How much does it cost to be in fringe?

• Cost to cast and crew: personal costs for Fringe is not subsidised by LUTG. The Fringe is very expensive, especially for individual expenditures to living costs i.e. food and sleeping arrangements. Landlords increasing prices around the fringe, rooms alone racking up on average between £170 - £230 for seven nights. 
• Food is usually cooked via a cooking rota two people sharing the responsibility for feeding all members of the cast and crew. Food is a vital part of wellbeing and therefore a full and healthy meal is incredibly important (please bare in mind nutritional needs and food restrictions). It is up to each team of two to buy and prepare all aspects of the meal including washing up. Everyone should partake cooking at least once.
• Additional meals such as breakfast and lunch is not scheduled or provided for by LUTG, individuals responsible for there own wellbeing.  
• You must be a current member of not only the society but the university as the university insurance only covers current students.

​What can we use our Misc on?

Misc is 10% of your total budget and is there as a safety net. It is not to be used without good reason. Occasionally however misc has been used for transportation. 

Misc and transportation: Misc can and should be used in transporting large props and set, however not used out of unencessity and should be avoided if possible. If used correctly receipts are required to be accounted for.

​How long will we be at fringe?

It is up to the production team to organise the living arrangement for the fringe. However it is usually between one to two weeks (a recommendation being the first two weeks, avoiding the last as it is usually has a lower attendance). The production team must confirm the dates to the cast and crew by if not proposals, most definitely auditions.

​What is the level of commitment that is needed?

Whilst fringe is a fantastic and fun commitment, please bear in mind that it is a huge commitment and the process does require 100% involvement from beginning to end; this includes rehearsals but most importantly the whole time at fringe.   

Something for the project manager to recite “When you are cast for the Fringe, under Lancaster Offshoots, you accept the role as as an commitment both of time and money. Once then accepted you’re obliged to remain for the remainder of the process.”

​How scheduled is fringe?

Whilst we encourage you to see as many shows and get as much out of the experience as possible, please do remember that the show needs to be promoted so there are more people in the audience than there are onstage! This mainly​ involves promotion on the Edinburgh Royal Mile (or ‘the Mile’ to the regulars!) as well as performing in the show. To give a rough estimate, this involves a commitment of around five hours of ‘work time’ a day, promotion and show included (but this will depend on your PM/Director). There will also be a tech run at the start of fringe which is on top of the five hours a day. The rest of the day and night you are more or less left to your own devices, but at the risk of sounding like your mum please remember to sleep and eat at some point! 

Before Fringe there is often an intense rehearsal period in Lancaster to prepare your show and refresh you all. This is often 9-5 and lasts up to 9 days.

What does the Project Manager do?

• The Project Manager is in charge of maintaining the order within the production team; they are there to ensure that the Director, Producers and Stage Managers are hitting their targets. They are required to set deadlines for timetabling and make sure those deadlines are being met.
• PM needs to ensure that:
  • The rights are secured before the Christmas holidays
  • The venue is booked by the end of the Christmas holidays
  • The show is registered before the cheaper deadline runs out (unless your venue registers you).
  • The house is booked before auditions for fringe (in second term).
  • A very detailed rehearsal schedule is created before rehearsals begin.
• These deadlines are non negotiable and are set by the exec. You must make sure these are completed by the respective team members on time.
• If anyone is not meeting the schedule it is your job to intervene., however it is not your job to do any other jobs, it is to make sure they are being done correctly by the people who should be doing them.
• You are an impartial body and therefore have no say in casting and choosing of the extended production team, however you must be present at both auditions and the backstage meeting.
• The Project Manager is also the primary welfare correspondent and may need to liaise with the cast and crew reps to resolve any issues with may arise.

What does the director do?

The director's role is comparable to that of LUTG term show directors, however as with most of the roles, the nature of taking a performance to Edinburgh can provide greater strain and complexities. For this reason, the role of Project Manager is separated. The director...

• Is responsible for leading the performers of the show and making creative decisions regarding the script and its performance. In the past these have often been original writing, due to its popularity at Fringe and lack of rights cost, however this is not a requirement.
• Organise regular rehearsals through terms 2 and 3 which do not clash with LUTG term shows, as well as timetabling intensive week for acting.
• Call rehearsals and formulate a schedule in order to keep the cast informed and ensure progress towards the performances. 
• Liaise closely with the stage managers to ensure the show comes together in Edinburgh, as there is rarely opportunity for a full dress run in a wholly comparable space.
• Will often liaise with the team to create some form of preview show or WIP, giving more members the opportunity to see the production, as well as to get feedback, reviews and/or fundraise for the show.

What do the Producers do?

The producers' responsibilities include:

• Publicity
• Offshoot finances and budget
• Organisation of Fringe venue
  • We have past relationships with Greenside Venues and The Space UK - it is recommended you aim for a venue near The Mile or other central areas in Old Town.
• Living arrangements in Edinburgh
• Living arrangements for intensive week before going to Edinburgh
  • This is usually found within the cast and crew who have summer rent on their student houses.
• Transport of cast, crew and set to Edinburgh
• Welfare (Due to the complexity of the task, producers tend to be a secondary point of welfare contact to the project manager)

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Due to the level of work and scale of the Fringe budget, two producers are required to fulfil the tasks. It is recommended that you clearly define who is doing what, though it can be separated in any way. Previous examples have included a financial and creative producer.

​What do the Stage Managers do?

• Like any other LUTG show the Stage Managers are in charge of lighting (provided for by venue) costume, props and set. However, please bear in mind that everything you put in the show has to be then transported to Edinburgh. 
• Edinburgh, that’s in another country! Also be aware that anything you want to show off on the mile has to be transported to and from your accommodation, typically not close. Therefore, yes, be cheap and cheerful but also light and tightly packed. 
• Spend as little money as possible. Keep all your receipts or you will not be reimbursed for the purchases you do not have proof of.
• Your get in at Fringe is likely only 5 or 10 mins, therefore you must ensure you and your team (including cast) practice and can move the set into the venue in the required time. If you run over at fringe they will turn the lights on, and depending on the venue possibly fine you.

What should I do with the finances? - Producers

​For most of us poor theatre folk Fringe can be the first time you will be responsible for that much money and handling that much can often be a struggle when the ins and outs of transactions are regular and large.

• Open another bank account with no card, this way you can clearly distinguish between Offshoots money and your own. Then put it under your own name and ask for no overdraft; this way the account will not effect your credit rating, something that would effect you when you finally apply for that mortgage.
• When you register for Fringe you will set up the Fringe box office, they take a cut of your ticket sales, however they are also the biggest ticket retailer for fringe and most people will book through them not your venue. It is advised you allocate 80% of your tickets to fringe box office before you go to Edinburgh and then re-allocate tickets to your venue on the day of each show so that people can buy tickets on the door. The money from these tickets will then go directly into the bank account.
• Spend as little money as possible.
• Keep all your receipts or you will not be reimbursed for the purchases you do not have proof of.

How do I apply for funding?

• ​LUSU
  
• UK Arts Council
  
• Lancaster City Council
  
• Merriman Fund
  
• Google

It is difficult to get funding for Fringe and it often does not happen, however, we highly recommend applying for as much as you can.

For individual funding, most colleges at uni offer a small budget for summer if you are doing something which helps your education. This is definitely worth looking into for indicidually as a cast/crew member.

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