THE FESTIVAL OF SPIRITUALITY AND PEACE 2nd August – 26th August 2013
Performer Pack
Based at St John’s Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ info@festivalofspirituality.org.uk | www.festivalofspirituality.org.uk A company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland No: 399201 Scottish Registered Charity SC042638
Contents What is the Festival of Spirituality and Peace? ............................................................................................... 3 How does FoSP fit into the Edinburgh Festival? ............................................................................................. 4 What makes FoSP so special? ............................................................................................................................... 4 Our Venues and Hire Fees ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Church ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6 The Hall ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 The Persian Tent CafĂŠ .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Comparison with other Edinburgh venues........................................................................................................ 9 Can I register with the Fringe too? ..................................................................................................................... 9 How can I apply to be part of FoSP? ................................................................................................................ 11 Contact Details .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Key venue information at a glance.................................................................................................................... 12 Church ...................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Hall ............................................................................................................................................................................. 12 FoSP site .................................................................................................................................................................. 12
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What is the Festival of Spirituality and Peace? The Festival of Spirituality and Peace (FoSP) is a programme of around 300 events across 15 venues taking place in August each year. Now in its thirteenth year, it features top-quality speakers, conversations, performances, film, food, exhibitions, family activities, workshops, art and much more. All of these events aim to promote peace, positive change and encourage audiences to engage with their own or other people’s spirituality. The dates this year are 2nd August to 26th August. Our audiences have grown from a few hundred in 2001 to in excess of 20,000. Such an increase shows that there is a clear role for such a festival. Our 2012 programme was our biggest yet with events across all genres, in venues around and beyond Edinburgh. Throughout this period of rapid growth we have been supported by the Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council and others. The programme has grown not only in size but in depth and reach. FoSP is based at St John’s Church in a prime location at the end of Princes Street, Edinburgh’s principal street. It has an established reputation a fringe venue which delivers high quality events from all genres. Due to its professional and dedicated staff FoSP has a community atmosphere and great relations with performers both in Edinburgh and across the world.
Divided City | Citizens Theatre | Karen Gordon Photography 3|Page
How does FoSP fit into the Edinburgh Festival? There is no one Edinburgh Festival; it is a collective name for the multitude of individual festivals going on throughout August in Edinburgh. By all taking place at the same time they draw huge numbers of people into Edinburgh, all going to a variety of show in different festivals. According to the British Council in 2011 over 250,000 spectators watched the final firework display alone.
What makes FoSP so special? FoSP is unique because it creates a real festival atmosphere between its performers, audience, staff and volunteers. As a not-for-profit charity, FoSP is not focused on finances which govern most of the other festival venues. Our priority is to encourage dialogue, community and personal growth. We want everyone who comes into contact with FoSP to not only enjoy an hour’s entertainment but take something with them to share with the people they meet throughout the year. We have three stunning performance spaces in St John’s Church, each with their own distinctive feel. The Church is a majestic performance space for large audiences. The Hall is perfect of workshops or performances which benefit from an informal environment. The Persian Tent is fantastic for small intimate events creating an oasis in the midst of a busy, bustling city. What makes FoSP extra special is the sense of community built by having over 40 volunteers, many international, staffing the festival. Each one has a personal commitment to peace and exploring spirituality. Over the festival we aim to give them skills which they can use in their professional and personal life. Together they build a multi-national, multi-faith community using the festival events as a catalyst for conversation and cultural exchange.
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What are we looking for? We're looking for events that showcase cultural diversity, explore injustice or pose ethical questions. We're also, obviously, looking for shows that we feel will interest the audience and sell tickets. We include all genres – music, theatre, dance, children's shows, talks and workshops. To get a feel for what we cater for please look at 2012 programme which is available via our website. If you have an event we have never done before please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us: we are always looking to broaden our horizons.
What do we offer? We offer three unique performance spaces in the heart of Edinburgh. You can have a one off event or a run of up to 25. Technical, front of house and box office staff are provided as standard. Additionally your event will be included in our printed programme which has a print run of circa 20,000. We will also promote your event through our website, social media and mailing list. There are opportunities to ‘busk’ around the site to promote your event. Each year FoSP receives press attentions from the likes of The Scotsman and BBC Radio 4. Our press officer can handle your press requests that come through our venue. With our ticketing partners The Hub, we can provide ticketing for all events. This includes phone sales, internet sales (from the FoSP website linked to The Hub’s website), in person throughout the year at The Hub based on the Royal Mile, and via the FoSP Box Office from mid-July. Most importantly we offer collaboration. We want to work with you to make sure your event is the best it can be and reaches the widest audience. Our staff are caring and attentive. We always make time for our performers to optimize their experience. FoSP is a community and we welcome you to make it your home for the time you are with us. We provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for our volunteers and we warmly invite you to join us.
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Our Venues and Hire Fees Church The church was built between 1816 and 1818 and seats up to 350 people. It hosts some of the finest stain glass windows in the UK. There is a comprehensive sound system and simple stage lighting will be rigged for the Festival period. The Vestry and Chapel attached to the stage can be used as wings and for short-term storage. The venue is best suited to traditional and classical music although we can be creative with sound and accommodate every kind of music. Classical performers always relish performing at FoSP due to its beautiful natural acoustics. The acoustics also make the Church suitable for drama and spoken word events.
