2010 Boulder International Fringe Festival®
August 18-29, 2010
THEATER AND DANCE APPLICATION
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST READ AND AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING
I. Important Dates for the 2010 Fringe
December 15 – January 30: Submit your online application by 11:59pm on 1/30/10
February 17: Public lottery/Fringe Party (at Wesley Chapel)
February 22: Notification of acceptance or placement on the wait list.
February 26: Listing and Production Fees Due – You must confirm your slot in the festival by paying your quoted fees via credit card.
March 5: Deadline to withdraw with 90% refund
April 3: Deadline for Technical Questionnaire
April 3: Deadline to withdraw with 50% refund
May 1: Venue/Schedule Assignments Announced – (venue charge adjustments made to your credit card if your venue or time slot assignment is other than requested.)
May 16: FREE Producing Artist Information/Networking Meeting – prepare, ask questions, get pointers, meet other artists! (Location TBA)
June 1: Deadline for paperwork, billet info, final program photo and show description
July 1: Deadline for technical paperwork (i.e. final designs)
August 9: Tech week begins
August 15: Fringe Ramp Up Party (socialize with Fringe artists, staff and community)
August 17-19: Artist Check-in (3-6pm daily)
August 18: Opening night party featuring the ALL YOU CAN ARTIST BUFFET (get on the list for this and for the Daily C.R.A.B.)!
August 18-29: Sixth Annual Boulder International Fringe Festival
August 19: Deadline for liability waivers from all cast and crew members
August 29: Fringe Encore! 2010
August 29: Closing night party!
September 15: Feedback/Payout forms due
September 30: Final box office payout (checks, passes and advanced sales) by mail or in person at the Fringe office
II.
About Fringe
The Boulder International Fringe Festival's mission is to create an open and accessible platform for artistic expression of all kinds. The festival is unjuried, uncensored and inclusive. Content is entirely up to the community and artists – experimentation is encouraged – risk is minimal. But please keep in mind that competition among the artists is a natural part of the festival. Be sure you are ready to enter your work and develop your audience in an independent way (there is always next year for those works that are really "in progress.") Each THEATER AND DANCE act will be given 4 to 6 shows throughout the twelve days of the festival. We strongly encourage you to be in Boulder for the entire festival in order to properly market your show, network, collaborate with other artists and immerse yourself in the excitement of the festival.
NOTE: The difference between a "THEATER AND DANCE" slot and a "MUSIC" slot has to do with the type of venue and number of shows. If you are a musician, filmmaker or performance artist and would like to perform 4 to 6 times throughout the 12 days of the festival, you are encouraged to apply for a THEATER AND DANCE slot. MUSIC slots cost less, are given less tech support and only one evening performance.
As the Fringe is part of an international community of Fringe Festivals
it is very important to understand that each festival has a unique
approach based on the community where it resides. As a proud member of
the Canadian
Association
of Fringe Festivals it is our full intent to preserve the “Fringe” ideals
based on four guiding principles:
1. Participants will be selected on a non-juried basis, through a first-come,
first served process, a lottery, or other method approved by the Association
2. In order to ensure Criteria One (above), the audiences must have
the option to pay a ticket price, 100% of which goes directly to the
artists.
3. Fringe Festival producers have no control over the artistic content
of each performance. The artistic freedom of the participants is unrestrained.
4. Festivals must provide an easily accessible opportunity
for all audiences and all artists to participate in Fringe Festivals.
On
September 26, 1994 the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals®
was officially registered as a non-profit organization with the following
mandate:
- To safeguard the integrity of Fringe Festivals as outlined in the
four guiding principles
- To recognize that the health of all member Festivals is important
to the Circuit and therefore the artists’ health as a whole
- To encourage communication and cooperation between member Festivals
thereby fostering the continuity of our guiding principles.
® FRINGE and FRINGE FESTIVAL are registered trademarks of the Canadian Association
of Fringe Festival
WHAT THE FRINGE
PROVIDES VS. WHAT YOU PROVIDE
The Fringe provides each THEATER AND DANCE group the following:
- We schedule your 4-6 performances in an appropriate venue. Companies are assigned to a single venue based on a combination of desired audience size, schedule requirements and technical needs.
- One 3-hour technical rehearsal in your venue the week prior to the festival so you can setup and run through your show (90-minute slots may have up to a 3.5 hr tech rehearsal).
- One Technical Manager.
- Full professional box office/ticketing service including, advance sale ticketing and day-of ticket sales.
- One Venue Site Manager.
- Volunteer Front of House staff (whenever possible).
