25. května -
2. června 2018

Artist toolbox

Welcome to the Artist Toolbox

The all-in-one information resource for performers at Prague Fringe

 

General Information

Who are we?

Prague Fringe is now in its 16th year and takes place in the Malá Strana (little quarter) district. A beautiful district below the castle running along the Vltava river. All our venues are within easy walking distance of each other.

You can read about the members of the team on our MEET THE TEAM PAGE.

You will meet at least one member of the Fringe team early in the festival, at your venue during your tech period. Whilst Budečská is the address that appears on our communications with you, it is actually not an office, it's a private residence, which is not suitable for visitors, the hub of the festival is in and around Malá Strana... and don't you worry, we'll be making our way round your venues during tech to say hello and help familiarise you with the festival, meeting places etc. and the Festival assistants and Fringe Technicians will be on hand to assist with your requirements.

Who are the Festival Assistants?

All of the Front of House and Street Team staff are non-paid volunteers, many of them have flown themselves to Prague to assist us on the festival because they are interested in theatre, they get free entry to all shows, but it will never be to the detriment of your ticket sales.

Also of course they are just the people to spread news of your show across the city!

Please treat these volunteers with respect and remember they are responsible for adhering to Fringe regulations to help the whole event run smoothly.

Fringe venue names and addresses

Malostranská beseda

Malostranské naměstí 21

Malá Strana, Praha 1

 

Golden Key

Nerudova 27

Malá Strana, Praha 1

 

Café Club Míšeňská (Dříve Cafe Soda)

Míšeňská 3

Malá Strana, Praha 1

 

Divadlo Inspirace

Malostranské naměstí 13

Malá Strana, Praha 1

 

A Studio Rubín

Malostranské náměstí 9

Malá Strana, Praha 1

 

Divadlo Kampa

Nosticova 2a

Malá Strana, Praha 1

 

Cafe Bar 3+1

Plaská 10

Malá Strana, Praha 5

Venue info for show technicians and producers

 

Print and Press

Your show photo

Rules for show photo submission, deadline December 15th 2016: 

We need one photograph to represent your show in our printed programme and on our website as a teaser to what you are offering, so choose carefully. 

Sending instructions:

* Send one photograph to us via www.wetransfer.com (super easy to use and no sign up required). 

* Photo file name must be your show title i.e. myshowtitle.jpg  

* You will be asked for 'Friend's Email' please enter office@fringe.cz as the recipient.

* You will receive a confirmation email when we have received and downloaded your photo. 

* DO NOT email the photos directly to us.



Photo rules:

* Must be a photographic image and NOT a graphic design/drawing

* Must NOT include any text, numbers, or logos

* It is NOT possible to make changes once the photo is submitted. 



* The photo you send us must be the same one you will use on other marketing materials (i.e. posters, leaflets, social media) to avoid confusion and to maintain a consistent marketing campaign.  

* Choose an image with bright, vibrant and eye-catching colours. Darker/black and white images have less impact. 

* Keep the 'action' of the photo in the centre as opposed to off-centre. 

Photo specs:

Use landscape orientation (not portrait). 

A .jpeg photo with around 5:3 ratio, 2-4 MB in size, minimum 300dpi when 8,5cm (1000px) wide. 

We reserve the right to crop the image to fit the brochure format. 

Your print materials before the festival

How many posters and flyers should you produce?

A maximum of 25 posters and up to 1,000 flyers is a rough estimate of how many you need to produce. 

What to do with your printed materials?

If you send 10 posters in advance we will endeavour to put them up in venues pre-festival where possible. 

Please do not send flyers 
in advance. We do not have sufficient resources to collect from the post office, store them, and transport them to the Fringe venues. 

POST YOUR 10 POSTERS NO LATER THAN 10th APRIL 2017 (in order that they arrive by the end of April) TO THE FRINGE OFFICE at the following address: 

STEVE GOVE, Budečská 16, 120 00, Praha 2 – Vinohrady, Czech Republic

Do NOT send items recorded delivery or via courier.

NB: Some venues are too busy with their season shows to have enough space to put up Fringe materials until the beginning of the festival. This is unfortunate but to be expected with these intimate Fringe-style theatres, which have limited display space. Don't be concerned if you don't see your poster when you arrive at your venue for rehearsals, as soon as the festival begins and the dedicated team of Festival Assistants begins its hard work then your posters will appear across the Fringe 'zone'.  

