Fringe 101
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL
September 6-16, 2012 — Pick of the Fringe September 19-23, 2012
Do you want to perform at the Fringe? Find out more in the sections below.
How do I apply?
What the Fringe will provide for you
What you will do
How Much Does it Cost?
Mainstage Selection Process (The Lottery)
BYOV/Site-Specific Selection Process
Onsite Selection Process
Ticket Revenue
International Artists
Billeting
Canadian Artist Equity Association Members
HOW DO I APPLY?
Fringe shows are un-juried and uncensored. That means that you do not need to submit a script – or even tell us what your show is about! – when you apply. Anyone can submit a show for the festival! One-man shows, drama, acrobats, queer burlesque – we take them all!
A company (or individual) applies for a spot in the Fringe by submitting an application form and fee. There are three separate categories to apply to, and each company is limited to one application per year.
1. The Mainstage Artist application is now closed for the 2012 Fringe Festival – accepted and waitlisted artists can be found on our 2012 line-up page. Mainstage applicants were selected by a lottery at our Lottery Party on December 7, 2011 at 8pm at the Anza Club!
- A Mainstage venue spot refers to shows that are placed in a venue supplied by the Festival, including a technician, basic lighting, and sound. The show can be from 10-75 minutes in length.
- BYOV/Site-Specific refers to shows that supply their own venue or location, technician, lighting, and sound. Technical rehearsal and scheduling is up to the company to arrange with the venue, except for venues/locations on Granville Island where the Fringe may need to be involved.
- Fringe Onsite is a mentorship project withVancouver’s premier site-specific creators The Only Animal that will help you to develop your own site-specific work for the 2012 Fringe (September 6-16). During the spring and summer, participants will work intensively with The Only Animal, to embrace every nook and cranny of Granville Island and bring them to life for the Fringe in September!
- Note: the Onsite program will not accept applicants with pre-established scripts.
WHAT THE FRINGE WILL PROVIDE FOR YOU
| Mainstage | BYOV/ Site-Specific Shows |
Onsite |
| • A venue equipped with a stage, basic lighting and sound• A technician• A technical rehearsal of up to 3 hours
• A show schedule of 5-6 performances • Advertising in the festival program guide and festival publicity • Advance and at-door box office • Front-of-house services through volunteer teams • Access to the local media list and publicity information • 100% of the regular box office revenue generated by the performing company • Third party liability insurance
|
• Advertising of up to 10 performances in the festival program guide and festival publicity• Advance and at-door box office• Front-of-house services through volunteer teams (might be limited depending on venue location)
• Access to the local media list and publicity information • 100% of the regular box office revenue generated by the performing company • Third party liability insurance |
• Eleven weeks of instruction with the Fringe and The Only Animal. Instruction will cover the entire creative process, from site selection and story development, to technical design, to marketing.• One on one mentorship from The Only Animal’s Producing Artistic Director, Kendra Fanconi.• A unique location to perform your work at the heart of the Fringe on Granville Island.
• Storage (limited amount of space) Permits and logistics planning • Set performance schedules • Advertising of up to 10 performances in the festival program guide and festival publicity • Advance and at-door box office • Front-of-house services through volunteer teams (might be limited depending on venue location) • Access to the local media list and publicity information • 100% of the regular box office revenue generated by the performing company • Third party liability insurance |
WHAT YOU WILL DO
| Mainstage | BYOV/ Site-Specific Shows |
Onsite |
| • Submit your application and your administration fee• Secure the rights to your production, if it is not original work• Once accepted, promote your show! The Fringe will market the entire Festival, and will help out individual companies as much as possible.
• Submit technical information about your show such as running time, lighting, sound and special effects • Submit a show description and a photo • Adhere to the festival policies including signage, box office and FOH procedures
|
• Find a venue and sign an agreement with them• Submit your application (note: no fees are due until after you are accepted)• Once accepted, arrange for a Technician if not provided by your venue
• Arrange for lighting and sound equipment if not provided by your venue • Schedule technical rehearsals with your venue • Promote your show! The Fringe will market the entire Festival, and will help out individual companies as much as possible. • Provide the Fringe with a show schedule (note: depending on your venue, the Fringe may need to be involved in determining your performance schedule) • Provide the Fringe with the name and contact information for a Front-of-house liaison (from the venue or the company) • If the Fringe is unable to do so, provide volunteers for Front of House duties (training provided by the Fringe) • Submit technical information about your show such as running time, venue seating capacity, etc • Submit a show description and a photo • Adhere to the festival policies including signage, box office, and FOH procedures |
• Submit your application (note: no fees are due until after you are accepted)• Attend Onsite workshops• Develop your production during the Spring and Summer of 2012 so it’s ready for the 2012 Vancouver Fringe!
• Promote your show! The Fringe will market the entire Festival, and will help out individual companies as much as possible. • If the Fringe is unable to do so, provide volunteers for Front of House duties (training provided by the Fringe) • Submit technical information about your show such as running time, venue seating capacity, etc • Submit a show description and a photo • Adhere to the festival policies including signage, box office, and FOH procedures
|
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Mainstage: Mainstage Administration Fee*: $50 (non-refundable). Must be paid with Mainstage Artist application in order for application to be considered complete.
If you are selected in the Fringe Mainstage Lottery, you will have 7 days to pay the Mainstage Artist Fee:
Shows 10-30 minutes in length – $550
Shows 31-75 minutes in length – $750
Bring Your Own Venue/Site-Specific Show: No fee to apply!