- Listing of your show's description, graphic and show times in the Fringe Program and on the Boulder Fringe Festival website where the public can browse the festival's offerings, purchase tickets and comment on shows they've seen.
- Publicity/marketing for the Festival as a whole.
- Producing support information including marketing tips, artist resources, parties, opportunities to show your work and a free Fringe producer's workshop.
- We do our best to get the local media to preview and review as many shows as possible.
- Festival artist discounts including special artist's ad rates in our program.
- An environment that facilitates an independent creative process and the opportunity to perform for an audience that is eager and willing to support cutting-edge performances and creations.
- Most importantly, we return 100% of the box office receipts to you, the performing company. (You set your ticket price between $0 and $15) In addition to the ticket price, there is a service fee to the patron for advanced tickets.
As a THEATER AND DANCE group YOU are expected
to:
- Select your material (theatre, improv, cabaret, dance, music, multimedia, etc.) and have it be no longer than 60 minutes in length. NOTE: Performances are expected to be NO MORE than 60 minutes long (unless applying for a 90 Minute Slot).
- Secure the rights for your production if the performance is not an original piece.
- Submit an Online Application form and pay the Application Fee via credit card.
- Upon being accepted into the festival, confirm your slot in the festival by paying your Listing and Production Fees by the due date (Feb. 26th) via credit card.
- Submit all Fringe materials (i.e. contractual, technical, promotional, financial, etc.) ON TIME.
- Arrange for all permits or visas. The Fringe will be able to provide only minimal information on any permits or visas that are needed. It is the company's responsibility to acquire these items.
- Rehearse and mount your production.
- Supply at least one non-performer capable of serving as STAGE MANAGER and enough crew to set and strike your show in 10 minutes. NOTE: The time between performances is limited. There will be a maximum of 30 minutes between shows: 10 minutes for strike of the previous show, 20 minutes for set-up of the next show and Front of House duties. Shows start on time, as scheduled, no matter what. (This is to fit everyone in and be fair.)
- Arrive with everything needed for your show (props, sets, costumes, stage manager, ideas on lighting and sound cues, etc.) With so many shows sharing the same spaces, your tech needs must be simple with very few cues and/or special effects. All venues are outfitted with a basic repertory lighting plot. There will be little to no storage available in the venues, so be prepared to take everything with you after each performance. A venue floor plan and spec sheet will be made available to you after you are assigned a venue.
- Be prepared to promote and market your show. Print and distribute your own posters, handbills, programs, pictures, reviewer packets, and other promotional materials.
- Contact the press about your show, set up interviews, get listed in previews and event calendars. The Fringe publicist will market the entire Festival, and will help market individual companies as much as possible.
- Get out around town during the festival, promote your show, talk to people, give sneak previews, pull in audience off the streets, see other artists' shows and anything else that will help draw attention to your show.
- Be responsible for all your personal expenses, including travel, food, lodging, production costs, personal liability insurance, royalties, union fees and miscellaneous expenses.
- Arrange for your own accommodations if you are a touring group. Our office will do our best to set you up with billets (A.K.A. free or cheap housing) but available space is often very limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Very specific needs (i.e. private room, particular location, etc) may make finding a billet difficult and having a back up plan is highly recommended.
- Be responsible for ANY additional technical equipment not listed in your tech packet (e.g., projectors, microphones, strobes, fog machines, keyboards, etc.). There will be little to no storage available in the venues, so be prepared to take everything with you after each performance.
- Come to your technical rehearsal fully prepared. Layout your set, run sound and lighting cues and be prepared to do a full run through of the piece with full tech.
- Show up on time for performances, do your show, strike and head on down to Fringe Central and mingle with the other performers, artists, staff, volunteers and patrons.
III. Important Notes
Application Deadline!
Applications will be accepted via the online form ONLY. The deadline for THEATER AND DANCE applications is 11:59 pm (Mountain Time) on January 30, 2010! A public lottery to select this year's participants will be held on February 17th, 2010 at 7:00 pm, at Wesley Chapel. Stay tuned to www.boulderfringe.com for further details.
Be Precise! Changes cost time and money.
Take care when providing information and PROOF your responses before sending. We will reproduce your data EXACTLY as you send it to us - we do not correct improper capitals or misspellings. We will assume that you have included such anomalies on purpose as a marketing or artistic choice.
Once your Listing and Production fees have been charged, each change to your show’s basic information (e.g., the name of your "Company/Artist" or your "Title") must be given in writing via our online Change of Information Form and accompanied by a $30 processing fee.
