Performers Information for 2011 |
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| Laughing Horse | About
Free Festival | Why Free? | What will
it cost me? | What will I get out of it?
| Venues |
Application
| 2011 Performer Downloads & Info |
Show Producers talk: Paid or Free, and Show Tips |
|
We
are now taking applications for Fringe 2011. Please read through these pages
of performers information for how we operate, what our venues offer, and tips for helping
to produce a show - as well as the application form. Shows will run from August 4th to
28th in 2011. We do reccomed you read through these pages before starting your
application! Click
Here to start your Application |
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| Laughing Horse Comedy |
|
 The Free Festival is
organised by Alex Petty of Laughing Horse Comedy, along with a team of volunteers from the
performers, promoters and producers who have presented shows at the Free Festival over the
years. At the Fringe we aim to produce shows across all Fringe genres - not just comedy!
In 2010 we had over 40 theatre shows, 40 music shows and many other types of show
alongside comedy shows. (click here for last years programme)
Laughing Horse
Comedy is a professional production company that promotes comedy events and venues
throughout the UK during the year, with its own comedy clubs that range from new act
nights  through to shows with big names and large venues - along with booking for
other comedy clubs, shows at Festivals, Comedy Courses, a booking agency and running the UK’s
largest search for new comedy talent. Laughing Horse also promote two venues at the
smaller Brighton Fringe in May, with a mixture of Comedy, Theatre, Music and Children's
shows.
For the Edinburgh
Fringe Laughing Horse manages the venues, and selects and programmes the comedy elements
of the Free Festival programme, with a number of producers of theatre, music and art
selecting other elements of the programme. |
"The
Laughing Horse's Free Fringe shows serve as a useful reminder of that frequently
encountered concept - The
Spirit of the Fringe" - Malcolm
Hay, Time Out |
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| About the Free Festival |
|
 2011 is the eighth year
that the Laughing Horse has run free venues at the Edinburgh Fringe, and in that time the
Free festival has grown from a single venue to 15 separate venues and 32 performance
spaces, making it one of the biggest organisations at the Fringe. In 2010 there were 304
shows and just over 4,300 performances in our venues.
The Free Festival
allows performers to experience the Edinburgh Fringe, in professionally managed and
equipped venues, without the overbearing costs of the paid venues, or the shambolic nature
of some other free venue promoters who only provide empty rooms and expect you to provide
all of your own venue equipment! Although we are free, we are still a major part of the
Fringe, with shows part of the main Fringe programme, and as such with all of our
performers gaining all of the benefits of being a Fringe Performer and part of the world's
largest arts festival, with performers qualifying for all of the major awards, and getting
the opportunity of getting reviews, or being seen by promoters and other industry people.
 2010 saw Free Festival show "An Audience
with Imran Yusuf" become the first ever free show to be nominated for the main
Edinburgh Comedy Awards (Formally the Perrier Awards), and Free Festival shows have also
been nominated for and won awards from The Three Weeks Editor Awards, Total Theatre
Awards, Musical Theatre Matters Awards, Fresh Air Radio Awards, Mervyn Stutter's Pick of
the Fringe and The Malcolm Hardee awards - an event that was hosted as part
of the Free Festival for the first time in 2010, and will take place again with is in
2011. Along with these awards, and numerous five and four star rated shows the Free
Festival has become known as the place to see quality free shows, as well as for shows
that offer the full diversity of the Fringe programme - as we aim each year to truly put
the alternernative back into the Fringe!
We seek to only
operate from quality venues that are welcoming to audiences and performers, situated in
popular areas of Edinburgh - there's no point coming the Fringe and trying to run a show
in a venue miles out of town! All of our venues are set-up, at minimum, to the standard
that you would expect of small comedy club, with PA, lights and stages - and in many cases
to a much higher standard, with bigger sound systems, lighting, stages and AV equipment,
and in the case of the Counting House’s ballroom, the Hive's Big Cave and The Three
Sisters, we offer a high specification performance space on a par, if not better than many
large paid venues with a full lighting rigs and sound systems, a large stage and room
suitable for large theatre productions, full cabaret shows or big-name comedians. All of our exact venue specifications can be found
here.
 We believe that for performers to produce the
best possible shows they should be concentrating on their performances, which is why we
fully manage the set-up. Performers should not be worrying about finding equipment for
venues, coping with performance spaces without facilities or at the other end of the scale
worrying about over-bearing costs and large financial losses. We aim to foster the best
atmosphere possible at our venues, to help you achieve your Fringe goals, be they media
attention, excellent reviews, furthering your career in the arts or simply performing
during the Fringe to large audiences and having a very enjoyable August.
 Overall we encourage an atmosphere of
teamwork, and foster an ethos where performers volunteer to help maintain the success of
all our venues and shows, who all work together to the benefit of everyone - with the best
in new talent being encouraged along-side bigger name performers.