Once you are accepted as a BYOV/Site-Specific Show artist, you will have 7 days to pay the BYOV/Site-Specific Show Artist Fee of $500 (no minimum or maximum length; includes a non-refundable $50 administration fee)
Fringe Onsite: No fee to apply!
Once you are accepted as an Onsite artist, you will have 7 days to pay the Onsite Artist Fee of $800. (Includes a non-refundable $50 administration fee).
*All fees are HST-free (whoopee!) and are refundable if an artist withdraws from the festival before the withdrawal deadline of April 4, 2012. Please note that the $50 administration fees are non-refundable.
MAINSTAGE SELECTION PROCESS (THE LOTTERY)
All Mainstage Venue applicants were placed in a public lottery held on December 7, 2011 at 8pm at the Anza Club in Vancouver.
There are 3 separate lotteries, one for each category: Provincial, National (outside BC) and International (including USA). An equal number of spaces is available for each category (approx. 16). The lottery determines the participating companies and the order of the waiting list. Waitlisted companies will be contacted in the event that an accepted company withdraws from the Fringe and an equivalent spot comes available.
The Mainstage applications for 2012 are now closed.
BYOV/SITE-SPECIFIC SELECTION PROCESS
BYOV/Site-Specific Show applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Like our Mainstage applications, the selections are unjuried and uncensored with respect to the subject matter, format, etc. of your show. However, your BYOV/Site-Specific Show must be approved by the Fringe in order for your application to be considered (see below for evaluation parameters). BYOV/Site-Specific Show applications will open on January 17, 2012.
Some venues return as BYOVs/Site-Specific Shows year after year; some approach us for consideration; some are discovered by the artists themselves. More information on potential BYOV locations will be available on the BYOV/Site-Specific Show application when it goes online.
BYOV/Site-Specific Show applications will be evaluated when submitted based on the following parameters:
- Administrative capacity of the festival (available staff and volunteer time)
- Accessibility (i.e., distance to festival office, Fringe history of the venue, accessibility for patrons and performers, etc.)
- Site specific aspects, uniqueness of locations
ONSITE SELECTION
Onsite applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications for Onsite will open on January 17, 2012.
Note: the Onsite program will not accept applicants with pre-established scripts.
TICKET REVENUE
- The Fringe returns 100% of the regular box office revenue to the relevant artists/companies.
- The weekday ticket price and weekend late night (10:00 PM or later) ticket price is $10.00 for all companies.
- The weekend ticket price is $12.00 for all companies.
- The Fringe charges a $3 surcharge on all advance tickets sold online to help cover the overhead costs of such sales, but the entire face value of the ticket is returned to the artist ($12/$10).
- There is no surcharge on the at-door ticket sales.
We pay 100% of the regular box office proceeds (excluding the $3 advance ticket surchage) to the artist. There are two cheque payouts during the run of the festival. The average artist payout is approximately $2,500. Some artists with very successful shows make upwards of $5,000, while others bring in only $100. There are a number of factors that affect artist payouts, so we recommend managing a conservative budget for your show.
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS
Federal Non-Resident Withholding Tax (Regulation 105) for non-Canadian Performers:
This is the Federal Government’s form of income tax for non-residents. International groups can apply for a waiver which allows performers to earn a base amount that is non-taxable. The basic exemption is $15,000 for American artists and $5,000 for other foreign artists. Registered non-profit groups from Britain may apply for a complete exemption.
Companies may apply as a single entity claiming expenses against projected revenues, but this may not be as advantageous as claiming individually. Applicants should apply for this waiver at the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) office in the city of their first stop on the Fringe circuit at least one month before they arrive. CCRA will forward the waiver instructions from Fringe to Fringe. We have had some difficulties with communications from CCRA offices in other cities and for this reason we strongly suggest that you forward us a copy of your waiver application and first waiver letter from CCRA in advance of your arrival in Vancouver.
If the waiver isn’t confirmed by the CCRA and a copy isn’t sent to the festival office, the Fringe is required to withhold 15% of your ticket revenues and the performers/company will have to apply for a refund from CCRA at the end of the year.
For a Regulation 105 Waiver Application Form in PDF format, click on the link below or for more information, contact the International Tax Services Office:
Ph: 1-800-267-5177 (within Canada & the United States)
1-613-952-3741 (outside Canada & the United States – collect calls accepted)
Fax: 1-613-941-2505
LOAD PDF – Federal Withholding Tax Waiver Application
Note: If you are using Firefox, this form may not load properly. In that case, open this form in Internet Explorer, instead.
BILLETING
The Fringe will try to provide a place to stay (called a “billet”) for those artists who will require accommodation. There are a lot of wonderful people in Vancouver who open their homes to host artists. A billeting form will be sent in July to all artists accepted into the Fringe. The Fringe does not guarantee a billet placement and encourages artists to arrange their own accommodations if possible.
INFORMATION FOR CANADIAN ARTIST EQUITY ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
The Vancouver International Fringe Festival is included in the Canadian Artist Equity Association’s Festival Policy. If any actors in your show are members of the CAEA, you will need to complete the online CAEA Festival Policy Application for a waiver to allow you to participate in the Vancouver Fringe. Only one application is required per show, but it must be submitted at least 30 days before your first rehearsal.
We strongly recommend that you include Opening Night (2 days before the Festival) and Pick of the Fringe (the week after the Festival) in your waiver application, just in case you are asked to perform as part of our Opening Night showcases, or are chosen by our audience as Pick of the Fringe!
If you have any questions about the Fringe artist application process, please contact the Artist Services Coordinator at 604.257.0350 or festivalassistant@vancouverfringe.com.