Keep It Simple!
No more than ONE project application per person and/or company is permitted. For example, if there are two applications with the same individual name or company name, we will remove one of the applications from the lottery drawing. Cross casting is not advisable given the complexity of scheduling 350 events in 12 days. Please take the schedules of all of the members of your company into consideration when applying to the festival. We will try to accommodate scheduling conflicts, but cannot guarantee that shows will not overlap. It is strongly recommended that you participate in only one project, as multiple showings will greatly reduce your venue and time options.
Which To Do?
The difference between a "THEATER AND DANCE" slot and a "MUSIC" slot has to do with the type of venue and number of shows. If you are a musician, filmmaker or performance artist and would like to perform 4 to 6 times throughout the 12 days of the festival, you are encouraged to apply for a THEATER AND DANCE slot. MUSIC slots cost less, are given less tech support and only one evening performance.
Less Is More!
With so many shows sharing the same spaces, your tech needs need to be simple with very few cues and/or special effects. All venues are outfitted with a stationary lighting plot. There will be little to no storage available in the venues, so be prepared to take everything with you after each performance. A venue floor plan and spec sheet will be made available to you after you are assigned a venue.
All venues are equipped with basic lights and sound. Systems can vary greatly among venues. Be prepared to be flexible with your tech needs. No specific capabilities are guaranteed beyond the simple functions of lights up and down and sound on and off. In general, our medium and large venues are better equipped than the small venues.
Attention Dancers!
We cannot guarantee sprung wood or Marley flooring in our venues. Some large and medium venues may have flooring appropriate for certain kinds of dancing, but not necessarily for sliding and rolling, etc. Most, if not all, small venues are either cement or carpet floors. If this is a concern of yours please contact us to discuss the possibilities.
IV. Application Fees
There are three basic fees that are added together to determine what your fee to take part in the festival will be. Two are flat fees, and one is variable and depends on the needs of your performance. Everyone pays the same amount to submit an application (Application Processing Fee: $42) and to be listed (Listing Fee: $175). Then, depending on what size venue and what length performance slot you apply for, your Production Fee will vary. Read carefully through the options and decide what will serve your performance best.
The APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE is a $42 non-refundable fee required to apply to the festival and be entered into the lottery. This fee covers administrative costs of processing applications and hosting the public lottery.
The LISTING FEE is a set fee of $175 and covers all of the Fringe Program, Website and Administrative services (see the itemized list on WHAT THE FRINGE PROVIDES VS. WHAT YOU PROVIDE in the About Fringe section)
The PRODUCTION FEE is a variable fee and depends on venue size. We will try to match your venue size requests whenever possible. However, depending on the scheduling needs of the whole festival, you may not get the venue size you request. After final scheduling occurs on May 1, 2010, you will be charged the applicable Production Fee, based on the venue size you have been scheduled for. REMINDER: You (the “Independent Producer” of your act) will be ultimately responsible for the individual marketing and production of your event – Fringe provides the platform.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Once you are notified of acceptance into the festival, you must confirm your slot by paying the LISTING AND PRODUCTION FEES via credit card by 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on February 26, 2010 for your space to be secured. If you have not paid your fees by 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on February 26, 2010, you will be moved to the bottom of the wait list and another artist group will be offered your slot. Your LISTING AND PRODUCTION FEES are partially refundable, if you choose to withdraw before April 3rd. See Withdrawals and Refunds section for more details.
Small/Unconventional Standard Venue (20-49 seats): $405
This fee covers cost of the venue, box office services, venue site management, one technician, volunteer coordination and basic equipment for six shows. Examples of Small/Unconventional Venues are art galleries and coffeeshops. In the past we've used Trident, Urban Pearl Salon, Cafe Babu, McMahon Gallery at the Dairy and Community Dance Collective.
Medium Standard Venue (50-99 seats): $490
This fee covers cost of the venue, box office services, venue site management, one technician, volunteer coordination and basic equipment for six shows. Examples of Medium Venues are small, mostly traditional theater spaces.In the past we've used BMoCA, Dairy Carsen and Dairy East, CU Museum of Natural History and First United Methodist Church Labyrinth.
Large Standard Venue (100+ seats): $550
This fee covers cost of the venue, box office services, venue site management, one technician, volunteer coordination and basic equipment for six shows. Examples of Large Venues are larger traditional theater spaces. In the past we've used the Naropa Performing Arts Center and Dairy Performance Space.