The printed Fringe programmes will of course have been at all the theatres for a few weeks. 

Poster/Flyer style guide

All posters should be in English (no need for Czech version of text, our audiences all speak English).

We don't need to see them before you go to print, but if you do want us to check them please email them to us before 10th April at office@remove-this.fringe.cz 

SIZE A4 or A3 are best for posters as space can be limited.

What should we include on our flyers and posters?

GoOut logo – Download here

Current Prague Fringe logo – Download from page 'Resources for Press

Venue address – See 'Fringe venue names and addresses'

Fringe web address and ticket text 'More information and tickets at: www.fringe.cz'
(don't use www.praguefringe.com) 

TITLE: Prague Fringe

SHOW DATES (figures rather than words) and TIMES (start and finish times in 24-hour clock). Times (including end times) should match the format of the show times we sent you. 

e.g. 27.05.– 01.06.2017 19:45–20:45

NOT TICKET PRICES - We advise companies to omit this as it makes things simpler – the prices vary (special offers, vouchers, students etc.)

Full info on buying tickets and prices will appear in the Fringe brochure and on-line.

Side note on ticket sales and advance tickets:

Festival Assistants sell tickets on the doors during the Fringe. Pre-sales leading up to and during the Fringe are handled via GoOut ticket agencyPrices of course vary depending if the customer is a student etc. Please understand that pre-sales make up a small part of the overall sales for the festival. The vast majority are walk-ups/door sales.

Your print materials during the festival

When you arrive in Prague, please drop your posters and flyers at the print room.

ARTIST CENTRAL will be open (and we’ll be there keen to see you) from:

MON-FRI 12PM - 6PM

SAT-SUN 11AM - 1PM

ADDRESS: Nerudova 25, 118 00, Praha 1 (look for the black and white Prague Visitor centre flag)

Do NOT leave posters with Technical staff during your technical rehearsals.

Putting up posters:

As per your performer contract, companies should not distribute their own materials in the Fringe venues. There are very strict rules as to where posters may and may not be displayed for each theatre, to which the Festival Assistants will be adhering. Posters placed anywhere else around the venues will be removed and companies may incur penalties for damage to paint/woodwork by the theatre.

Printing in Prague:

If you need to print extra materials when you arrive, we recommend using Copy General, which has branches across the city, most with English-speaking staff. You can see a list of branches here: http://www.copygeneral.cz/pobocky

Opening hours for print drop off will be confirmed nearer the time. 

   

Promoting Your Show

Press relations

In all correspondence with press mark and title clearly – PRAGUE FRINGE FESTIVAL and SHOW TITLE

See the full list of 2016 press coverage here.

Where should you send your press releases?

Fringe general press and media coordinator: eliska@remove-this.fringe.cz

Czech Media:

The Czech media embraces the Fringe. The Fringe has established a good relationship with the most important of the media here that support the Fringe in PR articles, media partnership and the like. Our press coordinator company will connect with the Czech media directly who will select shows that they intend to cover. We will supply images on their request. We do not advise companies to connect with the Czech media on an individual basis, they prefer to work through our press contact.

Please note: Part of the major coverage the festival receives in the Czech media is on the websites Divadelní Noviny (www.divadelni-noviny.cz, the Czech ‘The Stage’) and Proti šedi (www.protisedi.cz, youth culture site). Reviewers from these websites attend many shows during the festival and run blogs of Fringe reviews, interviews etc.

Other Media:

Prag Aktuellhttp://www.prag-aktuell.cz/

Online news site in German. Began covering the festival in 2014 with interviews, reviews and event listings.

Send a press release in English to Niels Köhler via koehler@prag-aktuell.cz by 30th April.

Fringey Bits – www.praguefringe.tumblr.com

One of the major English-language websites covering the festival is Michael Calcott’s Fringey Bits Michael is the ex-Canadian ambassador and now Fringe Ambassador and runs a daily blog with reviews of shows and other Prague experiences.

Send a press release in English to Michael Calcott via macalcott1@gmail.com by 30th April.

How else can you push your show?

Before the Fringe:

www.prague.tv

English-language news and resources for Prague. Includes a listings section to which you can upload your own show details. 

www.expats.cz

English-language resource for expatriates and visitors to the Czech Republic with a 'What’s on' section to which you can upload your own event. We recommend you label your show as 'FRINGE FESTIVAL 2017:…' then the name of your show. There are many other shows happening in Prague the week of the Fringe – this will help your show stand out.

