Sign In / Register

Resources

The Adelaide Fringe Schools Program connects artists and youth audiences through the promotion of school-appropriate shows for teachers and school aged children. Fringe is committed to developing future audiences and providing support to artists and access for young people. Joining the Schools Program will see your show promoted directly to schools and teachers. 

For your show to be included in the printed Kids & Family guide, please ensure your schools program sessions are finalised in AVR by December 8. Any schools sessions added after this date will only be included on the website copy. 

Please note: the information in this resource currently relates to the Adelaide Fringe 2026 Schools Program.

Contents

Eligibility

To get your show into the Schools Program for the 2026 Adelaide Fringe, you'll need to meet a few requirements:

  • You must set a Schools ticket price that is lower than your least expensive general admission ticket.
  • You'll need to agree to provide free tickets for teachers, following the Department for Education (DECD) teacher-to-student ratio guidelines. Typically, this means one or two free tickets per school group booking.
  • Your show's age suitability rating needs to be lower than (M), and you must list all relevant content warnings.

Although not mandatory, we strongly recommend scheduling at least one daytime session between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, Monday to Friday, as this time frame is most convenient for schools and can help set you up for success in attracting their interest

How Adelaide Fringe Supports You

When you join the Schools Program, Adelaide Fringe chips in to help make it a breeze:

  • We'll halve the Artist Inside Charge (AIC) to just 2.5% on all Schools tickets you sell.
  • Your show will be included in the special printed Kids & Schools Guide, which is distributed directly to schools across South Australia.
  • We'll waive the $4.80 Transaction Fee when a Schools group books tickets to your show.

Plus, our dedicated Schools Program Coordinator is on hand to offer advice, answer your questions, and even help you negotiate with schools if needed. They also make sure only legitimate schools purchase Schools tickets and manage all school bookings through an invoice payment method, keeping things smooth for everyone.

How to Opt-In

Jumping into the Schools Program is straightforward. You can opt in through the 'Ticketing - Setup' section of your AVR portal. If you need a bit more information or a hand with the process, just send an email to schools@adelaidefringe.com.au.

Tips for Success

Many primary and lower secondary teachers can only bring their classes to performances during school hours. Programming your show within the 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM window from Monday to Friday gives it the best possible chance of securing school bookings. Of course, you can still have additional Schools sessions outside these times if you wish. We do see a small number of schools from interstate or regional areas that book shows on weekends too, so keep that in mind.

Marketing to Schools

As an open-access festival, we can't promote one show over another. But you definitely can! Here's how to best promote your show directly to schools:

  • Make sure you have some sessions scheduled within the ideal school day times (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM).
  • Get stuck into promoting your show on social media groups. Share it with schools close to your Fringe venue, and spread the word amongst any teacher friends you have.
  • Get creative with your hook! Is there a particular curriculum point or topic your show connects with? Target your marketing efforts towards that specific topic, school, or class. For example, if your show explores a historical event, it could be fantastic for a Drama department, but also incredibly relevant for the History curriculum.
  • Have a very clear show description. This needs to include any warnings for teachers to make informed booking decisions. You must disclose if there is coarse language, violence, or nudity. It's a good idea to review your content and trigger warnings once your show is finalised, especially if you registered before it was complete. Also, don't hesitate to flag anything you think might be a potential issue for schools with our Schools Coordinator.
  • Include Fringe logos, booking contact information, and direct links to your show on all your promotional material.

We'll do our bit by featuring your show in the Kids & Schools Guide and helping teachers find shows appropriate for their year level and preferred dates and times.

Reach Out to Appropriate Schools and Groups

The South Australian Department for Education provides a handy searchable database of schools, which you can use to find primary or secondary schools that align with your event's age group. Make sure your show aligns with a school's values or faith before you approach them.

When contacting schools, it's often best to look for a dedicated Arts Coordinator (their website usually lists this). Alternatively, address your email to the Curriculum Coordinator or the subject teacher relevant to your event (e.g., Drama, Music, Art, Language). For primary schools and childcare centres, it's usually best to contact the Principal or Director.

You could also reach out to schools near your venue or chat with any teachers you know about marketing your show to their school. Approaching youth and community groups to see if your show can be included in their next newsletter or on a bulletin board can also be effective.

Align with the Australian Curriculum

To show schools how your event connects with subjects they teach, we recommend you look at the Australian curriculum. When you contact schools, it's a real plus to make them aware of any curriculum areas your show covers.

Marketing to a School

Once you've found a suitable school or group, putting together an information kit or online flyer with all the relevant details is a great idea. This might include:

  • The correct Adelaide Fringe Logo.
  • A clear statement that you are registered with the Adelaide Fringe Schools Program.
  • Your Schools Program session times and ticket prices.
  • Venue information.
  • Age suitability and rating guidelines.
  • A list of Australian curriculum points your event covers.
  • An event description and/or photo.
  • Any awards or quotes from previous reviews or audience feedback.
  • Details of any previous arts-in-education experience you have.
  • Company or artist biographies.
  • Teacher resources (like teacher notes or activities).
  • The possibility for a Q&A session after the show – but please confirm this with your venue beforehand!

