Press Release: Registration Open

THE HOLLYWOOD FRINGE ANNOUNCES
THE OPENING OF FESTIVAL REGISTRATION
to coincide with the launch of the Festival’s website

Hollywood, CA- Registration for the Hollywood Fringe Festival opens November 16, 2009 to coincide with the launch of the festival’s new website at www.hollywoodfringe.org. Registration can be completed on the website by anyone who contracts a venue. 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. Registration is $200 for a project with multiple performances and $125 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. Registration closes April 1, 2010. The Festival takes place June 17-27, 2010.

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. Says Ben Hill, the Festival Director: “In a city already flourishing with artists, we’d like everyone to participate on their own terms.” 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 challenge facing this model, particularly finding and maintaining relationships with venues. Starting November 16, artists can create pages for potential Fringe projects. 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 the spaces, open slots, and current state of programming. The Fringe organization is compiling video tours and ground plans for each venue.

Participants can apply to any venue with an open slot; once they are accepted to a venue, they are prompted to pay their festival registration fee. Decisions like ticket pricing and box office splits will be made between the participant and venue. Like a social networking website, both artists and venues can be proactive about communicating with each other and finding a good match. If an artist struggles to find a venue, they still have a forum in which to create and test-drive their projects.

Venues are encouraged to accept local, national, and international artistic projects as well as showcase the work of their resident artistic companies. Aside from artist and venue services, the website will contain information about anything and everything Fringe. Ben Hill, the Festival Director, is also in charge of technology for the festival and the website is his conception. Gavin Worth developed all original artwork for the site.

The first official Fringe venues include: Second City, The Paul G. Gleason Theatre, iO West, Theatre Asylum, Art|Works, The Lounge Theatre, Comedy Sportz, Theatre of NOTE, and the Stella Adler Acting Studio. These venues (with many more in the coming weeks) will begin accepting applications immediately.

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.

The Hollywood Fringe seeks to build an immersive festival worthy of the neighborhood’s reputation. The company is currently establishing partnerships with arts companies, community organizations, and other local businesses in the Hollywood area to host and participate in the festival.

Key Festival Facts
Dates: June 17 – June 27, 2010 (annual)
Artistic Companies: 100 (projected)
Number of Performances: 500 paid (projected)
Location: Hollywood, CA

Participants seeking more information can contact the festival at [email protected] or by visiting the website at www.HollywoodFringe.org.