent and a festival registration fee

6. Performances are promoted through the Fringe Guide and website.

An agreement is struck between the artist and the venue; the Fringe Festival helps broker the deal and promotes the festival as a whole. Fringe shows may be staged day and night throughout the festival.

Artist Expectations Most Fringe artists expect the following from their hosting venue: • An empty space to play (devoid of any standing sets)

• A general lighting plot shared by all projects in the venue

• A basic sound system

• A clean and safe environment

Venues can make their own special arrangements with artists renting their space.


What we do for you… • Initiate deals between venue & artists through our website

• Promote your venue to artists, audience, and the community

• Ensure performers carry general liability insurance for all performances

• Feature your venue on our website, Fringe Guide, and other marketing materials

We sell tickets to all Fringe performances through our online and Fringe Central box offices. You may use any box office system for your door sales. What are Fringe Venues? theatrical spaces Theatrical spaces are the life blood of the festival supporting theatre, dance, comedy, variety, and more. We can help theatrical venues set marketable rates for the times made available for Fringe bookings. public spaces Public spaces include restaurants, bars, parking lots, or any non-traditional theatrical space. Making space available to Fringe performers is an excellent way to drive foot traffic to your place of business. We are also looking for local business partners to provide discounts to Fringe patrons and artists. academic/university spaces The Fringe includes workshops designed for the local arts community. Many academic spaces are specially fit for such programming. found spaces There is a grand tradition of temporarily converting a found space for the Fringe. With some plywood and hard work, a fringe space can be created from any empty space. The environment just needs to be safe for audience-based performances. visual art spaces We seek hosts for our "Visual Fringe" program - an opportunity for a wide range of visual artists to display and sell their work during the Fringe Festival.

hollywood fringe venue packet

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