Is Crowdfunding The Only Way to Fund a Fringe Show?

The cost of performing at the Fringe can be incredibly high, with the cost of venue hire, accommodation and travel all adding to the financial burden. Because of this, more and more Fringe acts are turning to crowdfunding to utilise their existing fan base and lessen the financial hit. So, for the modern artist, why is crowdfunding becoming so popular?

Why crowdfund?

For Kate Austen of Doughnut Productions, who are set to perform Speaking in Tongues – The Lies and Speaking in Tongues – The Truths at the festival, crowdfunding was initially not something that she wanted to do. “I'll be the first to stick up my hand and say I've rolled my eyes at other people's campaigns in the past whether that be for their own shows or for fundraising to go to drama school. It wasn't an easy decision to make,” she explains.

Despite her initial reluctance, she readily admits that crowdfunding has made it possible for her to perform at the Fringe, something that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

“We wouldn't have been able to go. We would have probably had to fund it out of our own pockets and that's not feasible for the team at this point in time.”

Rebecca Gwyther, the producer of What Goes On In Front Of Closed Doors, says that crowdfunding is a fast and relatively safe way to get funding. “It is a quick way to boost Edinburgh Festival Fringe funds without too much risk. It requires a lot less work than organising an event, but is still money guaranteed to the project,” she explains.

For Rachel D’Arcy, the producer of Scribble, the choice to crowdfund was simple: “We chose to go for the crowdfunding option to raise funds to make sure we could pay the actors we have taking part in our production, and to cover essentials like flyers, posters and photography.”

Her colleague, playwright Andy Edwards, agrees. “Crowdfunding feels like a viable option in the current climate – which isn’t to say it isn’t without its problems, but that within the context of people making work or people going to see work there is a shared appreciation of the fact that the typical funding avenues are very congested, and the funding bodies themselves really stretched.”

Are there other sources of funding available?

There are always options for funding available, however arts funding is competitive and under huge pressure from government cuts. Applications can take weeks, if not months, to be approved. In addition, the amount of funding available and the type of project that could be eligible varies according to location.

This, coupled with budget cuts and strict rules, often leaves artists reliant on other, often overstretched, alternatives.

Anya Anastasia, who returns to the Fringe with her new show Anya Anastasia: Rogue Romantic, explains that crowdfunding formed just one part of her finances. “Crowdfunding is actually just one aspect of what I'm doing to raise funds for this tour. I have still applied for multiple grants, and holding fundraising evenings. My performers themselves are also being flexible in how they approach fees etc with an understanding of the vast risk I am taking to tour this show.”

Asha Obsorne Grinter, the 18-year-old producer, director and founder of Mixtape Theatre, is set to make her Fringe debut with Spring Awakening: A Reimagining. She believes that crowdfunding was the most accessible option following previous funding rejections.

“We applied to a range of grants, but we didn’t entirely fulfil the criteria of many grants due to our age/lack of ‘adults’ and facilitators, and despite not being a registered company, we are not part of a charity either,” she begins.  

“Living in London, there is such great competition for grants in my area that my show was overlooked in terms of council grants because there is very little funding for the arts in my borough. I attempted to apply for a grant from the Arts Council, but this too was very time consuming and geared towards more established companies than my own.”

David Bryan, the sole performer in one-man-play Trashed, echoes these ideas of needless bureaucracy, and believes that this is what’s keeping specific shows and artists from obtaining funding.  “It’s hard to fill in forms explaining why we MUST put on this play. We WANT to put it on. That’s not to say it doesn’t explore key issues, we just haven't built it to be a great funding candidate. We’re not ticking boxes for the sake of ticking boxes, we’re putting on a great play we’re passionate about.”

Unpolished Theatre, on the other hand, are coming up to the Fringe with their show Flesh and Bone thanks to the Charlie Hartill Special Reserve Fund for Theatre [a fund for the production costs of Edinburgh Fringe shows]. Associate Producer at the Pleasance, Heather Rose – who has worked with the company since its inception – believes that the way that funding is awarded needs to change.

“Most arts funders are unwilling to fund shows for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival – we are lucky enough to have support from the Pleasance Theatre Trust, but even with that we just needed a bit more to cover all our costs, and with this being our first show, we felt like our friends and family would be happy to support us to make it happen.”

She continues: “Too much funding is geared towards registered charities, and requires long complicated application forms. There aren't enough small pots of money with simple applications for artists who are just getting started and are trying to balance building a career with earning a living.”

Jemima Foxtrot is a performance poet and the writer of Unholy Mess’s Above the Mealy Mouthed Sea, which she is set to perform in Edinburgh in August. The piece not only acquired funding, but was also developed with Omnibus Theatre. Because of this, Foxtrot believes that collaboration between theatre companies is vital.

“We were lucky enough to receive enough Arts Council funding for the development of the show as well as for a small national tour. We are also associate artists at Omnibus Theatre, who support us with rehearsal space, marketing and PR, all of which are invaluable to us.”

However, she also believes that opportunities for funding are currently very limited. “There’s a misconception nowadays that because the arts aren’t big money-spinners they’re not valuable. In short, no there are not enough opportunities for arts funding.”

Her comments are echoed by Jamie Firth, the director of Goody, who also managed to secure some external funding. “We were lucky enough to win an award from the Greenwich Theatre [The Greenwich Partnership Award 2017], which came with a small bursary, but otherwise we are always going to be self-funding it.

“If there are opportunities, we wouldn't know where to find them. I think this is the biggest stumbling block for most small independent companies – going it alone looks like your only option and, being blunt, we have never considered it."

“I have found it to be very hard to find grants; and those grant applications that I do find have very specific parameters that my work doesn't fit into,” agrees Peter Michael Marino, a New-York based performer set to return to the Fringe this year with his new comedy, Show Up.  

“I think the biggest barrier is that so many people I know are also artists and most artists don't make the kind of money where they can make large donations. I need to reach many people and ask for micro-donations. As far as grants go, I'm not sure I possess the skills to write effective grant appeals, nor do I have the money to pay someone to write the grant appeal for me.”

What can the Edinburgh Festival Fringe do to help?

Lewis Dunn, the producer of Any Suggestions Doctor? An Improvised Adventure in Space & Time, elieves that the high price of accommodation in August is a real barrier to artists, and that the Fringe should do more to help. “Landlords are the kings of Edinburgh, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

“Subsidised accommodation, revenue sharing deals instead of upfront venue costs, less strict rules about what shows need insurance. I did a show once in which I sat in a chair, read a diary and drank cold tea. I had to be insured for up to £5million in public liability. I was tempted to attack someone just to make it worth it.”

Attacks aside, the cost of accommodation came up time and time again, with Osborne-Grinter saying it best, "I think that perhaps there should be grants that the Fringe offers for emerging artists or even, subsidised accommodation for artists in shared houses because theatre rental and accommodation have been the single largest costs for my cast."