How does Anywhere work?
How does Anywhere Festival work, is it for me and what is this about the main program and Off-Anywhere?
What is Anywhere?
Anywhere Festival is a globally unique and local cultural experience for locals and visitors alike: where local businesses and homes host performances so artists can creative incredible work without all the financial burdens that are often placed on them when presenting independently.
Anywhere Festival began in 2011 as Brisbane's revolutionary take on the fringe festival concept, taking all the things people love about fringe festivals and removing the things they don't.
It is a discovery of places and performances by using local nooks and crannies: poetry in light houses, circus in driveways, music in backyards, storytelling on ferries, theatre in hedge mazes and musicals in aeroplanes.
Is Anywhere for me?
If you have a cool idea you would like to perform in a non traditional space, Anywhere Festival is for you.
If you are an emerging artist who would like support from a team to help you get your project happening or to take it to another level, Anywhere Festival is for you.
If you are wondering if there is an alternative to fringe festivals where it seems like everyone else gets paid before you, Anywhere Festival is for you.
If you'd like to do a one off performance in a backyard to thirty people or have a huge immersive theatre project for a warehouse, Anywhere Festival is for you.
If you'd like to do a mini tour including Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Noosa and Sunshine Coast, Anywhere Festival is for you.
What is the difference between the main festival and Off-Anywhere?
Off-Anywhere is a new initiative for 2022 based on feedback from 2021.
Off-Anywhere is for:
-
- those dipping their toe into Anywhere,
-
- presenting a one off performance not ready to be part of the main festival or being developed to premiere elsewhere,
-
- musicians and groups doing one off gigs for whom the standard Anywhere Festival model of registration fee and box office doesn't financially add up
-
- performance makers presenting works outside the regions of Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa.
-
- Inclusion and ticketing through our festival web site, but no inclusion in the limited size print program, no up front fee and no 10% box office percentage to Anywhere Festival like the main festival
The main Anywhere Festival program is the program you all know and love, with 2022 being different it is being restricted size to give your show the best chance of attracting an audience.
Being part of the main program has the usual costs of a $295 participation fee (can be paid in instalments or deferred until box office payout) and box office percentage with all the advantages of being selected in the main program: you are in a curated print program and the broader marketing that in 2021 was responsible for 47% of ticket sales, eligible for anywhere awards, photographers and reviews, access to the Anywhere Creative Producers as you develop your show and marketing.
Regardless of whether you are in the main or off Anywhere, what you do must be presented in a nook or cranny and your expression of interest is accepted on the bases that it can not be in a traditional performance space or is being presented in a way that plays with audience/performer dynamics.
What types of spaces and how does it work?
The intent of Anywhere Festival is that venues are used "as is" but provided rent free because you are working to fit in with businesses and residential homes instead of paying a hire for services.
There are a couple of exceptions in 2022, with the Spring Hill Reservoir being hired by Anywhere and the cost split with bookers as well as EC Venue, the one multi space performance hub that charges 10% of box office. We still ask for you to use in an non traditional way and not present a production that could be more easily presented in a traditional performance space as this misses the point of the festival.
There are many spaces in our list, so as long as you are able to work with them and be flexible, there is no reason why you should not be able to get a rent free venue or absolutely minimal cost space by presenting in a non traditional way.
Being part of the main program means your show is co presented by Anywhere Festival.
Regardless of whether you are in the main or off Anywhere, what you do must be presented in a nook or cranny and can not be in a traditional performance space.