Rhapsody of Indian Melodies | The Tagore Centre UK
However it is important to note that the Church is a functioning worship space and certain compensations must be made to respect that. We traditionally cater for event slots of 60 minutes at set times at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm. In order for FoSP to continue into the future we have to charge a rental fee for the Church which is in line with the majority of venues in Edinburgh during August. This fee is either a 40% split of your box office takings; or a Fixed Guarantee, whichever is total is higher. Our split will be calculated as a percentage of your gross box office. We calculate the Fixed Guarantee by working out what our split of your box office proceeds would be if you sold an average of 30% capacity over your full run (based on 6|Page
your average ticket price). We will ask you to pay a 20% deposit against your Guarantee before the start of the Festival. Twenty minutes set up and take down are included in all prices, as are technical, front of house and box office staff.
Maryhill Integration Network| Karen Gordon Photography
The Hall The Hall seats 70 - 100 people, depending or seating arrangements, and has modern airy feel. It is wonderfully adaptable to suit daytime workshops to night-time intimate concerts. It has a raised stage and sound system. The seating can be set up cabaret style, tradition theatre style or even completely removed and stored to the side. There is a kitchen attached which can be used for refreshment if desired.
Henna Workshop 7|Page
We traditionally cater for events slots of 60 minutes at set times at 2pm, 4pm and 8pm. Morning slots are also available. In order for FoSP to continue into the future we have to charge a rental fee for the Hall which is in line with the majority of venues in Edinburgh during August. This fee is either a 40% split of your box office takings; or a Fixed Guarantee, whichever is total is higher. Our split will be calculated as a percentage of your gross box office. We calculate the Fixed Guarantee by working out what our split of your box office proceeds would be if you sold an average of 30% capacity over your full run (based on your average ticket price). We will ask you to pay a 20% deposit against your Guarantee before the start of the Festival. Twenty minutes set up and take down are included in all prices, as are technical, front of house and box office staff.
Last Tango in Edinburgh
The Persian Tent CafĂŠ This year we are partnering with the Persian Rug Village to create a small piece of nomadic paradise right in the heart of Edinburgh. Here people will be able to feed the body and the mind. The Tent will primarily function as a cafĂŠ but will occasional host intimate talks or musical gatherings. If you are interested in performing in the Persian 8|Page
Tent either to publicize your event or as an event in its own right please contact the Annika (annika@festivalofspirituality.org.uk) who will liaise with the Persian Rug Village to see if you can be accommodated.
Comparison with other Edinburgh venues The Edinburgh Festival can be an expensive place to perform. As this comparison shows that here at FoSP we are doing upmost to keep costs down. On top of a higher guarantee based in a 40% capacity, some venues charge ÂŁ500 and more to have an entry in their printed programme. It is common for venues to charge per hour for technical staff. There are also strong financial penalties for over running charged per minute. Others insist that you register with The Fringe, which can be close to ÂŁ400, whereas we feel that is your choice.
Can I register with the Fringe too? Contributors can be part of FoSP and the Fringe. FoSP is a registered Fringe venue. The Fringe is a non-curated festival programme. Any show can register with Fringe in order to have an entry into their online and printed programme. The Fringe also acts as a box office with ticket counters on the Royal Mile and Princes Street. A lot of potential audience members use the Fringe as a search engine to get easy access to the multitude of performances happening around Edinburgh in August. For registration fees, deadlines and more information you can visit www.edfringe.com/participants 9|Page
Please note FoSP requires the Fringe Box Office income to be paid directly to our bank account prior to distributing to contributors.
Overseas Contributors If you are coming from overseas it is vital to bear in mind Visas and work permits. If you register with the Fringe their office applies for Permit Free Status, which means that overseas performers are permitted to work during the festival without a work permit. To make your entry into the UK as smooth as possible, we advise that you travel with an official letter from our venue manager that confirms you are performing at FoSP during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2013 Foreign Entertainer’s Tax is also something to bear in mind. If the contributor makes a total profit of £1,000 or more, then Foreign Entertainers Tax will apply. The contributor must complete and return a Form FEU 8 for the Inland Revenue. Forms are obtainable from the Festival Fringe Society office. Overseas contributors have always been a valued part of FoSP and we will work with you to make trip as enjoyable and smooth as possible.
Africa Entsha | Karen Gordon Photography 10 | P a g e
How can I apply to be part of FoSP? If you would like to be part of FoSP 2013 please fill out the Event Application Form which is available on our website www.festivalofspirituality.org.uk/perform-at-fosp-13 or by request from Annika Wolf (annika@festivalofspirituality.org.uk). We will then contact you to confirm the dates and times you have chosen. If you would like to be part of FoSP but not use St John’s Church as the venue then you can apply for entry into our printed programme. All entries are £100 which includes ticketing via the Hub. Please feel free to contact Annika with any questions or comments you have about FoSP. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you choose us as your Edinburgh Festival Venue.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Contact Details Events Planner: Annika Wolf Email: annika@festivalofspirituality.org.uk Festival Director: Katherine Newbigging Email: katherine@festivalofspirituality.org.uk 11 | P a g e
Key venue information at a glance Church Seats: 350 Stage dimensions: 7m 16cm by 4m 73cm by 14.5m high. Hall Seats: 70 - 100 Stage dimensions: 8m by 2m FoSP site Disabled Access Information: wheelchair accessible WC, wheelchair accessible venues, hearing loops. Venue Facilities: Front of House Staff, Technical Staff, 2 Cafes on site, Box Office Staff, Photocopying & printing: charged at cost, Internet & Computer. Storage space is limited Box Office: Our Box Office is linked with The Hub who have ticket printing, phone sales, online ticket sales, accepts credit cards and is computerized. Charity: Each year we seek to raise money for appropriate good causes, through a combination of 50p ticket surcharges on events and collection donations at free events. Venue plans are available by request from Annika Wolf
Inside the Persian Tent 12 | P a g e