Since we started
running free venues we have had full runs of shows from the likes of Pappy’s Fun
Club, John Gordillo, Lewis Schaffer, Imran Yusuf, Nick Wilty, Sol Bernstein, Steve Day,
Cabaret Whore and Ivor Dembina, plus appearances on our stages from performers such as
Alan Carr, Scott Capurro, Stewart Lee, Arthur Smith, Richard Herring, Brendan Burns,
Marcus Brigstoke, Reg D. Hunter, Dan Antopolski and Paul Foot - amongst many other stars
of comedy, theatre, music and dance. Many of our shows have been taken from the Fringe and
gone from there to break into a full time career in the arts, UK and internal tours, and
paid work from Beijing, to Adelaide, from Scriptwriting for Disney to performing at
Festivals worldwide.
 We
don’t just concentrate on comedy either, we run venues that provide a mixed programme
of shows that encompass all Fringe genres including theatre, music, comedy, cabaret,
opera, musicals, children’s shows, events and art displays – all programmed by
experienced producers in each area.
In 2011 we have
more performance spaces on offer than ever before, with some new venues operating
alongside our venues from 2010. Our venues have capacities from 40 to 200 and are able to
accommodate a huge variety of performances. Each venue also has a number of friendly bars
and spaces for audiences to congregate, including four with dedicated outdoor areas and
outdoor bars.
 We
aim to encourage and create better conditions for performers, and better value for
audiences while being inclusive of all performers and working with others who share that
ethos. We believe that being negative about other organisations detrimental to
everybody’s aims and would rather concentrate on doing our best to promote the shows
in our own venues, and work with other organisations where we can - and this has included
working with Underbelly, The Museum of Scotland, Kopparberg, Various Churches and smaller
venues, and many other organisations over our years at the Fringe.
2010 was our most
successful and critically acclaimed year ever, with the Free Festival as a whole gaining
fantastic reviews, award winners and nominees and coverage from Sky News, Reuters, The
BBC, STV, The International Television Festival, The Guardian, The Independent, The Times
as well as many reviews and articles in Scottish and  Edinburgh publications and media such as the
Scotsman, The List, the Metro, Leith FM, Forth FM and other media and web based media. Our
performers achieved success with awards, a huge number of reviews and further work, higher
profiles and tours and productions of their shows in the UK and internationally. 75% of
our shows were reviewed as 3 star and above, along with nearly fifty 4-star reviews and 18
5-star reviews.
"[Free
shows are] a reminder of the roots of all this. The main fringe is colossally expensive
big business now, it’s rather disingenuous to call it “Fringe” when
it’s now a main event and cost the price of a small car to put on." - Julia
Chamberlain (Highlight Booker, SYTYF Producer, Chortle Reviewer) |
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Why
Free? |
|
  One of the two main gripes
of performers at the Fringe is the costs of producing a show at the Fringe, which is often
quoted as being between £6,000 and £10,000, and performers having to present their shows
to small audiences. By performing your show for free you can negate both of those issues.
We don’t
charge a hire fee for the spaces, therefore removing a large amount of your costs, and
audiences aren’t charged to come in, meaning much larger audiences – and at the
Fringe that still means people are coming to see your show, it is just that being free
means they come in large numbers because of the overall dissatisfaction with high ticket
prices across the Fringe in general. Audiences are asked for a contribution on the way
out, which goes 100% to the performer.
 The
average audience for one of our Free shows is 48 people, although that obviously depends a
lot on time, location and the performers PR. The average donation per person is between
£1 and £2. Many performers in 2010 took home over £50 a day, with some performers
reporting collections in excess of £200 on occasion, and successful/well reviewed shows
achieving
Click
here to read producer Poppy Ben-David and performer Lynn Ruth Miller's experience of the
Free Festival, compared to bringing shows to paid venues
"What
should worry [now ex-Fringe director] Morgan and, indeed, the Big Four, not entirely
smiling all the way to the bank, is the continuing growth of the free Fringe, where
punters pay what they wish at the end of a show; some comics report they have made more
from the collection bucket than they ever did at the main venues."- The Guardian |
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| What
will it cost me? |
|
 The cost to use our
venues is completely free, there is no hire charge for the space at all.
To cover the cost
of equipment, damages and repairs, central Free Festival publicity, signage and
advertising we ask each show to pay £40 into central funds, which is the equivalent of
less than one days collection. For this you get all of the venue equipment that is listed
in the venue plans, it covers all venue signage and advertising banners for all shows,
plus the production of 60,000+ Free Festival brochures, the website and a lot of general
PR, advertising, posters and flyers. (Single performance shows only have to pay
£20 to us)
Along with this
you need to pay for your entry into the main Fringe programme, in 2010 that was around
£280 for a run of shows, or £70 for a single performance. (This should remain the same
in 2011 plus extra for the new VAT rate).You must enter the Fringe programme, as without
this it is near impossible to promote your show and get audiences, and you will be
invisible to reviewers, promoters or the awards panels - In essence, if you
are doing a show in Edinburgh during the Fringe and you are not in the programme you are
doing a show in Edinburgh while the Fringe is on, rather than being part of the
Fringe. 
You will have to
pay for your own show advertising, and this can be as little as £140 with the special
deal we have organised with Tenfold printing, and this covers 5000 A6 flyers and 50
posters. We even have designers on hand who offer discounted design for our free shows if
you need this.
The above should
be seen as the minimum advertising required, as even though your show is free you will
still need to publicise your performances to get good sized audiences. You can do more,
and the principle of the more you put into your show, the more you will get out of it
really holds true. Use your funds wisely and if you invest in PR, further advertising and
more marketing your audiences and media coverage will grow. If you treat your show
professionally, then the media and audiences will treat you as a professional performer.
 Other than that, it is up to you
– obviously you will have your accommodation costs (we are hoping to get a special
deal on accommodation this year for our free performers), your travel costs, plus it is up
to you how much further you push your promotion by getting professional PR, or increasing
your advertising, display advertising in publications. In terms if display advertising the
Free Festival has negotiated discounts with several publications. Remember that you are
putting on a professional show, and your production should be treated professionally - the
more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.
With the
collection money taken, many shows in 2010 broke even, and especially with performers who
had no or very little living expenses some made a reasonable profit. In most cases,
performers who lost money were limited to a few hundred pounds, unless they had thrown
much more into expensive accommodation or PR – and of course that can be recouped
from work gained after the festival. if you are able you can also sell merchandise after
your performance to increase your income further (with 100% of merchandise profits going
to the performer).
 The
Free festival also helps you to enjoy the Fringe by offering performers discounts at our
venues bars, and on food and drink, to help keep the day-to-day costs of being at the
Fringe down, plus free internet access and networking and socializing events throughout
the month, as well as the Meadow Bar becoming the de facto performers bar for free
performers and people who don't want to go to the expensive performers bars in the
mega-venues.
Being a free show
you are also currently exempt from PRS charges.
“There
is a rebellion at the Fringe this year. High venue costs have caused some artists to take
matters into their own hands. Doug Stanhope is charging £7349 for a one-off show in
someone's living room and the Free Fringe organisations have brought more acts than ever
to Edinburgh at no extra charge” – The List |
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What
Will I get Out of it? |
|
 As well as the experience
of performing intensively, and the enjoyment of being in Edinburgh with a large group of
like-minded people in a welcoming and friendly atmosphere, you will also gain significant
chances to network with other professionals and further your careers.
With good PR you
will get press and media attention, along with reviews. In 2010 the majority of performers
reported that they had been seen or approached by promoters or bookers for further work,
and some have been invited to perform nationally and internationally - you will see our
performers at other UK Festivals, in New York, at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, Hollywood
Fringe and in many  other
places around the world because of their Free Festival shows. In once case a performer is
currently putting together a treatment for a television series, another has toured to
Beijing and so on!
In short you can
achieve anything that you could do in a paid venue, but without the significant costs of
this.
“Best Freebies: www.freefestival.co.uk –
shows are free to audiences, venues do not charge fees to performers. The Free Festival is
hosting 157 shows – with an expanded programme which now includes children’s
shows, a free night-club and an opera. Performers tend to pass round a hat at the end of
every show – but there is no pressure and you’ll enjoy the relaxed and friendly
atmosphere.” – The Scotsman
"Free
shows are great. I feel I should confess that I did one myself this year so I do have a
vested interest in this. But overall I think they’re great for acts to be able to try
stuff out without the chance of losing thousands of pounds. I think it gives audiences the
opportunity to see some fantastic offering from a broader range of artists." - Tim
Arthur, Time Out Comedy Editor |
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| Show
Producers talk: Paid or Free, and Show Tips |
|
 Below are links to
articles written by Free Festival performers to help you decide on how to produce your
show at the Fringe from their own experiences, and a series of Interviews of Festival
performers, reviewers and producers by Ian Fox.Paid or Free Shows? - What you need to know! Advice
on bringing your show to Edinburgh. Two Articles, by Producer Poppy Ben-David and
performer Lynn Ruth Miller
 Why is Keara Murphy performing
with the Free Festival? Keara's Histrionics of the Fringe. Keara Murphy is a
performer who has performed and produced Fringe shows with the Gilded Balloon, The Stand,
Independently, The Buckley Hill Free Fringe and The Free Festival - read about her Fringe
experiences over the years with each, and why she is now working with the Free Festival
Critics Interviews - A selection of interviews with
critics on how they choose which show to see, and how they thing Free shows can be
approved, with interviews from Jay Richardson (Freelance), Steve Bennett (Chortle), Julia
Chamberlain (Chortle & producer), Geoff Evans (One4Review), Claire Smith (Scotsman),
Julian Hall (Independent), Melissa Brugess (The List, Chortle, MEN), Tim Arthur (Time Out)
Chris Hislop (Fringe Review) and The Stage review team.