90 Minute Standard Slot: An additional $130 (see below)
BYOV: $275
This fee covers cost of box office services, venue site management and volunteer coordination for six shows. Any additional show times will be charged an extra $50 per show. Shows longer than 60 minutes will be charged according to additional staff time.
NOTE FOR DANCERS: We cannot guarantee sprung wood or Marley flooring in our venues. Some large and medium venues may have flooring appropriate for certain kinds of dancing, but not necessarily for sliding and rolling, etc. Most, if not all, small venues are either cement or carpet floors. If this is a concern of yours please contact us to discuss the possibilities.
NOTE: All venues are equipped with basic lights and sound. Systems can vary greatly among venues. Be prepared to be flexible with your tech needs. No specific capabilities are guaranteed beyond the simple functions of lights up and down and sound on and off. In general, our medium and large venues are better equipped than the small venues.
NOTE: Payments may only be made via Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover or with a PayPal account.
NOTE: Additional Services will be available upon your acceptance into the festival. These may include: Technicians, Designers, Running Crew, Projectionists, Web Designers, Graphic Designers, Stage Managers, Production Coordination (fees for these services will be assessed on the technical questionnaire following acceptance into the festival).
NOTE: Special Equipment (Projectors, Screens, Disco Balls, Lap Dogs, etc.) will also be assessed on the Technical Questionnaire.
BYOV AND 90 MIN. TIME SLOTS
There are two possibilities other than the Standard 60 Minute Slot application. One is if you are applying for a BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue) and the other is if you are applying for a longer time slot (no longer than 90 minutes). There will be separate categories at the lottery for these exceptions. Neither of these exceptions are guaranteed and those applicants who do not get drawn for their special exception will be entered into the drawing for a Standard 60 Minute Slot, unless they opt out. Below is a more detailed description of the two allowable exceptions.
BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue)
If you want to take part in the Fringe but want to perform your show in an unusual venue (rooftop, park, inside a car, etc.) you’ll want to apply for a BYOV slot. The fees are lower for a BYOV since you are responsible for securing your own venue, technician and technical equipment. The fee you pay provides you with listing in our program and on our website, ticketing services, box office staff, venue site management and volunteer coordination as well as the same kind of marketing and production guidance that we offer all of our artists. If you have applied for a Standard 60 Minute Slot, but your production needs don’t match our venue options, you will be automatically classified as a BYOV.
90 MINUTE SLOT
If your show will not fit into the Standard 60 Minute Slot format, you’ll want to apply for a 90 Minute Slot. Fringe shows cannot exceed 90 minutes. There are a limited number of available 90 Minute Slots. If your show is not picked in the 90 Minute Slot category, it will be added to the standard 60 Minute Slot category. If your show will only work in a 90 Minute Slot and can’t be condensed, be sure to specify this in the application. There is an additional $130 fee for a 90 Minute Slot.
Number of Shows
Every company that has a Theater and Dance slot is allotted a minimum of four and a maximum of six performances. Choosing to perform fewer than six shows does not lower your fees. You must confirm your desired number of shows in your Technical Questionnaire, due April 3rd. After April 3, 2010, Fringe Artists will not be able to change their desired number of shows without incurring a $30 change of information fee. After program information is submitted on June 1, 2010, no changes are permitted whatsoever.
V. Box Office
Policies
100% of Fringe box office ticket sales go to the individual companies.
Ticket Prices
Artists set their own ticket prices between $0 and $15. In addition to the ticket price, there is a service fee to the patron for advanced tickets.
Special Passes
As a means of putting more butts in the seats, we will be offering a variety of discount passes in 2010. These will include Frequent Fringer Passes, an All Festival Pass, and other specials that will be determined as the festival approaches. All artists are required to accept these passes to their shows and will receive the actual per-show value of the pass.
Complimentary Ticket Policy
Since 100% of the box office goes to the artist, comps for their own shows will be given at the artists’ discretion. However, all comps must be on a list at the box office 30 minutes before curtain. It is recommended that you use your comps early in the festival because it encourages people to talk up your later shows. Also, other Fringe Artists will have free passes to all of the shows, including yours, based on unsold seat availability (see Artist Pass policy below). The Festival also reserves the right to offer comp tickets to Press, Staff, Sponsors, Donors and Volunteers.
Artist Passes
Depending on the size of the group, 1-4 Artists Passes will be available to each Fringe Artist Group, which can be shared among members of that group. The passes will allow Fringe Artists to see any of the other Fringe shows for free, as long as there are unsold seats available. Artists will check in and sign up on a list one half hour before the show. Available seats will be given on a first-come, first-served basis five minutes before curtain. If each member of the group wants to have their own Artist’s Pass, additional passes may be purchased at the Central Box Office.
