2022, We're Coming For You - Applications Update

We’ve got big plans and so do you - our inboxes are full of questions about festival applications. We’ve compiled an FAQ below for enquiring minds, giving you the relevant dates for your diary and insight into the practicalities of how we’re planning for our 2022 festival given the ongoing uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

Is Dublin Fringe Festival happening this year?
Definitely! If you want to see something or share something, Fringe will be there for you from September 10 – 25 2022. We’ll launch our annual open call for applications with our curatorial call out on Tuesday February 1. Applications will close at 5pm on Thursday, 10 March.

Will the festival be remote or in real life?
We’re staying committed to embodied, live performance, back in beloved Dublin venues and taking over the city streets. With two festivals made in pandemic times under our belts, we will continue to bring audiences and artists together safely in person. We’re devoted to live events, big nights out and sharing extraordinary art experiences.

We have loved watching the innovative new forms and styles of remote art experiences emerge; born digital, on the airwaves, in the post, and whatever deadly new platform you have created that we haven’t even heard of yet. We will continue to champion that spirit of invention and accessibility. We will be opening applications for both live in-person events, and remote art projects that play with form and encourage active spectatorship across artistic disciplines.

Will things go back to ‘Fringe as usual’ this September?
Like all of you, we don’t know yet know what the rest of the year will look like due to the ongoing impact of the global pandemic and lack of certainty at this time about what will be possible in Ireland in the Autumn.

For now, we’re setting parameters to enable artists to plan with resilience.  That means factoring the government guidelines for Living with COVID-19 (updated regularly on gov.ie) into our planning. We will be adhering to industry standard safe working practices and being prudent about venue capacities and scale of festival. Keep reading for more info on both. From experience, we’ve learnt that it’s crucial to stay nimble and plan with agility.

We will be as adaptable and flexible as possible and we invite artists to work with us in that spirit. We’ll figure it out together as things change in the months ahead. No one wants foyer-kisses, post-show pints and sweaty dancefloors back more than us – we’ll be ready to switch gears if the time is right.

What does that mean for festival programming?
By necessity, COVID continues to be a factor in our planning. Our open call for applications will ask artists to:
a) Assume COVID will still be a factor in September. Make plans that consider COVID safety as part of your working practice for both rehearsals and presentation.
b) Make plans and budgets based on utilising a maximum of 50% of your venue capacity. This will allow you to plan with resilience as the times change.

Can Fringe help us get to grips with new rules around making work safely for the festival?
Help is at hand! We’ve done this before, so if you have a question we may well have figured out the answer during previous pandemic time festivals.

If you are planning to rehearse, develop or create a live performance this year, at Fringe or elsewhere, you should familiarise yourself with these excellent safe working practices guides: 
- Theatre Forum’s guidelines for 1) Safe Creation and Staging of Work and 2) A Framework for Performing Arts Venues.
- The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment’s Work Safely Protocol.  

We will be as adaptable and flexible as possible and we invite artists to work with us in that spirit. We’ll figure it out together.

Can I talk to you about my idea before I make an application?
Yes – talking to artists about their ideas is our favourite thing! Get in touch with Ciara, FRINGE LAB and Artistic Assistant, to set up a meeting with the team. These meetings are a great chance to talk through your project, your plans and your collaborators and to ask any burning questions ahead of making an application.

Will the application process be different?
Yes and no. See below for the application breakdown.

Curatorial Information: The curatorial call out will go live on 1 February, sharing the kind of festival we want to make this year. You will be able read about our curatorial interests broken down by art form (comedy, dance, theatre, live art, music, visual art etc) in the application guide. Applications will open that same day.

Application Guide: We have updated our application guide and templates to give applicants the support they need for the new circumstances. You’ll find up to the minute information on possible venues, the financial deal, as well as a guide to what we’ll need from you in terms of planning to make work safely in the ongoing pandemic context (e.g. size of your team, dressing room requirements, a proposed COVID-19 Lead Worker Representative, etc.)

Application Form: We know all the time and effort that goes into application writing and we really appreciate it. We make sure we don’t have any unnecessary questions in our forms. Every piece of information helps us make informed decisions and identify the supports projects will need if programmed.

Duets: Irish Theatre Institute (ITI), Fishamble: The New Play Company and Dublin Fringe Festival are pausing the DUETS initiative for 2022 to review the resources and supports most required by theatre artists now. The DUETS partners will continue to support idea development and artists in 2022 through their existing and new artist support programmes. 

But Fringe, the world is chaotic, and it’s been a really challenging few years. I can’t even think about making a show right now.
Choosing to take a pause is entirely reasonable given the circumstances. Some projects need less restricted working conditions than 2022 can offer, and not everyone can be creative in a time of crisis. Our team are happy to talk about future projects for better times whenever you are ready.

It’s okay to pause. Rest. Dream. You are still an artist, even if you aren’t making something right now.

How can I connect with Dublin Fringe Festival if I don’t want to make a show this year?
We are not just a festival, we are a year-round artist support organisation. Now is a good time for research, skill-development, editing, writing, composing, coaching, mentorship. Through FRINGE LAB programme activity and workspaces (available free-of-charge for the development of new work), we can support your practice wherever you are at in your process.

Keep in mind the open access supports that Fringe offers: 

• FRINGE LAB annual programme: check out our open access FRINGE LAB programme of events and workshops, they can be a great way to meet other artists and the Fringe Team. We will be announcing up-coming events this month. To keep track you can pop over to our website, sign up to our FRINGE LAB mailing list and join the Facebook group for info on upcoming events and various artist opportunities  
• Studio space: we provide free studio space for the development of new work from October – June. 
• Elevenses: on the last Friday of each month we host Elevenses – an informal drop-in coffee morning at 11am. This is a great chance to meet other makers and members of the Fringe team, online or in person. The next Elevenses is Friday, 28 January – come and say hello! Link to join here. 
• Artist Meetings: Dublin Fringe has an open-door policy. The Artistic team are currently meeting artists to hear about what you’ve been dreaming and scheming. Get in touch with our FRINGE LAB & Artistic Assistant Ciara to set up a meeting. 

What do I do if I have more questions?
We’ll open applications with a bang on 1 February. Our lovingly made, carefully compiled application guide full of more details will be available then. And save the date for our Application Information Session. It’s a live Q&A with the Fringe team taking place online at 2pm on Monday, 7 February. Details and links to follow.

The times are relentless, but so are we. We’re making a festival and can’t wait to hear from you.