NZ Fringe is passionate about artists; without you, this whole festival couldn’t happen. Fringe is an advocate for the arts and we want to see it grow. So we’ve worked hard to bring you an artist development programme to best serve your needs.
Artist Portal
This year we’ll be launching an Artist Portal as a base for information and opportunities for those involved. It will be a one stop shop for important festival dates, information on your show, resources you can use in your production process, and marketing/funding opportunities. This will be rolled out in full once registrations are closed in October, with updates coming regularly. These resources will for the most part only be available for artists who’ve completed their registration, so make sure you get yours in!
Artist Development Workshops
NZ Fringe will be putting on a series of workshops aimed at helping you, the Fringe artist, get the absolute most out of their 2027 production. Each workshop will be led by an industry leader with insight, guidance, and answers on how to approach some of the trickiest bits of self-produced work. Alongside this, we will also announce an Artist Portal for those who have registered with the festival that will be chock full of festival opportunities and resources to help you between now and the festival. Some locations are still TBA, but mark your calendars and RSVP for them HERE:
2026-27 Workshops Schedule:
- Workshop #1: How to Fringe with new Festival Director Luke Eisemann
Tuesday, 1 September, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a first time Fringer, come meet new Festival Director Luke Eisemann as he breaks down what it means to put on a show in a Fringe festival, some of the festival key dates and timelines, and answers any and all questions about this year’s Fringe.
Slides from the workshop HERE
- Workshop #2: Engaging with Venues: Agreements, MOUs, Risk Assessments, and More! with Eleanor Strathern
Tuesday, 15 September, 6:00pm @ Hannah Playhouse
Long-time independent producer and current General Manager of The Hannah, Eleanor Strathern runs you through the paperwork that keeps you safe, maximises creative freedom, and has venues asking you to come back!
- Workshop #3: Design and Branding with Phantom Billstickers
Tuesday, 6 October, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
The team at Phantom Billstickers will share insider tips on how to design and run an effective poster campaign — from eye-catching design to placement that gets results. Learn the basics of building your audience, crafting your campaign, and getting the most from your marketing budget.
- Workshop #4: Producing 101 with Sally Barnett
Tuesday, 13 October, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
Joined acclaimed producer and theatre-maker Sally Barnett as she breaks down the basics of producing, roles and responsibilities, tips and tricks, and how to approach self-produced/externally produced work.
- Workshop #5: Budgeting with CCAT Chief Executive Kim Bailey
Tuesday, 27 October, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
- Workshop #6: Social Media and Digital Marketing with Aro Digital
Tuesday, 10 November, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
The team at Aro Digital will be be running you through the basics of different social channels, (FB, IG, TikTok), how to craft content for socials, and how to identify what’s working and when to shift gears!
- Workshop #7: Funding with with CCAT Chief Executive Kim Bailey
Tuesday, 1 December, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
- Workshop #8: Ticketing – Reporting, Pricing, & Discounts with the Fringe Team
Tuesday, 15 December, 6:00pm @ Toi Aro
Join our Operations Manager as they give data driven insights on how to navigate ticket sales, ticket pricing, and how to approach discounts and deals for ticketing a production.
- Workshop #9: Touring and Tour Ready Awards with the Fringe Team
Tuesday, 26 January
- Workshop #10: Next Steps for Fringe Shows
Post-Festival, date TBA
Past Digital Library:
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- Arts Access Aotearoa’s ‘Accessibility in theatre’: follow this link
- Marketing and Publicity Workshop – For the full recording of this workshop, check out the link here. For the workshop slides, please follow this link. Please note: the recording does not show the powerpoint slides clearly so follow along on your own screen for best results. For more information about the Creative New Zealand Audience Atlas Aotearoa statistics that Emlou mentioned in the workshop, follow this link.
- Social Media and Content Creation Workshop: For the full recording of this workshop, check out the link here. For the workshop slides, please follow this link. Please note: the recording does not show the powerpoint slides clearly so follow along on your own screen for best results.
- Production Design 101 – Creative Lab: For the full recording of this workshop, check out the link here. For the workshop slides, please follow this link. Please note: the recording does not show the powerpoint slides clearly so follow along on your own screen for best results.
Other Fringes
Ever wondered what we do for the other 48 weeks of the year when Fringe isn’t on? We’re making connections with other Fringe Festivals around Aotearoa and the world, telling them about how amazing all the acts at NZ Fringe are and convincing them to come to visit us.
We have reciprocal touring awards with Sydney Fringe, Melbourne Fringe, Dunedin Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and San Diego Fringe. Staff from venues in Edinburgh Fringe also come to NZ Fringe to scout for acts and NAFF (National Association of Fringe Festivals), are in the throes of making a national touring circuit to each Fringe fest as accessible to as many Fringe artists as possible.
