For lots of Fringe artists, putting on their show at the festival is the ultimate goal. If that's you, then congratulations! You've reached the end of this guide, and hopefully feel equipped to tackle your time at the Fringe.
(If you do have questions about anything, we're here to help – get in touch by emailing [email protected].)
On the other hand, many artists come to the Fringe to use it as a springboard onto the next stage of their career, whether that's finding an agent, onward touring, screen adaptation of their work or something else entirely. If that sounds like you, we're here to help you make the most of your time at the Fringe – read on to find out how.
Future touring
For many artists the opportunity to generate touring invitations is a major reason to attend the Fringe. Performing at the Fringe provides a platform to gather press attention and get your work seen by potential bookers. There are many ways to continue your work beyond the Fringe, and touring is a great way to do this.
Read our guide to touring your work
Fringe Marketplace
Fringe Marketplace is a platform to showcase professional, ready-to-tour work presenting at the festival to national and international programmers and presenters, agents, and screen industry.
Participants submitting shows should have experience in touring and developing work beyond the Fringe and be prepared to provide detailed information on their touring and development ambitions, touring requirements and / or rightsholder specifics.
We recommend you consider carefully whether to submit your show to Fringe Marketplace, as it might not be the opportunity that’s right for you this year.
Find out more about Fringe Marketplace
Stage to screen
The Fringe can be an exciting time to develop your project and writing work for the screen. Audiences are engaging with TV, film and digital content at unprecedented levels, resulting in increased demand among industry professionals who are on the hunt for exciting and original voices for screen opportunities. Writing for theatre and bringing your projects to the Fringe is a great start. Producers and developers are highly experienced in scouring the landscape and finding projects of interest, so ensuring your show stands out and gets seen by the right people is important.
We've put together some advice and support, helpful resources and a list of relevant opportunities below that can help you in your screenwriting career.
Portfolios
There are proactive steps you can take to signal your interest, hone your skills and build your reputation as a screenwriter. A great first step is building up a portfolio of writing for screen. This could include short films, television pilots, show bibles and feature-length screenplays.
Make sure to read the specifications carefully when submitting work, as the requirements differ for each opportunity. For example, many short film opportunities stipulate that the script or screen run-time must be a certain length in order to meet their criteria.
- The BBC Writersroom has an extensive script library from a diverse range of both long-running and limited shows.
- The Internet Movie Script Database (IMSDb) also has an extensive, regularly updated bank of screenplays.
Agents
The PMA (Personal Managers’ Association) is the professional body for talent and representation in the UK. On their website you will find a comprehensive list of all registered UK talent agencies.
Many agencies recognise that talent often works across the stage and screen, and an agent can be a useful contact for providing advice and opportunities in transitioning into another medium. If you are currently working in theatre and ready to take the next step into screen, inviting agents who represent both stage and screen writers to your readings / performances would be a great next move. Be sure to invite these contacts to your best possible work.
Agents will often share their contact details on their websites; be sure to do thorough research on them and their current clients before reaching out to ensure you are a good match. Many film festivals and emerging talent schemes will offer sessions and panel events about getting an agent in film and TV, so keep your eyes peeled. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on work by emerging screen talent as well to get a sense of wider landscape and current trends.
Resources for finding an agent
- BBC Writersroom
Articles and resources on finding an agent. - The Brit List
Highlights some of the strongest emerging talent in the UK and their projects. - The Blacklist
A compilation of some of the strongest unproduced screenplays crossing industry desks. Their list is far more international, although also primarily dominated by US-based writers. - Ask an agent
Our own Q&A with three agents from different backgrounds, answering common questions from Fringe artists.