Greetings, Fringers!

It’s that time of year again: Get ready to imagine, create, explore, and produce. Fringe 2011 registration is upon us and everyone is welcome to join the adventure.

Fringe registration opens today with a deadline of April 1 to make it into the printed guide. The festival itself runs from June 16-26 with a week of press previews preceding it.

As many of you know by now, the Fringe is an uncurated and open-access festival meaning anyone with an idea and a venue can register; we turn no one away. If you can find a venue in Hollywood and have the drive to produce a show, you can Fringe.

For those of you interested in joining us for our second season, please read the below information carefully. Even for you veterans, there have been a few subtle changes to take note. As always, give us a shout at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Don’t wait for April 1 to get started as venue bookings can take weeks. We strongly suggest beginning the process as early as possible.

Good luck booking your venues and happy Fringe season!

Ben Hill, Festival Director
Hollywood Fringe Festival 2011

REGISTERING with the FRINGE

Registration is a three-step process. Follow these steps and you are well on your way to Fringe glory.

Step 1: Create your project

You will need an online home for your project. This is your hub for selling tickets, collecting reviews, displaying persuasive marketing content and much more. It’s a five minute process and costs absolutely nothing. Simply visit www.HollywoodFringe.org/add_project to get started.

Step 2: Apply to Venues

We have assembled some mighty fine venues in the Hollywood area for your consideration. It is your responsibility to contact venues and reach a booking agreement. Each venue is different; some curate based on their resident company’s aesthetic, some accept all comers on a first-come-first-served basis, some are a mixture of both.

Check out our list of venues and click the “apply now” button on those that you like (it’s at the top of each venue’s dedicated page). Following up with a phone call never hurts.

Don’t get discouraged if it takes a little while to complete this step – venue transactions are never easy (as any seasoned producer will tell you). If you get frustrated, feel free to contact us and we will happily help you find a home.

None of the venues listed on the Fringe website strike your fancy? Not to worry, you can bring your own venue so long as it sits within the geographical Fringe zone.

Step 3: Register with the Fringe

Once you have your venue(s) booked, there’s only one last step to official Fringedom: Registering with the festival. This simple online process provides a bevy of benefits including a listing in our printed guide, access to support, many media sponsorship deals for inexpensive promotion, and much more.

Once your venue booking is finalized, the option to register will appear on your project page (you will also be notified via email).

Need more info? There is much to read in the learn section of our website. And of course, if you ever need help contact us at [email protected]. We are here to help you succeed!

For Immediate Release

Press Contact:
Stacy Jones, The Hollywood Fringe Festival
[email protected]

Hollywood, CA – Registration for the Hollywood Fringe Festival opens February 1, 2011. Registration is a three-step process that can be completed entirely on the Festival’s website, starting with the creation of a project page. The second step is to book a contract with a venue, and the third step is to pay registration fees to the festival (read all about the registration process).

Registration is $250 for a project with multiple performances and $175 for participants producing free or single-performance shows. Registration fees pay for a listing in the Fringe Guide, artist services and discounts, online ticket sales, and festival assistance. There are no restrictions regarding art form, content, length, or ticket pricing for the festival; specifics will be left to participants and venues to determine. The registration deadline for guide inclusion is April 1, 2011.

The Festival takes place June 16-26, 2011 throughout central Hollywood.

The Model

The Hollywood Fringe team has adopted a model similar to Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the first event of this type. In this model, any artist can join if they find a venue and pay the registration fee. This model allows artists and venues to seek out compatible relationships and make decisions about a myriad of production questions (such as ticket price, show length, and artist compensation) independent of a centralized Fringe organization. The company feels that a system wherein any artist can join promotes entrepreneurship in the arts and helps the festival grow organically.

The Website

The Festival’s online presence assists participants with some of the unique challenges facing this model, particularly finding and maintaining relationships with venues. Artists can create pages for potential Fringe projects year-round; these pages can include information about length,
content, and venue requirements as well as relevant photos and videos. Venues also have pages that include information on spaces, open slots, and current state of programming. The Fringe organization also compiles video tours and ground plans for each venue.

It is the duty of participants to apply to venues that appeal to them (either from the Fringe’s database of enlisted venues or a DIY venue within the Fringe zone) and work out a contract. Once accepted, particpants are prompted to pay their festival registration fee. Decisions like ticket pricing and box office splits will be made between the participant and venue.

About Hollywood Fringe

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.

In June 2010, over 175 different artistic groups representing all genres of performing and visual art participated in the inaugural Hollywood Fringe Festival, filling 17,000 seats in 30 different venues throughout central Hollywood. The event was called “an artful feast” by the LA Times, “a roaring success” by Backstage, and “a triumph” by LA Weekly.

The mission of the Hollywood Fringe is to…

• Host an environment for bold and experimental works
• Champion underground art and artists
• Vitalize the arts industry in Los Angeles
• Promote and enrich the Hollywood neighborhood

Key Festival Dates

Feb. 1st – Registration Open
April 1st – Registration Deadline for Guide Inclusion
June 9-14 – Fringe Previews
June 15th – Fringe Opening Night Gala
June 16-26 – 2nd Annual Hollywood Fringe Festival
June 26 – Fringe Award Ceremony

Participants seeking more information can contact the festival at [email protected].

