SUMMER NIGHTS 2016 APPLICATION PACK

The Blue Room Theatre in association with PICA presents
SUMMER
NIGHTS
2016
APPLICATION
PACK
WELCOME.
The Blue Room Theatre and PICA are now welcoming applications for Summer Nights,
our hand-crafted program of theatre, dance and performance which takes place as part of
the biggest annual arts festival in Western Australia - FRINGE WORLD, Jan 22 – Feb 21
2016.
Summer Nights is a joint initiative of The Blue Room Theatre and the Perth Institute of
Contemporary Arts (PICA) with the intention of presenting high-quality, diverse and
contemporary live events. In 2015 we welcomed over 11,000 people through our doors,
achieved over 84% attendance and won our fourth consecutive FRINGE WORLD Best
Independent Program award. We were also proud to sweep the artform categories,
winning ten including Best Theatre (Fake It Til You Make It), Best Comedy (Kraken) and
the prestigious $10,000 Martin Sims Award (Monroe & Associates).
We invite artists from around the corner and across the globe to submit work which
breaks boundaries and tears up rule books. Sure-fire experiments, fledgling ideas and
tried and tested audience pleasers are equally welcome.
The Offer.
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One of the most generous box office splits at FRINGE WORLD
Free venue hire including full festival lighting rig, AV and sound
Expert marketing and publicity support including a full listing in the Summer
Nights full-colour program, an event page on TBRT website and inclusion in a substantial marketing campaign, with all the perks of having a show as part of FRINGE WORLD
We’ll run your box office and front of house
Professional theatre venues with dedicated full time staff
Being a part of a successful, established live performance program that attracted 11095 people in 2015, with 84% capacity across all productions
No added public liability insurance required (once you become a full paid BR member at $50 per year)
I was very impressed with the polish, professionalism, range and artistic programming of Summer Nights. Blue
Room operates a welcoming, inclusive artistic environment that I applaud. I have ‘Highly Recommended’ to
several artists that they apply to Summer Nights for a future season. Jeff Achtem, Bunk Puppets
1.
MARKETING &
PUBLICITY
WHAT WE’LL DO FOR YOU
MARKETING: We’ll publicise the Summer Nights season as a whole. We’ll work alongside your
publicist and your team to craft the best possible campaign for your show.
SUPPORT: We’re here for marketing support and advice – we’ll proof all your collateral so
date and ticketing info is bang-on, and are happy to recommend publicists, photographers,
designers, printers and distributors.
COLLATERAL: Your show will be included in our Summer Nights brochure, which we distribute
far and wide across Perth, as well as on our website and in our regular e-news.
FRINGE WORLD: We’ll register you for the FRINGE WORLD program, website and ticketing
system. The FRINGE WORLD registration fee is $300 that will need to be paid by midSeptember 2015.
POZIBLE: If you’re thinking about doing a crowdfunding campaign, we can hook you up with
Pozible and get you a discount on fees – so you’ll have more cash for your show! We’ll create a
Summer Nights page on Pozible to make it easier for people to find your campaign.
VENUE: Our focus isn’t just on the theatre space – we’ll be changing up the whole venue to
embrace all things Fringe. Our Summer Nights Bar will be a fun, laid-back place to hang during
Fringe, where you can meet other artists and arts lovers.
WHAT WE’LL NEED FROM YOU
WE WANT YOUR HOTTEST IMAGES: Your show rocks, so make it look good in print and
online. If you’re accepted into Summer Nights 2016, we’ll be in touch very quickly to get the
image discussions rolling.
THINK ABOUT PUBLICITY: You’ll be up against 450+ other shows – you need to cut through
the noise and make yourself heard. A publicist is the best way to do this.
GET AMONGST IT: Make sure your whole team is on board in promoting your show, start early
and go hard. Contribute to discussions on social media and share other people’s content. Use
the hashtags #summernights16 and #fringeworld once FRINGE WORLD launches later in the
year.
2.
THE
BLUE ROOM
STUDIO &
THEATRE
PROGRAM
The Blue Room Theatre (62 capacity) and Studio (50) are intimate and flexible black box
spaces.
The Blue Room Theatre venues have been operational for 26 years and attract an
audience willing to take risks, enjoy diversity of performance and applaud innovation.
The theatres are upstairs in our heritage venue adjacent to an established bar which
opens one hour before the first show and closes late. Drinks are cheap and audiences
and artists alike hang around post-show.
Sure-fire experiments, fledgling ideas and tried and tested audience pleasers are
equally welcome. Please be aware that the seating is fixed and won’t be able to shift per
performance.
The venues are intimate and can accommodate small to medium productions with
professional design that do not require a large amount of space for storage. Each
venue has an accompanying dressing room which is shared with all productions in that
performance space.
We will provide a Technical Manager who will be present for your technical rehearsal and
available during all changeovers between shows. All you’ll need to provide is a Stage
Manager who will be responsible for operating each of your shows.