Facebook

We recommend that you 'like' the official Prague Fringe page (www.facebook.com/praguefringefestival) and get networking! We strongly suggest that you post a preview of your show with the poster/flyer artwork or other photo onto our wall to get yourselves noticed. You can also create an event for your show, we suggest using 'title of your show at Prague Fringe 2017' as the title. 

Twitter

Connect with the Fringe and other performers by tweeting us at @praguefringe and using the hashtag #praguefringe17– let's try and get trending!

Instagram

We have a growing following on Instagram and post regularly in the lead up to, and during the festival. Follow us at @praguefringe, remember to tag us in your posts and use the hashtag #praguefringe17.

Embassies

We work with all of the major Embassies to promote the festival. We alert specific embassies if shows form their country are part of the programme and invite Ambassadors to performances. You can contact your own embassy to reinforce the message. A list of contract details for most embassies in Prague can be found here: http://www.myczechrepublic.com/embassy_visa/

Schools

Our schools liaison partner Prague Youth Theatre (www.pyt.cz) ensures that the Fringe is promoted to all the English/International Schools and colleges and Czech Secondary schools in Prague. As a result, school groups and their teachers and families frequently visit the Fringe. If your performance may be of interest to a young audience, please let us know in the Show Publicity form and forward us a press release that we can pass on to our contacts.

Make your voice heard en route! Companies in the past have even successfully managed to have announcements about the Fringe made on board various flights! More relaxed airlines may be happy to join in a bit of Fringe madness by asking the cabin crew to do a bit of tannoy promotion! A more usual way might be to distribute flyers to people you meet on your way over or just get talking. In-flight magazines often report on the Fringe.

During the Fringe:

Promote each other

Obviously there is no end to what you could do in terms of drumming-up a crowd once in Prague but one thing we highly recommend that all companies do is to promote each other. End of show announcements such as 'the next show in this theatre is...' or 'head over to XXX and see our friends show...' etc. work very well. Audiences rely on, and are actively looking for, ideas of what to see next – word of mouth plays a big part. It’s quite usual at Fringes to even recommend audiences to spread the word if they liked your show! Get out there and see other shows and work out ways to cooperate in terms of distribution etc. Exit flyering, giving info to or performing excerpts to the audiences of other shows that may attract a similar crowd to yours as they enter or leave the theatres is invaluable. Prague Fringe is a relatively intimate festival and you will very quickly get to meet and know the other companies that are performing and the festival staff – make use of that!

Keep your flyer distribution network active around town (unfortunately this may involve several stops in the coffee shops and bars of the city as word of mouth cannot be underestimated!) A polite hello (even in English) and 'is it ok?' should suffice... say it’s the Fringe Festival! Also saying it’s theatre or comedy will help. (Companies should avoid putting flyers in the wooden or wire racks in bars and cafes, these are chargeable sites and anything left there may be thrown out by their owners.)

In 2002 it became illegal to hand out flyers on the streets of Prague – do so at your own risk! Doing so in queues at Fringe venues is fine.

Tourism Information Offices

Prague City Tourism is an official partner of the Fringe and will promote the festival via their various stands and offices across the city and online. Their newly opened central information office is at: Rytířská 12, 110 00, Praha 1, very close to Můstek metro station. They also have a stand in the arrivals hall at Prague Airport.

Unfortunately, many of the other Prague tourist info centres are privately run with their own mainstream agenda, meaning they are unlikely to allow you to promote your show inside their premises.

Communication with and between artists

Important information from Fringe HQ will be sent to you via our email newsletter system from office@fringe.cz. Check your spam/promotions folder if you think you're not receiving updates. 

Join the 'Prague Fringe Artists and Producers' group on Facebook to connect with fellow performers and promote your shows before the festival begins. 

Show programmes and merchandise

Can we sell programmes for our show? 

If you wish to bring your own hand-printed complimentary programmes, please give them to the Festival Assistants before your first show and they will happily give these out to your audiences, but we don’t sell programmes.

Can we sell merchandise for our show? 

We do not sell merchandise on behalf of performers. Officially speaking, any sales of products in Prague are subject to reporting to the Dept of Finance, and VAT of 21%. The administrative system that drives this is a live system that unfortunately Prague Fringe and it's venues don't have direct access to. So while we can't officially approve the sale of merch / administrate the process behind this, you can sell your items outside the venue, as long as this doesn't interrupt operations of the venue itself or the show after yours. Your crew will need to set up the merch and facilitate the sales. You do need to be aware that any sales are made at your own risk. In order to mitigate the risk, we suggest buying a receipt book and recording sales, in the (unlikely) event that the Dept of Finance pick up on the fact that sales are being made 'off the books'. 