Follow @hollywoodfringe on Twitter or become a fan of our facebook page.

In our eternal efforts to make the Fringe better and better, we took careful notes on the success of various programs and initiatives during our first year. One thing is plain: Press drives traffic and attendance. Our most successful week was (surprise, surprise) our final week. Far and away, the fullest houses were on the second weekend.

One of the driving factors for this success was the reviews available in LA Weekly and Backstage as well as the coverage and reviews in Bitter Lemons, LATheatreReview.com, and on the Fringe website itself.

Speaking in the ideal, wouldn’t it be perfect to have those reviews available the day the Fringe opened on June 16? Thus was born the “previews” concept.

Obviously not too revolutionary an idea in the art world, previews allow for a soft opening to artists and a chance for the press to cover, comment, and review events before they truly begin.

Next year, Fringe Central and other participating venues will host performances and exhibits for press (and others) the week before the Fringe proper. Previews will be underway next year from June 9th through the 15th in preparation for the big event opening June 16 and closing June 26. We encourage all projects seeking pre-Fringe buzz to participate in this program.

The booking details and a list of participating venues will be announced in the coming weeks. We hope this evolves into another program to effectively drive box office sales and general exposure so even more patrons join us in this annual celebration of the emerging arts.

More info soon!

Ben

Second Hollywood Fringe Fest Scheduled for June 2011

A Strong New Community of Artists and Arts Supporters Finds a Home in Hollywood

October 6, 2010, For Immediate Release

In June 2010, the Hollywood Fringe Festival launched its inaugural festival, filling over 17,000 seats in 30 different venues throughout central Hollywood. Called “an artful feast” by the LA Times, “a roaring success” by Backstage, and “a triumph” by LA Weekly, over 175 different artistic groups representing all genres of performing and visual art participated in the festival.

The Hollywood Fringe returns in June 2011 with an exciting new roster of programming, including previews the week prior to the fest. The event (June 16-26) is open and noncurated; any artistic group able to book a venue within the festival’s boundaries may register. Traditional theatre spaces as well as found spaces (or DIY venues) are encouraged.

Registration for the Hollywood Fringe opens February 1st. Potential participants should be aware that registration for the festival is a three-step process and the first two steps can be completed before February. The first step is the creation of a project page on the festival’s site. Second, the project must be booked at a participating venue. Only then can projects register for the Fringe. All registrations complete before April 1 will receive placement in the Festival’s Guide, which will be distributed throughout Hollywood and greater Los Angeles starting May 2011.

The Hollywood Fringe will host several public events prior to this year’s festival in order to further develop the community surrounding the non-profit company, as well as provide information on new developments. Last year, the Fringe hosted town halls, parties, and fundraisers in participating venues. The organization needs volunteers throughout the year, and interested persons may learn more here.

Key Dates for 2011
Oct. 15: Venue Sign Up Open
Feb. 1st: Registration Open
April 1st: Registration Deadline for Guide Inclusion
June 9-14: Fringe Previews
June 15th: Fringe Opening Night Gala
June 16-26: The Hollywood Fringe Festival
June 26: Fringe Award Ceremony

Need more Info? Check out www.hollywoodfringe.org or email [email protected].
Or follow the Fringe on Twitter: @hollywoodfringe

Press Contact:
Stacy Jones
The Hollywood Fringe Festival
[email protected]

We have just under nine months until the second Hollywood Fringe Festival. Believe it or not, planning hasn’t stopped since we closed up Fringe Central on June 27. With ever ambitious plans for the next several years, there is simply no time to rest.

We have received several communications from those of you planning your summers, so let’s clear up some key dates so you can mark them on your calendars.

October 15: Venue Registration Open

All venues interesting in soliciting participants can register with the Fringe starting this day. The more the merrier, we’d like a nice selection for participants when booking begins in early 2011. Note that we highly encourage DIY venues – Fringe venue created from found spaces. The geographical borders are remaining fundamentally unchanged for 2011.

February 1: Participant Registration Open

Remember, mounting a show in the Hollywood Fringe Festival is a three step process. Registration and paying your Fringe registration fee is your final step. Time between now and February 1 can be spent creating your online project and booking your venue. We strongly suggest booking your venue as early as possible. Many venues will start booking in the coming months. Come February 1, you will be able to finalize the process by registering with the Fringe.

April 1: Registration Deadline

You can register with the Fringe anytime after February 1, but assuming you want to be included in the printed guide (hint: you do!), your registration needs to be complete by April 1. This means that you need to have a venue booked and your registration paid.

April 15: Ads Deadline

Guide Ads are an inexpensive way to promote your show to the captive Fringe audience. To send our guide to the printers in a timely manner, we must have your ads complete by April 15. Ads will be on sale to participants starting on February 1.

June 9-June 15: Previews

Fringe Central and several venue partners will be hosting Fringe previews leading up to opening day. For those of you that understand the power of press on house sizes and general visibility, you will want to participate in this program. More information will be available on previews soon.

June 16-26: Fringe Festival 2011

These are the big dates. Two weeks of unmatched mayhem, fun, and experience in the heart of Hollywood.

As always, contact us at [email protected] with your questions. We are here to help!

Ben