Greetings, all…

For those of you coming from beyond the borders of the United States, we have posted some pointers that may help you along your Fringe way.

Make sure to check them out.

International participation can be a thorny issue so contact us with any questions and we will help you along.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Ben

We are immensely excited to announce the new location of Fringe Central for festival 2011: ArtWorks Theatre & Studios.

When we began planning the 2011 festival shortly after last June we knew one thing: We wanted to substantially increase the level of production at Fringe Central. The key to any festival’s success is its sense of place; the environment provided by the festival. We had some amazing times at our last locale, this year we wanted to bump it up several notches.

With our new-found partnership with the good folks at ArtWorks and Artel, we have done just that.

Located in the middle of Theatre Row along Santa Monica Blvd, we now offer five distinct performance spaces for participant productions.

These include…

• One mainstage space featuring a beautiful 80-seat house
• Two secondary performances spaces seating 35-40
• A space to house the Fringe Central Film program (formal announcement coming soon)
• A cabaret stage underneath the Fringe big-top tent

Did he say tent? Why yes he did. Amidst the excitement at Fringe Central will be a big top tent to house a cabaret stage, the Fringe Bar, and the hub of the social activity at the Fringe. It’s a place to enjoy the community and a few beverages after a heavy day of Fringing.

We are booking now! Interested in hosting your show at the epicenter of Fringe? Create your project and apply today to Fringe Central.

Special thanks to the ArtWorks team: Don Cesario, Monica Martin, and Olya Petrakova for their partnership and support.

And, yes…here’s another one of those venue tours featuring Fringe Central Manager Nick Hill to get you started…

Fringe on!

Ben

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]