something special for North Devon

INTRODUCTION

Be part of the 19th annual Fringe TheatreFest

Fringe TheatreFest is a four-day festival of comedy, drama, street-theatre, dance, music, magic and more that takes place in Barnstaple at the end of June.

Becoming a sponsor will support Fringe TheatreFest to inspire people in North Devon with an exciting range of performances at affordable prices. We welcome popular local companies, performers from around the country and international performers to Barnstaple, drawn by the lure of the friendliest Fringe in the UK (so we are reliably informed).

In 2024 2,771 tickets were sold for performances in ticketed venues whilst a further 1,152 attendances were recorded for performances in public spaces and informal, pay-what-you-will venues. The festival featured 157 performances from 60 theatre companies over four days of intense activity.

Over 90 volunteers made the festival happen, supervising the venues and outside events, running the box-offices, providing the technical side, assisting with publicity and being the warm and welcoming public face of Fringe TheatreFest.

In 2025 we will once again have venues at Queen’s Theatre, where we will have two performance spaces, The Baptist Hall, the Castle Centre, the Golden Lion Tap, the Guildhall and JCT27.

An impressive variety of individuals and institutions come together to make this extraordinary event happen. Significant collaborators include Landmark Theatres (who run Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple), Barnstaple Town Council, North Devon Council, Barnstaple Town Centre Management, The Bridge Trust, The Plough Arts Centre, Barnstaple Library, Barnstaple Museum, Green Lanes Shopping Centre and Flourish Barnstaple.

Help in kind – including the loan of equipment – comes from many quarters including Swimbridge Jubilee Hall, Eden Park Academy and multi story theatre company.

Funding support for specific elements of the Fringe over the years has come from North Devon Community Councillor Grants, Fullabrook CIC, the National Lottery, The Bridge Trust and Rotary.

Support from Sponsors principally covers the costs of marketing and publicity but also a proportion of infrastructure costs – insurance, equipment and volunteer training and certification.

Marketing and publicity activity is aimed not only at regular arts attenders, theatre groups etc but also at the wider North Devon community.

The major physical marketing tools for 2025 will be over 8,000 A5 leaflets, 300 A4 & 100 A3 posters and 1,500 brochures. All print will be sustainably sourced and carbon neutral. The leaflets will be distributed across North Devon from mid-May. At the same time, posters will go up in libraries, schools, shops and businesses. The brochure will be available throughout June.

We have a year-round presence on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. During the week of the festival, Barnstaple is buzzing with festival attendees. We have banners around the town. Our gazebo is prominent in the High Street, every venue is identified with a Fringe board and a Fringe flag and outside events are also marked by a mobile Fringe flag.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Overall Festival Sponsor £2,000

This opportunity is newly available this year. As overall sponsor, we can work with you to help you get the most out of your sponsorship.

• Your business banner or flag (for you to supply) at each of the Fringe TheatreFest ticketed venues
• Your logo on 400 Fringe TheatreFest posters
• Your logo on the front of over 8,000 A5 leaflets and 1,500 brochures
• Your logo on the front page and venue page of our website with a link to your website
• Your business tagged in regular social media posts from Fringe TheatreFest accounts
• Sponsorship announcements to the local newspapers and radio

Alternative Space Sponsor £1000

Sponsoring the highly visible programme of over 60 performances taking place outdoors and in unique venues around the town

• Your business banner or flag (for you to supply) at St Anne's Arts Centre
• An A3 poster highlighting your sponsorship in other Alternative Spaces venues
• Your logo on the back page of over 8,000 A5 leaflets and inside the 1,500 brochures
• Your logo on the front page and venue page of our website with a link to your website
• Your business tagged in social media posts from Fringe TheatreFest accounts
• Sponsorship announcements to the local newspapers and radio

Venue Sponsors £500 - each venue, 15 performances

mainstage@QT [Queen's Theatre]

gallery@QT [Queen's Theatre]

Golden Lion Tap

Baptist Hall

The Guildhall

Castle Centre

JCT27

venue sponsorship includes:

• Your business banner or flag (for you to supply) inside and outside YOUR venue
• Your business flyers (for you to supply) on marketing tables throughout the festival
• Your logo on the back page of the 8,000 A5 leaflets and inside the 1,500 brochures
• Your logo on the front page and venue page of our website with a link to your website
• Your business tagged in social media posts from Fringe TheatreFest accounts
• Sponsorship announcements to the local newspapers and radio

Gold sponsor £250

• Your logo on the back of the 8,000 leaflets and the 1,500 brochures
• Your logo on the front page of our website with a link to your website
• Sponsorship announcements to local newspapers and radio

Silver Sponsor £100

• Your logo on the back of the 1,500 brochures
• Your logo on the front page of our website with a link to your website
• Sponsorship announcements to local newspapers and radio

All sponsorship packages can be fine-tuned to suit our sponsors' requirements.

for further information and to discuss sponsorship, please contact Helen Clark-Hayton at sponsorship@theatrefest.co.uk

PROGRAMME ADVERTS

Advertising is available in the 20-page Fringe TheatreFest brochure. 1,500 brochures will be available free at the Queen’s Theatre from June 1st and at Fringe TheatreFest venues throughout the week of the festival.

There are spaces for 9 adverts 10cm wide x 3.3cm high. Each advert space costs £50.

There are spaces for 3 adverts 5.5cm wide x 3.3cm high. Each of these advert spaces costs £30.

We will need finished artwork at a minimum resolution of 300ppi as a jpeg, tiff, png or pdf no later than Friday 4th April 2025.

Spaces are allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Please contact Helen Clark-Hayton at sponsorship@theatrefest.co.uk

2025 EVENT SUMMARY

Event: Fringe TheatreFest

Date: Thursday 26 June – Sunday 29 June 2025

Times of event: 11am – 11 pm

Activity: 90 performances in ticketed venues and approximately 80 performances outside and in informal spaces across Barnstaple Town Centre

Ticket prices: £8 / £5 concessions / £24 Frequent Fringer Voucher (for 6 shows) or pay-what-you-will bucket-collections

In support of: Fringe TheatreFest Barnstaple – a not-for-profit organisation

Governance: Fringe TheatreFest is a not-for-profit Unincorporated Association presently becoming a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Its activities are overseen by a management committee of local volunteers with relevant professional experience.

for further information and to discuss sponsorship, please contact Helen Clark-Hayton at sponsorship@theatrefest.co.uk