VI.
Payment and Notification
Payments are only accepted by Credit Card or PayPal payment (Check, Money Order or Cash payments may be made in certain circumstances. Contact us if you need to discuss this option.)
We will e-mail a confirmation upon receipt of your application. The non-refundable APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE of $42 must be paid as the last step of the application form. On the last page, you will be prompted to click on a link to pay via credit card. The APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE must be paid in order for an application to be considered valid. Invalid applications will be removed from consideration.
Once you are notified of acceptance into the festival, you must confirm your slot by paying the LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES via credit card by 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on February 26, 2010 for your space to be secured. If you have not paid your fees by 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on February 26, 2010, you will be moved to the bottom of the wait list and another artist group will be offered your slot.
Notification of Acceptance or Wait List
2010 Fringe Artists will be selected in the following ways:
- Early Bird: The first 25% of applicants in each category will be accepted on a first come, first served basis.
- Lottery: All other applications will be submitted into the public lottery drawing on February 17, 2010.
A list of Fringe Artists accepted into the festival by the two methods above will be available online at www.boulderfringe.com by February 22, 2010. If you want to know your participation status earlier, you can attend the Big Fringe Lottery Party at 7pm February 17, 2010 at Wesley Chapel.
If your company is accepted into the festival, either via Early Bird or Lottery drawing, you will receive an acceptance letter via email on February 22, 2010 and you must confirm your slot by paying the LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES, calculated from the selections you make in the application, via credit card by 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on February 26, 2010 for your space to be secured. If you have not paid your fees by 11:59pm (Mountain Time) on February 26, 2010, you will be moved to the bottom of the wait list and another artist group will be offered your slot.
If your company’s application is NOT accepted via Early Bird or Lottery Drawing, it will be placed automatically on a wait list in the order that you applied. If a slot becomes available you will be notified and given 4 days to enter The Festival. In order to accept and secure your slot in the festival, you must pay the LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES, via credit card within four days of being invited in.
Once you have confirmed your slot in the festival, the Fringe will send you an official letter of acceptance with directions about the next steps in the process.
VII.
Withdrawals and Refunds
All withdrawals from the Festival must be made in writing via our online Withdrawal Form by the company's primary contact. If a company in the 2010 Fringe withdraws, notification must be received by March 5, 2010 in order to receive a 90% refund of the LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES. Notification must be received by April 3, 2010 in order to receive a 50% refund of the LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES. A company that withdraws after April 3rd will forfeit 100% of its LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES. Once a company withdraws, they will not be admitted back into the Festival that year. Applicants on the wait list may withdraw at any time at no charge.
Companies accepted into the Boulder International Fringe Festival cannot sell or transfer their spot in the Festival to another artist or group. If a company sells, transfers or trades their space with another company, both companies will be removed from the Festival and all fees will be forfeited to the Festival.
The Boulder International Fringe Festival reserves the right to cancel confirmed applications should unforeseen circumstances arise. This includes anything that would interfere with the mounting of the production or the Festival as a whole.
The Fringe Festival will accept no liability for performance cancellations as a result of natural phenomena, war or the actions of third parties. The Festival makes no guarantee whatsoever regarding the suitability of any particular venue for performance presentation. In the event of a loss of a venue (or an unforeseen loss of Festival revenue needed to operate a venue) the Festival reserves the right to cancel the performances in that venue. In such an event, cancelled groups will be placed at the top of the waiting list or they may withdraw from the Festival and receive a full refund of their LISTING & PRODUCTION FEES.
All performing companies agree to adhere to the laws of Boulder, Colorado, US, and the policies, procedures and safety restrictions of the Boulder International Fringe Festival and each of its venues. All companies are obligated to act in the best interests of the Festival as a whole at all times. The Boulder International Fringe Festival reserves the right to cancel any or all performances of any performing company not adhering to these regulations.
Upon acceptance to the Boulder International Fringe Festival, participants are required to submit all requested materials and information in full and on time. Failure to do so may result in removal from the Festival. In addition, all promotional and publicity materials must include the statement "(participating company/individual) in association with the Boulder International Fringe Festival® presents (Title)". No additional producers or presenters will be permitted.
Submission of this application and subsequent payment shall indicate your acceptance of the terms and conditions contained herein.
Please check over the information above and
PRINT OUT A COPY OF THIS PAGE FOR YOUR RECORDS before you complete your application.
