YOUR VENUE SEARCH
Finding a venue to host your work is one of the trickiest and most critical tasks of your Fringe producing experience. Fortunately, you have several options and lots of ways to find help in your quest. If you ever need pointers, tips, or advice, please contact support.
We suggest you begin your search early – the earlier the better.
Remember, Fringe venues can be anywhere: theatres, clubs, bars, restaurants, found spaces, outdoor spaces…anything you have rights/permission to control for the duration of your events/performances/exhibitions.
To see an overview of the spaces currently available during the Fringe, check out this grid.
GEOGRAPHY
There are certain restrictions on where the venue can be located. All venues must fall in the (approx) square mile area that is central Hollywood.
- The Northern boundary is Franklin Ave., running along the bottom of the Hollywood Hills and a block from Hollywood Blvd.
- Normandie Ave. is the eastern boundary, near studios with histories dating back to the golden years of Hollywood.
- Rosewood Ave., two blocks south of Melrose, is the southern boundary for the festival.
- Fairfax Ave., the western boundary, serves as a gateway to West Hollywood and contains numerous shops, restaurants, and venues.
Any venue within that area that you have legal rights to use and is deemed safe by our venue team is acceptable.
Here are some general pointers:
- The Hollywood/Highland area is the hub of the tourist traffic in Hollywood including a major shopping center and landmarks such as the Chinese Theatre.
- The strip along Hollywood between Vine and Highland boasts the “Walk of Fame”, also popular amongst tourists.
- The stretch along Santa Monica Blvd is known as “Theatre Row” and has a wide assortment of theatres.
- Sunset Blvd. has lots of restaurants, stores, and clubs popular with the after hours set.
- Cahuenga is a great central route through Hollywood and has a number of shops and restaurants.
EXISTING FRINGE VENUES
The best place to start your search is with the venues already participating in the Fringe – most of whom are seeking programming. We’ve invested a lot of time recruiting some of the big players in the neighborhood and getting them excited about Fringe. You can view a list of venues here. Once you have created a project you can apply to one of these venues directly. Feel free to apply to more than one.
When dealing with venue managers, it may serve you to contact them directly (phone/email) to discuss your project and the prospects of staging it in their venue. This personal touch may give you the edge you need. Remember, the key in any real estate transaction is persistence and resilience. If your first choice falls through – don’t give up!
BRING YOUR OWN VENUE (BYOV)
There is nothing Fringier than finding some abandoned warehouse, loft space, or storefront and temporarily converting it into a Fringe venue. There is a tradition in many Fringe Festivals of this seasonal conversion of a “found space” into an operating venue for artistic projects.
Many budding presenters find/convert a space for their own artistic project, then make deals with other projects to share the costs of maintaining a space (perhaps covering your own rent or even making a profit!). This sort of artistic entrepreneurship is welcome and encouraged. The Fringe will even list your venue on our website to attract applications from other artistic projects.
5 STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE TO BRING YOUR OWN VENUE AT FRINGE:
- Email support@hollywoodfringe.org We will need to be in contact throughout the process
- Have permission (or permitting if necessary) to perform in/at the space. Regarding permissions, we have a form this year to make it easier for you.
- Acquire Insurance (HFF requires that you carry a one-million-dollar General Liability insurance policy and provide a Certificate of Insurance naming Hatchery Arts dba The Hollywood Fringe Festival as an additional insured before we will approve your venue on the site). We have recs if needed.
- A site visit from HFF staff to check for safety and hear your general plan for operating the site. **We are not city inspectors- this is just so we feel comfortable sending Fringe ticket buyers to your space.
- You will need to create a venue on the Fringe website (When you are ready, you can begin the process by registering a venue here). At this time, you will need to know all the details about your production location and proof of insurance. From there, you will act as the “venue manager,” scheduling your shows on the website and in June, maintaining the safety and organization of the audience on-site. HFF staff will walk you through how to schedule performances.
"BYOV" style Fringing requires extra communication with Fringe staff. You are now a Fringe venue manager- so it’s like wearing two hats at Fringe.
To start this process, email support@hollywoodfringe.org
THINGS TO NOTE:
Remember that, depending on your location, you will likely have associated city permitting costs. These are at the discretion of the producer.
If your show is a traveling, site-specific, or immersive piece, we do require that you start and end your piece in the same place: at a physical address within the Fringe Zone. We also require that your use of that physical address has been approved of by the owner.
What is the Fringe Zone, you ask?
All venues must be located in the Fringe Zone (Zone info above)
Any venue within that area that you have legal rights to use and is deemed safe by HFF works.
CUT A DEAL!
This avenue is particularly useful for local producers – or producers tapped into the local scene. Do you have an existing relationship with a venue? Is that coffee shop you always go to in Hollywood interested in housing your Fringe act to attract more foot traffic? Many Fringe artists manage to obtain spaces for free by approaching existing businesses in the Fringe area and selling them on how a partnership with your artistic project is a “win, win” situation – it works for both the venue and your project.
Hit the streets, ask for managers at local institutions, wheel, deal, seek out opportunities!
IN CONCLUSION
Don’t be intimidated, there are lots of people here that want to help you succeed. The work is hard but the rewards are worth it. Fringe shows are fun to attend and doubly fun to produce. We are here to help you, so if you ever have a question, please don’t hesitate to ask!
ADDING PERFORMANCE DATES/TIMES TO YOUR PROJECT PAGE
Once your application has been approved, the venue's manager will add your performance(s) to your project page on their end. Be mindful that this may take a moment as these venue managers are often scheduling many performances and shows across multiple spaces. Once the performances are live on the website, to make any changes you can contact your venue manager and support@hollywoodfringe.org