Programming Vision
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To present a unique space and a program of works that engenders discovery and adventure for both audiences and artists; embraces diversity; supports experimentation; and fosters connection and celebration while also ensuring programmed work is financially viable for the presenting artists.
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New Work, Innovative Ideas, Diverse Voices
- We’re committed to finding space in our Fringe Programmed Venues for new ideas, under-represented art-forms, and work that’s experimental and on the edge of current practice.
- We consider innovation in artform alongside quality of work; we will look both at the event being proposed and at the artists’ existing body of work in making our programming decisions.
- Preference will be given to work that will have its Victorian premiere at the 2025 Melbourne Fringe Festival. Revised staging of recent work will also be considered, providing there is a clear rationale for a remounted season (e.g. if it has undergone significant development or if there is clearly demonstrated untapped audience potential).
- We have a commitment to diversity in all its forms: in creative diversity, by celebrating different styles and genres across our performance spaces; in diversity of content, by embracing the engagement of new ideas that need a public platform; and in diversity of voice, through a commitment to supporting voices not suitably represented on mainstages, including artists who are First Nations, People of Colour, culturally and linguistically diverse, LGBTQIA+, Deaf, Disabled, and/or artists that are committed to creating culturally and socially safe spaces.
- Event concepts that demonstrate a commitment to accessibility will be highly favoured, particularly where accessibility is integrated as part of the work.
Suitability for the Space
- Shows that are light on infrastructure and able to work with a shared lighting rig are best suited to the multi-show Fringe Programmed Venues.
- Shows with technical requirements that suit the space for which they have applied. The sizes of the performance spaces vary, as do the audio and visual equipment.
- Work that can be bumped in/out within a shared 15-minute window (ie. this time is shared with the show preceding and following) in smaller rooms, and 30-minutes in larger rooms (eg. ETU Ballroom). If you need longer than this you should consider the rooms we are running at Meat Market which feature up to 1 hour turn around times (Cobblestone Pavilion, Blackwood Box)
- Viability of the work for the room(s) requested is a big consideration – who is coming, what is your marketing plan, and are you choosing the right capacity? “Success” is dictated by you – is a sold out 30 seat audience your aim, or a 200 seat venue? EOIs that ask for larger capacity rooms without a proper understanding of their market will be less successful than those that clearly express who their audience is and what their plan is to fill the room requested.
- When considering which room works best for you, we would encourage you to assess your budget and calculate roughly how many seats you would need to sell to break even and recover your costs. Your “break even point” should be as low as possible of course, but if it’s more than 30% of the room’s capacity perhaps consider your potential audience size, marketing budget, and whether this is sustainable and achievable for you.
Empathy With Melbourne Fringe’s Goals and Philosophy
- Work that is racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic or ableist is not welcome in any way whatsoever.
About the EOI process
A few tips for you before we get into the granular detail of how to apply to the Festival Hub:
- Please do your research. Read all the resources about the Fringe Programmed Venues on the Resource Hub. If it’s been a while since you presented work at Fringe make sure you familiarise yourself with how our Festival works. We particularly suggest checking out: