Why apply for ArtsFest?
   So what are the benefits for artists?
     Venues
     Marketing & Promotion
     Ask it! Information Stalls
     ArtsFest Ticket Booth
     Further benefits

Why apply for ArtsFest?
ArtsFest is open to everybody to apply, whether professional, student, amateur, community or voluntary organisation or individual. The festival features a range of performances, workshops, exhibitions, screenings and talks. Artists can apply to become involved in any of these ways by completing one of the on-line application forms. Artists that take part in ArtsFest do so voluntarily, they not get paid a fee or have expenses covered, but do not let this put you off; the benefits of being involved are huge! As the old saying goes, the best things in life are free, so please do read on.

So what are the benefits for artists?
Venues
Participating artists have the opportunity to potentially perform/facilitate activity in some of the City’s major venues such as Birmingham Rep that they might otherwise struggle to access. Participating artists also have the opportunity to potentially perform in front of huge crowds on one of ArtsFest’s outdoor stages. If you don’t apply then you won’t be in with the chance…

Marketing & Promotion
Participating artists also benefit from being part of ArtsFest’s significant marketing campaign which includes:

• Information regarding themselves or their organisation on the ArtsFest website with an image and link to their own website if so desired. 16,000 people visited the website in September 2007 alone.
• Inclusion in ArtsFest’s publicity brochure and the official ArtsFest guide, at least 50,000 of which are produced each year. Hundreds more people download this in PDF format from the website.
• Direct marketing to ArtsFest’s mailing list of over 3000 through newsletters containing features about ArtsFest artists plus information is distributed to all schools, community libraries and community centres within the city.
• The opportunity to gain inclusion in Local and National press through the multitude of press enquiries we receive each year. If the press show a specific interest in an artist, or the area with which they are related – we put them in direct contact with the artist to ensure they get the most from this promotion.
• ArtsFest’s marketing campaign even continues post ArtsFest with the inclusion of participating artists events in the year following the festival on the ‘ArtsFest Recommends’ events calendar on the website. Events listed here are also sent to those on the mailing list as quarterly email updates to help continue achieving our aim of building audiences for participating artists.
• ArtsFest also encourages participating artists to do as much promotion of their event as possible and will have the advice guide ‘How to market your ArtsFest event most effectively’ available on the website over forthcoming months.

Ask it! Information Stalls
All ArtsFest participants have the opportunity to communicate directly with audiences through having an ‘Ask It!’ information stall based in the centre of the city along New Street free of charge (the cost for non-participating organisations is £275). These give members of the public the chance to find out more about artists and organisations by asking questions, picking up leaflets, joining mailing lists etc.

ArtsFest Ticket Booth
ArtsFest participants also have the opportunity to sell tickets for forthcoming performances and events through the ArtsFest Ticket Booth. Tickets to the value of £35,204 were sold during ArtsFest 2007 proving that visitors are inspired to purchase tickets to see participating artists in the future following an ArtsFest event.

Further Benefits
Last but not least all participants have the opportunity:

• To be part of the ArtsFest carnival parade;
• To have their details included on the City Council Events Team database, to be informed of the opportunity to take part in other events
• Are provided with a pass to park for free for each day they are performing at the festival.

Remember… In 2007 over 450 events took place …. In 2008 one of these could be yours!