Comedians
Interviews - Interviews with comedians who have a long Edinburgh history
including Toby Hadoke, Jason Cook and Kev F. Sutherland. |
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| Venues Details |
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| Our venue details for 2011 are available here.
Full and updated downloadable plans and specifications are now available - and we also now
have a number of additional venues for 2011. |
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Applying
for 2011 |
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Our
Application Process has now started for 2011, and this year all
applications will be handled online. We have a barnd new database driven booking
system and website in the pipeline for 2011 that will make the application process easier,
and cut down a lot of time and work for both you and ourselves! This will also give you
much greater ability to edit your show details and advertising on our website, and will
also allow us to produce much more detailed information on teh website and in our
advertising, and also generate full listings for the media to help promote the Festival
and your shows.
We welcome applications from
performers across all performance genres. We will start to make decisions from
late January, right through until the Fringe programme deadlines in April. Our aim is to
select the best possible shows for our venues, and therefore we do not programme on a
first-come, first-served basis, however it is advisable to get your application in as soon
as possible so you have the best chance to get the venue and time that you would like.
To apply, you should first familiarise yourself with all of our venue
and space information and then fill in the form:
Click Here to Start your Application for 2011
Every application is looked at by
relevant producers and programmers, so do please bear with us while we go through a lot of
applications. If you have any queries do email is on info@laughinghorse.co.uk
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|
2011 Performer Information & Downloads |
|
Free Festival venues |
Click
here for our venue list and venues full specs and information |
|
Help and Advice |
Paid
or Free Shows? - What you need to know! Advice on bringing your show to
Edinburgh. Two Articles, by Producer Poppy Ben-David and performer Lynn Ruth Miller
Why is
Keara Murphy performing with the Free Festival? Keara's Histrionics of the Fringe.
Keara Murphy is a performer who has performed and produced Fringe shows with the Gilded
Balloon, The Stand, Independently, The Buckley Hill Free Fringe and The Free Festival -
read about her Fringe experiences over the years with each, and why she is now working
with the Free Festival
Critics
Interviews - A selection of interviews with critics on how they choose which
show to see, and how they thing Free shows can be approved, with interviews from Jay
Richardson (Freelance), Steve Bennett (Chortle), Julia Chamberlain (Chortle &
producer), Geoff Evans (One4Review), Claire Smith (Scotsman), Julian Hall (Independent),
Melissa Burgess (The List, Chortle, MEN), Tim Arthur (Time Out) Chris Hislop (Fringe
Review) and The Stage review team.
Comedians
Interviews - Interviews with comedians who have a long Edinburgh history
including Toby Hadoke, Jason Cook and Kev F. Sutherland.
How to Produce a Free Festival Show - Tips and hints
from Free festival veteran Ian Fox (with additional material by Mile Belgrave)
How to promote a Free show - Tips and hints from Free
festival veteran Ian Fox (with additional material from Lynn Ruth Miller, Ivor Dembina and
Bob Slayer)
How to promote a Free show Part 2 - Tips on free show
promotion from Liz McIntosh (Festival previews) and Mark (Editor of the British Comedy
Guide)
How to list a show in the Fringe Programme - tips on how to
list your show in the main Fringe programme by Ian Fox
Best Posters & Best
Free Festival Posters - ideas on producing your poster by Ian Fox
For other articles do see Ian Fox's
Wordpress site for others that have been added: http://theianfox.wordpress.com/ |
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Downloads For Fringe
Performers in 2011 |
| 2011 Downloads will be available from Spring 2011 -
currently the 2010 logos and downloads are on this page |
Click Here for Performers Downloads - logos, maps, images etc |
Everything
you'll need for your advertising in 2010 |
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Guest
Performers in a Fringe show in 2011 |
| If
you are a professional, or newer act there will be several shows that will have
"Guest spots" at the Free Festival venues. These should be booked directly with
the promoters of these shows, and not through this web site. For places at The Laughing
Horse Comedy Club shows you can email info@laughinghorse.co.uk
after May 2010. |
|
Comedy
Courses |
| Newer
acts may be interested in attending the About Comedy Courses run at Edinburgh City FC
during the festival - these help new performers develop, and also the tickets sold for
these go towards supporting the Free Festival venues. See www.aboutcomedy.co.uk |
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