Pre-sales and comps

How are my pre-sales going? 

Historically, pre-sales have made up a relatively low percentage of the overall sales for the Fringe here in Prague. The vast majority of sales have been walk-ups. We have made various changes this year to encourage pre-sales and increase the number of advance bookings, including this new, improved website, a new ticket agency with very easy-to-use booking system, cheaper pre-sale price etc. 
We do not have the resources to give updates to performers on their pre-sales before the festival. You can ask the door staff for your pre-sales just before each performance. 

Can we have complimentary tickets for friends/company members? 

There is a policy on complimentary ticket requests for company use or performer comps, which is – there aren't any! This is a trial and error decision, which in the end is fair to all. We know how much it costs all companies to stage their works at the festival, (many travel from across the world) and thus how important tickets sales and revenue are. Some companies are large, some are small, and the same with venue size so there could be no fair way of doing it. Also the cost of individual tickets is so low that this is the fairest, simplest and most democratic way to do things. If you have individual show sponsors or guests coming to your show the best thing to do is buy their tickets or have them buy their tickets from GoOut, as they can provide receipts, which we can’t on the door, so they/you may be able to use them to claim back expenses.

Does the Prague Fringe give out any complimentary tickets? 

Any complimentary tickets which the Festival gives out are to accredited press, sponsors and Fringe staff through the festival office, and are subject to availability after sales so there is no detriment to your ticket income. There are also promoters from across the World Fringe Alliance attending the festival who will also have access to shows. All will be recorded. 

 

During the Fringe

Where to build set/props in Prague

We recommend DIY Praha, a self-service workshop run by a native English speaker.

They rent tools/equipment by the hour and also offer delivery service. 

Prague Fringe Awards

Since 2009, an independent and anonymous panel of judges has been issuing awards to the top shows of the Fringe.

There are five award categories, as detailed on the Awards page.

Please take a look at the eligibility information for the Inspiration Award (Inspirativní cena):

An annual award, chosen by an anonymous and independent panel to a piece of work (not a reworking), which has had no more than 2 runs anywhere. The award is suitable for theatre, dance, storytelling, spoken word, opera, and physical theatre with a strong element of character development or narrative.

If you think your show is eligible for this award or would like any clarification, please e-mail us.  

Fringe Sunday – your involvement

Fringe Sunday is our free-to-attend 'Fringe market place' which takes place annually on the first Sunday of the festival.

This event is a great promotional opportunity for your show as well as a chance to meet other companies performing at the Fringe.

How it works: 

All companies are invited to perform a ONE-MINUTE piece to the audience and press in attendance; an extract from the show, which will entice people to come and see the whole thing. 

ONE MINUTE may not sound like very much but the idea is to leave people wanting more! 

The event is a short, snappy, fun and tempting introduction to Fringe 2017 and with nearly 50 companies to represent, we must ask you to adhere to the time allocated.

Each ONE-MINUTE piece can be framed with an introduction – who you are, what the piece is called where where you are playing and when. 

If you are interested in being represented at the event but won't yet be in Prague or are unable to attend due to rehearsals etc., you have the option to submit a ONE-MINUTE video clip to promote your show instead.

You will be asked to register your interest closer to the time.

The Fringe Club

Come and join the party at the Prague Fringe Club, held every night at the Fringe venue Malostranská beseda. 

All parties start after the last show of the day and end when the sun comes up.

A full line up of nightly events will be posted nearer the time. 

Free entry and open to all performers, crew, festival assistants, audience members, local fun-enthusiasts and their friends!

If you're interested in performing at or being involved with the club nights, please email us

WiFi and internet access

WiFi is available for free in most cafés in Prague and all of the Fringe venues also have access.

If you would prefer to have mobile data, all mobile providers here will sell you a sim card with no contract and have various data packages – look out for the O2, Vodafone and T-Mobile stores on every corner. Some staff in each branch will speak English.

Parking in the Fringe zone

Central Fringe parking is available in a secure car park at Divadlo Kampa.

The owners will charge 600 Kč per day – payment can be arranged through the Fringe Technical department.