New Works Festival
OverviewThe New Works Festival is scheduled to take place from January 23rd to February 1st, 2009.A non-juried festival of world premiere works, it will feature a significant fraction of the Portland Theater Community producing fully staged world premiere works of theater, from new adaptations of classic texts to experimental ensemble driven work on the leading edge of Portland theater. Unlike a typical fringe festival or T:BA this festival will feature the finest work of our local resident theater companies, not the work of touring companies, ensuring that the artistic and financial benefits of the festival stay right here in Portland. Also, where other New Works Festivals are curated from by one theater company and typically feature a string of staged readings, this festival will be curated by many different theatrical voices and will feature fully staged premieres, giving audiences greater depth and breadth of work to choose from in a concentrated time frame. For this reason we feel this festival will be unique nationally, providing a new model for creating and publicizing new work that will be of substantive value to the national theater conversation. Logistics and CollatoralLetters of AgreementEach participating company will be asked to sign a letter of agreement detailing what they will contribute to the support of the festival and what benefits they will receive. This Letter of agreement includes a $50 to $75 application fee (depending on PATA member status) that is non-refundable, but will guarantee them a listing in the Festival booklet for an upcoming event, even if their festival project falls through. Festival Pass A Festival Pass good for all participating Festival Performances will cost $150 and will also grant you admittance the opening and closing night parties and all after parties. Passes will be sold by PATA, the participating theater venues and other partner organizations. Organizations who sell the pass will keep $50 per pass sold, with the rest of the revenue returning to the Festival to cover Marketing and Promotion costs. The goal for year one of the festival is to sell 200 Festival Passes. Festival Button A Festival Button will also be sold for $9 that will grant the wearer discounts at all participating productions and at participating restaurants and businesses. These will be sold by PATA, participating venues and partner organizations. The festival will retain all revenue from the button sales. The goal for year one is to sell 500 Festival Buttons. Festival Booklet A Festival Booklet will be created, listing and describing all participating productions and including a map to the venues, and a comprehensive calendar. Companies who do not have work participating in the festival can get a basic listing in the book for a small publication fee, and restaurants and affiliated businesses can get a listing in exchange for a small fee and a commitment to offer a discount to button holders. Proposed print circulation: 40,000. Print sponsors are currently being solicited to help underwrite the publication costs of the booklet. Sponsors Sponsors are being sought for an opening and closing night party to be hosted by PATA in support of the new works festival. Opening night will be a high end fundraising gala, and closing night will be a boisterous late night costumed cast party. Marketing StrategyPromotional MarketThe Goal for year one of the Festival is to solicit participation from Oregon and Washington theater lovers, focusing out of area promotion on Seattle/Tacoma, Bend, Ashland, Eugene and the coast. Additional goal would be to secure attendance from at least 30 out of area Artistic leaders, focusing in year one on Artistic Directors and Literary Managers from Washington, California and Chicago. Promotional Partners A strategic marketing partnership is in process with Theater Puget Sound (The theatrical service organization for the Seattle area), with a goal of reaching members of the theater industry and developing resources to reach members of the Seattle theatergoing public. A relationship is also being developed with Travel Portland (Formerly POVA) to expand our opportunities for out of area exposure in the markets where Travel Portland promotes the Portland Big Deal. Strategy The local (Portland Area) marketing strategy is currently being created, with a goal of partnerships secured, media outlets selected and financial support raised by June 1, 2008. Get InvolvedDownload and distribute the New Works Festival Fact Sheet (.pdf) to your board members or other folks who may be interested.Participate in planning, or let us know you'd like to produce a show for the festival: Email Committee Chair Trisha Pancio at trisha@patagreenroom.org. |