Technical Specifications.
50 pax Studio stage dimensions - 7m wide x 5 m deep
62 pax Theatre stage dimensions - 7.84m wide x 4.37m deep
Download Stage Plan - Studio
Download Stage Plan - Theatre
Download detailed Technical Specifications
I loved participating in The Blue Room Theatre’s Summer Nights program. It exceeded all my expectations in
every way. The staff (administration, venue, and technical) were excellent and went above and beyond to make the
show a success. There is great support for artists available from the outset that continues up until the end of the
season and I really felt that The Blue Room was invested in making the season successful. - Gillian Cosgriff
3.
PICA
PERFORMANCE
SPACE PROGRAM
The Blue Room Theatre and PICA partner again to present a season of exceptional
contemporary performance in PICA’s Performance Space. We are seeking proposals for high
quality, presentation-ready works from around the corner and across the globe suitable for a
season at PICA.
About PICA
PICA’s key aim is to promote, support and present contemporary arts and to stimulate critical
discussion around the arts and broader cultural issues. Providing a site for experimentation,
critical analysis, discussion and debate is fundamental to its charter. PICA is known for the
rigour and breadth of its artistic programs, high production standards and impeccable
presentation. An icon of contemporary thinking, PICA is a catalyst for innovative and ground
breaking art and culture. Not constrained by convention, PICA gives artists and audiences a
glimpse of what is possible.
In 2016 we are looking for:
• works that suit PICA’s black box Performance Space
• new or existing works of contemporary dance, experimental theatre, live art, new music
and sound
• projects with conceptual rigour, have been thoroughly researched and are
culturally engaging and relevant - we want work that needs to be made now!
• experimental approaches to art form development and innovative live experiences
for audiences – if you have an ambitious and unusual idea we want to hear about it!
• works by artists at pivotal stages of their career, whether it be emerging, mid-career and
established – we want to support artists in the development of their career and those ready to
challenge audiences
Summer Nights applications for PICA’s Performance Space should address their alignment
with PICA’s aims, particularly towards experimental live practice and the development
of art forms, ambitious new ideas and providing innovative experiences for audiences.
The selection of works will be programmed by jointly by PICA and The Blue Room, with
successful works being recognized as being part of PICA’s 2016 Artistic program.
Technical Specifications.
Download Stage Plan with dimensions
Download Images of PICA Performance Space
Download detailed Technical Specifications inc. lighting rig
We just love being included in the Summer Nights Program. It is a superbly curated program full of great work,
and the Blue Room’s team provides unprecedented support in all facets of production - from picking you up at the
airport to making sure you get press coverage to helping you use the photocopier.
Stephanie Brotchie, Don’t Be Lonely (Kraken, Stuart Bowden)
4.
OUTDOOR EVENTS
& AMAZING IDEAS
THAT SIMPLY WON’T
FIT IN A TRADITIONAL
THEATRE VENUE...
PROGRAM
While most of the Summer Nights action takes place in our three performance spaces,
the streets of Perth during FRINGE WORLD are packed with hungry, festival-fit
audiences.
Much like The Last Great Hunt’s award-winning Monroe & Associates and Road Theatre’s
Mobile Moments 3.0, we want to hear from artists who plan on taking to the streets with
their work, whatever format that may take. Lead a legion in promenade or look to the
skies and the views that obstruct them: our building, balcony, footprint, cul-de-sac and
neighbourhood await your vision.
We won’t be constrained by post codes or street views so take us to the river or make
us focus on a pixel. Perth in summertime is hot by day and balmy by night, so prepare
accordingly. Think big or think tiny and let’s get planning.
We’re also interested in free events. Keep in mind that free events attract a reduced
FRINGE WORLD registration fee of just $150.
Technical Specifications.
We understand that your idea probably doesn’t fit in any of the spaces listed above so
we can’t give you made-to-order tech specs. You tell us what you need and let’s start a
conversation. We are at the heart of the Perth Cultural Centre and can act as a great hub
or starting off point for an outdoor performance, walking tour or other. For events that
can’t or don’t want to fit into a blackbox theatre venue we are willing to offer:
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Significant and generous box office splits
Technical advice & support
The same great marketing support and a spot in our pretty printed program
A central hub location complete with dressing room, facilities, box office and full front of house support
= And probably a heap of extra stuff along the way
The Blue Room Theatre’s Summer Nights Program provides the best support for new work at FRINGE
WORLD. The venues, marketing and curation of the program is top notch. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
Dan Clarke from Theatre Works, producer of Fake It Til You Make It
5.
600
SECONDS.
We are seeking expressions of interest from artists interested in creating a new piece of
performance no more than 10 minutes long. We want you to take a risk. We’ll give you
an audience, a stage, lights, sound and AV if you give us 10 minutes of truly boundarypushing live performance.
