a broad overview

• Fringe TheatreFest is a four-day festival in Barnstaple, North Devon.
• Fringe TheatreFest embraces the widest possible range of theatrical forms (archive).
• Fringe TheatreFest is based on the Canadian Fringe model: non-juried; 100% box-office or pay-what-you-will income returned to companies; the Festival provides the infrastructure, allocates venues, timetables the programme and sets ticket prices in regular venues.
• Fringe TheatreFest events take place under two headings:
Regular Venues - ticketed venues equipped by Fringe TheatreFest;
Alt Space venues - pay-what-you-will venues with any technical equipment supplied by participating companies. Outside locations are included under the Alt Space heading.

a little more detail

• Fringe TheatreFest is not juried or curated - companies are picked from a hat for Regular Venues and accepted in order of application for Alt Space venues.
• 12 Regular Venue slots are set aside for North Devon companies, with 24 open to UK and International companies.
• One application per company for Regular Venues but multiple applications can be made for Alt Space venues.
• Fringe TheatreFest timetables the programme and sets ticket prices (in 2019 these were £6, £4 concessions, £3 if using a Frequent Fringer Voucher. Pricing is presently under review).
• 100% of the ticket revenue or pay-what-you-will income is returned to the companies.
• In Regular Venues companies are offered a 3-performance slot. Companies able to commit to all three performances will take priority. Shows in Regular Venues open on the Thursday or Friday.
• Companies performing in an Alt Space venue are welcome to perform as many (or as few) times as they wish, so long as we have the capacity to steward the events adequately.
• Regular Venue companies will pay a £100 participation fee, £65 of which will be refunded so long as they fulfil their performance commitments.
• Alt Space companies will pay a £100 participation fee which will be refunded in full so long as they fulfil their performance commitments.
• A large group of experienced volunteers provide box-office and stewarding. There is a technician to operate lights and sound for shows in Regular Venues.
• The Festival markets and publicises the event as an entity. Companies market and publicise their own shows.
• Companies must have their own Public Liability Insurance and music used in a performance may be subject to PRS or PPL terms and conditions, dependent on the precise usage.
• We have done our best to find free billets for companies from outside North Devon if so required but, given the pandemic, we anticipate this being difficult / impossible this year. In return for being billeted, companies and individuals are asked to help out with four hours of volunteer duties that support Fringe TheatreFest.

why apply to Fringe TheatreFest?

• Fringe TheatreFest provides an affordable context in which to develop new work, to give further life to existing productions and to introduce a company to North Devon audiences, to local and regional promoters and, where appropriate, to schools and colleges. But primarily Fringe Theatrefest is a meeting place to forge new relationships and somewhere to be inspired by a host of interesting productions as well as to inspire others with what you have to offer.
• Fringe Theatrefest is probably one of the lowest-cost Fringe Theatre Festivals in the world because the outlay is so low. But, whilst it won't break the bank, it won't make anyone's fortune. In 2019 the average box-office take for a three-performance run in a regular venue was £227. The highest earner grossed £499. The lowest earner grossed £30. Alt Space takings varied enormously as some acts didn't set out to make money. The top earning Alt Space act made £622 but the average Alt Space take was £134.
• Fringe TheatreFest 2022 will have room for 36 companies in Regular Venues and for up to 32 Alt Space companies.

how to apply to Fringe TheatreFest

follow the link Regular Venues

follow the link Alt Space venues

questions?

You are more than welcome to contact us with specific questions.

"We saw some fab shows as well as making great connections with new audiences and promoters whilst at Fringe TheatreFest - may it go on from strength to strength!"