For any Schools Program bookings, you can email schools@adelaidefringe.com.au or call 08 8100 2004. If you're using email, send your information kit or flyer in an easy-to-download format, such as a PDF or Word Document.

How Fringe Reaches Your Target Market

Adelaide Fringe helps you reach schools by:

  • Listing your show in the online Kids & Schools Guide and allowing your event to be filtered by 'Schools' on the website.
  • Including your show in the printed Kids & Schools Guide, which is distributed to schools throughout South Australia.
  • Promoting the Schools Program to teachers through targeted emails and social media leading up to and during the Fringe.

Adelaide Fringe also offers support to socio-economically disadvantaged South Australian schools by providing an Equity discount. This is a $5 discount from the Schools ticket price, with the difference funded by Adelaide Fringe, ensuring no loss of income for you, the artist.

Pricing Your Schools Program Tickets

How Many Free Teacher Tickets Do I Need to Provide?

Schools follow the Department for Education (DECD) ratios for excursions, so we ask artists to provide free tickets to match those ratios.

Year Level Ratio Notes
Pre-School – Year 2 1:6 1 teacher per 6 students
Year 3 – Year 7 1:10 1 teacher per 10 students
Year 8 - Year 12 1:15 1 teacher per 15 students

Additional teachers or adults attending above the complimentary ratios will be charged the same ticket price as a student. On average, it works out to about one free teacher ticket per 10 students, so roughly two free tickets per typical school booking.

How Much Do I Discount?

The big perk of a Schools session is the potential for large group bookings, often 20 or more students. While you must offer a discounted ticket price, it's crucial to be realistic about your budget so your show doesn't end up costing you money. You don't have to offer a Schools price on all your sessions; you can opt to offer it on selected sessions only.

To give you a rough idea, in 2025, the average Schools ticket price was $16.36. This included the 2.5% AIC (Artist Inside Charge).

Only schools (including home schools) and community groups working specifically with youth can purchase Schools price tickets. The Schools Program Coordinator is the only one who can access these tickets – they can't be bought over the phone, online, or at a box office.

Your Best Shot at Getting Booked

Organising a school excursion involves a fair bit of paperwork and getting permission from both school staff and parents. Once the Kids & Schools Guide is printed, it's not really effective to make changes to your show, like lowering the ticket price or adding more sessions, just to try and boost sales. It's tough to let schools know about those changes, and teachers need time to get everything organised.

To give your show the best chance of getting booked:

  • Have all your information ready to go for your show to be included in the Kids & Schools Guide. Your AVR registration must be completed, venue(s) confirmed, and event details and images provided by December 10, 2025 to appear in the guide.
  • Be smart about the session times you choose.
  • Look into creating extra resources that might appeal to teachers, like a workbook or a Q&A session after the show.
  • Start your marketing early!

Ratings and Suitability for the Schools Program

Your event listing in the Kids & Schools Guide will include the classification you nominated during your event registration. Please note that R-rated material (18+), including full frontal nudity (even in context), graphic sexual depictions, showings of excessive violence, and unresolved anti-social behaviour, will not be accepted into the Schools Program.

You'll also be asked to indicate which year levels your show would appeal to and be suitable for. In South Australia, High School officially starts in Year 7.

Year Levels and Ages of Students

ELC (Early Learning Centre)    
Year Level Babies Toddlers Kindergarten
Age 0-1 2-3 3-4

 

Primary School              
Year Level Reception Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6
Age 5-6 6-7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 11-12

 

Highschool            
Year Level Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12
Age 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 16-17 17-18

We require you to provide accurate warnings as part of your event registration. Any additional explanation or information regarding suitability and warnings can be included in the Kids & Schools Guide. Please note that any complaints or concerns from teachers about the inappropriate nature or content of a show will be referred directly to you, the presenter.

If you have any queries, feel free to email schools@adelaidefringe.com.au

In-School Performances

Adelaide Fringe also facilitates in-school performances, known as incursions. Offering incursions can be a great way to expand your show's accessibility and reach more schools who may not be able to travel to Fringe venues. How incursions work:    
  • These performances take place directly at the school. 
  • If a school expresses interest in an incursion, Adelaide Fringe will introduce the artist to the school (if they haven't already met). 
  • The school and artist will liaise directly to finalise the ticket price, date, time, and other logistical arrangements. Once confirmed, the artist will email all details to schools@adelaidefringe.com.au so ticketing can be processed and invoices issued.
  • Adelaide Fringe manages the ticketing and invoicing for all incursions, applying the same benefits as standard Schools Program bookings: 
    • 2.5% Artist Inside Charge (AIC)
    • $0 transaction fee for school group bookings
  • If you are interested in offering incursions as part of your Schools Program participation, please indicate this in your AVR registration and/or contact the Schools Program Coordinator at schools@adelaidefringe.com.au.

Summary

  • The Adelaide Fringe Schools Program connects your show with young audiences, offering discounted ticket prices and waiving transaction fees for school bookings.
  • To participate, ensure your show has a suitable age rating (below M), provides free teacher tickets, and offers a discounted school ticket price.
  • Strategically scheduling daytime sessions and actively marketing your show to schools are key to securing bookings.
  • Utilise Fringe's support, including the Kids & Schools Guide and the Schools Program Coordinator, to maximise your show's reach.

Additional Resources