600 Seconds is ideal for emerging artists interested in getting to know The Blue Room
Theatre and taking part in Summer Nights. 600 Seconds artists are not paid to perform
but will receive a host of perks including a Summer Nights pass which allows artists
access to all SN shows pending capacity and a complimentary drink at our bar on show
nights. Most artists will also receive a few hours of mentorship by a matched professional
artist - this opportunity will be reserved for groups who will stand to gain a great deal of
development from the extra support.
This is for writers, devisers, choreographers, performers, dancers, comedians,
storytellers and (insert your title here). 600 Seconds has been created to allow
predominantly emerging artists a chance to perform new work to a live audience.
If successful, you will be programmed into a group that will perform at least twice over
one week. Each week is capped off with a ‘Best Of’ session which will give some artists a
chance to perform for a third time.
You may already have a short in mind. You may not. That is absolutely fine. We are looking
for applications from anyone and everyone who is interested. As long as your idea runs
(strictly) no longer than 600 Seconds.
Technical Specifications.
62 pax Theatre stage dimensions - 7.84m wide x 4.37m deep
Download Stage Plan – Theatre
Download detailed Technical Specifications
Download detailed 600 Seconds Information
600 Seconds allowed me to take risks creating theatre beyond my comfort zone. I explore new form, new style as a
director, with a concerted focus on exploring the craft of writing character and compelling scenes.
- Warwick Doddrell, 600 Seconds Artist 2015
6.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS.
What are the venue hire costs for Summer Nights
venues?
There are NO venue hire or staff costs for Summer
Nights productions. You will need to pay for
rehearsal venue space if you choose to rehearse
here. As always, space is uber cheap at just $5 per
hour. Checkout THE OFFER on the first page and
each venue’s page to get an overview of what we
will provide the Producer. Feel free to drop us a line
to chat about the financial split for 2016. Contact
details on the next page.
Is Summer Nights different to FRINGE
WORLD?
Summer Nights is an independent curated
program which is presented as part of FRINGE
WORLD. Every act that is successfully selected for
Summer Nights is automatically part of FRINGE
WORLD 2016.
Do I need to register for FRINGE WORLD if I am
also applying for Summer Nights?
In short, no. You do not need to register for
FRINGE WORLD while your Summer Nights
application is being assessed. Once successful
we will do all the hard work for you including
registration, communication and support.
If I am coming from the Eastern States or
overseas, will The Blue Room Theatre pay my
flights or accommodation?
Unfortunately we have limited resources and
cannot pay for any flights or accommodation.
We do, however, have a very open and generous
membership base and would be happy to assist
you to find a billet for your time in Perth.
If I don’t get in to Summer Nights, does that
mean I can’t be a part of FRINGE WORLD?
No - you will still be able to apply to be a part
of FRINGE WORLD. We will inform you of our
decision with plenty of time to register for another
venue. Check out fringeworld.com.au for further
details and deadlines.
Will you buy my show to be a part of FRINGE
WORLD?
Summer Nights presents works by independent
theatre makers. We do not buy shows. All artists
maintain an independent status and have total
artistic control of their work.
Does Summer Nights have a registration cost
on top of the FRINGE WORLD registration fee?
No. The only registration fee you will need to
pay is the FRINGE WORLD registration fee. The
registration fee for 2016 is $300. This will need to
be paid upfront by mid-September 2015.
Can I apply for 600 Seconds AND a show at PICA
or The Blue Room Theatre?
Yes. Just fill out a separate application form for
each work.
Do I need to be a Blue Room Theatre member to
apply for Summer Nights?
You will need to become a Blue Room member
if you are successfully chosen for the Summer
Nights program but do not have to become a
member prior. Annual Blue Room membership
($50 per person) grants you public liability
insurance for the length of your run.
Does Summer Nights provide a publicist for my
show?
All successful shows will be part of our extensive
marketing campaign but we won’t provide
a publicist specifically for your show. We do
recommend you hire an experienced publicist and
can provide you with a contact list of Perth-based
publicists.
I felt a great deal of pride to be included in such a luscious programme of tasty treats. - Ben Target
7.
APPLICATION
INFORMATION.
All applications for Summer Nights are to be completed online and received by 5pm,
WST Friday 24 July 2015.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR THE BLUE ROOM THEATRE, STUDIO,
PICA PERFORMANCE SPACE AND OTHER
CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR 600 SECONDS
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with either of the application forms please
call us at The Blue Room Theatre on (08) 9227 7005 or email susannah@blueroom.org.au.
FEEL
FREE TO GET IN
TOUCH.
Once you’ve read this pack we’d love you to get in touch. Feel free to send our Producer
Susannah Day an email: susannah@blueroom.org.au to set up a 20-mins chat about your
show/idea.
The Blue Room Theatre
Perth Cultural Centre
53 James St Northbridge
+61 (08) 9227 7005
(Office hours are Mon-Fri 9am - 5pm WST)
www.blueroom.org.au