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Adelaide Fringe is an Open Access festival, which means the power is entirely in your hands. Unlike curated festivals, Fringe doesn’t choose you—you choose Fringe, and with that choice comes the responsibility of navigating a massive, competitive, yet incredibly rewarding landscape.

Deciding to participate is only the first step. To truly succeed, you must understand what the festival can offer and, more importantly, what you need to bring to the table to make your Show a success. This session explores the critical questions every artist should ask before registering.

Contents

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Defining Your Success

Because Adelaide Fringe is Open Access, "success" is not a one-size-fits-all metric. For a veteran performer, success might be a purely financial business decision. For an emerging artist, it might be about brand awareness, testing new material, or building a community. As Matt Tarrant notes, "Understanding why you're doing the Fringe first will really help when it comes to everything else. It automatically blocks out certain things."

If your goal is simply to get your work in front of people, you might prioritise a free Show or street performing to build a following. If you want to tour internationally, your focus should be on the Honey Pot marketplace. Without a clear "Passion Plan," you risk becoming a "headless shock" running around without achieving specific wins.

Managing Risk and Stress

Participating in a festival of this scale involves significant competition. With over 1,400 Shows vying for attention, cutting through the noise requires time, enthusiasm, and financial investment. Janali Jones highlights the physical and mental toll of "doing it all" as a self-produced artist, sharing that the stress of her first season led to health challenges.

The solution lies in delegation. Even on a tight budget, finding collaborators to handle specific areas—like accounting, set design, or technical management—allows you to focus on the quality of the work. Fringe is a marathon, not a sprint; building in "breathers" for yourself is essential for maintaining your creative energy throughout the month-long season.

The Power of Lead Time

A common mistake is treating the registration (Artist Registration/AVR) as the final step rather than the beginning. Successful participants often start their planning six to twelve months in advance. Matt Tarrant suggests a "one thing every week" approach to avoid the January panic.

Early preparation allows you to stay ahead of the curve. For example, distributing posters in November or December can be more effective than waiting until February when every pole in Adelaide is already covered. Long lead times also give you the space to refine your script, secure the best Venue, and build a marketing momentum that carries you into opening night.

Leveraging Fringe Support

You don't have to navigate the festival alone. The Adelaide Fringe Artist and Venue Team is composed of working artists who understand the unique landscape of the South Australian market. The Artist Hotline is a vital resource for those moments when you don't even know which questions to ask.

Beyond official channels, the Fringe community offers a wealth of informal support. Facebook groups, community chats, and even local pubs become hubs for artists to share "pain points" and solutions. Connecting with this ecology is often cited as the most rewarding part of the festival experience, leading to future collaborations and career-long friendships.

Key Takeaways

  • Set Clear Goals: Define if your success is artistic, financial, or career-developmental before you register.
  • Start Early: Give yourself significant lead time (ideally starting by August) to manage the administrative load.
  • Don't Soolo-Produce: Delegate tasks like graphic design or accounting to avoid burnout.
  • Use the Hotline: When in doubt, call the Artist and Venue Team for contextual advice.
  • Quality is Priority: In a crowded market, the quality of your work is your best marketing tool.

Actionable Tips

  • Create a Passion Plan: Write down your 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month goals for your Fringe Show and keep it on your wall.
  • The Weekly Check-in: Commit to completing at least one Fringe-related task every single week after registration.
  • Read the Bulletins: Adelaide Fringe sends regular updates; these are your roadmap for deadlines and opportunities.
  • Phone a Friend: Reach out to an artist who has done Fringe before to ask "the stupid questions" about the process.
  • Budget for Support: Allocate a portion of your budget specifically to hire help for areas where you lack expertise.

Additional Resources