VRYNGE 2027 PRODUCTION APPLICATION
6–10 July 2027 | Vrystaat Arts Festival
Applications close: 27 November 2026
WELCOME TO VRYNGE
Vrynge is the open-access, independent-production platform of the Vrystaat Arts Festival. It provides emerging, established and experimental artists with an opportunity to present work within a professional festival environment, reach new audiences, test ideas and strengthen networks across the South African arts sector.
Vrynge participation is primarily self-produced. Unless the Festival agrees otherwise in writing, the applicant remains responsible for the creation, financing, personnel, travel, accommodation, freight, rights, insurance, and marketing of the production. The Festival provides the agreed venue framework, standard venue infrastructure, ticketing and operational support subject to availability, capacity, safety, and the signed Festival agreement.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Please have the following ready before completing this application:
- final or sufficiently developed script, text, or concept document;
- complete production and creative-team information, and CVs;
- realistic, itemised production budget and funding information;
- complete technical rider, stage plan, lighting, sound, AV, set, and special-effects information;
- rights and licensing information, including SAMRO, DALRO, or equivalent requirements;
- high-resolution publicity images, marketing strategy, and relevant performance links; and
- proof of payment of the non-refundable R50-application administration fee.
Applicants should allow sufficient time to complete every page and upload all documents. Incomplete, inaccurate, misleading, illegible, or late applications may be excluded without further correspondence.
APPLICATION FEE AND BANKING DETAILS
A non-refundable administration fee of R50, VAT included, is payable using the production title as the reference. Payment of the fee does not guarantee selection.
- Account name: Volksblad Kunstefees
- Bank: Absa
- Account type: Cheque / Current
- Branch: Brandwag
- Branch code: 632005
- Account number: 406 667 6437
- Reference: Production title
ELIGIBILITY, SCREENING, AND SELECTION
Applications may be submitted by professional, emerging, student, community, and independent artists or companies. The Festival may consider artistic quality, originality, innovation, relevance, audience fit, marketability, affordability, diversity, accessibility, social impact, touring potential, programme balance, venue capacity, technical feasibility, safety, financial implications, and the completeness and credibility of the proposal.
The Festival may request interviews, revised budgets, scripts, technical information, proof of prior work, or other supporting material. The Festival is not obliged to select any application, provide reasons, enter into correspondence, or fund a selected production.
Any screening result, invitation or preliminary acceptance remains conditional. Final inclusion occurs only when the Festival has approved the technical and scheduling position, received every required document, and a Festival agreement has been signed by all required parties. Until then, the applicant proceeds entirely at its own risk and may not represent that the production is finally confirmed.
PARTICIPATION AND FINANCIAL MODEL
Vrynge generally operates on a self-funded or box-office-share basis. Any venue fee, ticket-revenue split, fixed fee, co-production contribution, travel support, accommodation support, or other financial arrangement will apply only if confirmed in the signed Festival agreement. The Festival gives no guarantee of funding, minimum performances, venue, seating capacity, ticket price, sales, audience numbers, income, media coverage, or profitability.
No applicant, artist, supplier or representative may incur expenditure, hire equipment, order services, commit Festival personnel, or bind the Festival without prior written approval from the Festival Director or an expressly authorised delegate. Unauthorised expenditure is solely for the production's account and may be deducted or set off against amounts otherwise payable.
PAYMENT AND DOCUMENTATION
Any ticket revenue or other amount properly due to a production will be processed within thirty-five (35) business days after the conclusion of the Festival, calculated from the later of:
- the final day of the Festival; and
- the date on which the Festival receives every required document in complete, correct, current, and verifiable form.
Required documents may include the fully-signed agreement, a valid invoice where applicable, verified banking confirmation, tax and VAT information, rights clearances, attendance or marketing evidence, and any requested reports. Incomplete, inaccurate, expired or late documentation suspends the payment period without placing the Festival in breach and without interest accruing.
The Festival may make all lawful deductions, including VAT, ticketing commission, approved or unauthorised costs attributable to the production, refunds, chargebacks, rights payments, loss or damage, penalties, and amounts otherwise due. Acceptance of an application alone creates no right to payment.
SCHEDULING, VENUES, AND TICKETING
The Festival retains final discretion over dates, times, number and frequency of performances, venue allocation, venue capacity, seating plan, ticket price, discounts, promotions, allocations, holds, complimentary tickets, sales channels, and admission controls. Published information and schedules may change.
Only Festival-authorised ticketing and admission systems may be used. The production may not issue or sell competing tickets, admit persons outside approved controls, alter prices, offer unauthorised discounts, or make ticketing commitments without prior written approval.
TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE AND SAFETY
All staging, staffing, accessibility, set, sound, lighting, projection, power, rigging, special-effects, fire, hazardous-material, storage, transport, move-in, turnaround, and strike requirements must be disclosed accurately and completely in the application and technical rider. Acceptance and venue allocation rely on that disclosure.
No undisclosed requirement binds the Festival. Any change requires prior written approval. The Festival may allocate or change venues, equipment, crew, technical arrangements, and schedules for operational, capacity, or safety reasons. The production bears all costs and consequences caused by incomplete, inaccurate, or late disclosure.
The production is responsible for legal compliance, competent personnel, safe equipment, risk control, and all permits. The Festival may prohibit, modify, or stop any unsafe activity or effect immediately and without liability.
MATERIAL PRODUCTION CHANGES
No material change may be made after application or acceptance to the title, script, concept, language, cast, creatives, duration, content warnings, age restriction, technical footprint, set, sponsor, ticketing proposal, marketing assets, or rights status without prior written approval. The Festival may reassess, relocate, reprogramme, reduce performances, or cancel participation if a change affects curation, cost, scheduling, safety, legality, sponsorship, or reputation.
RECURRING MARKETING OBLIGATION
The production carries primary responsibility for its own marketing from written acceptance until its final performance. The following are cumulative minimum obligations, and the higher frequency applies whenever periods overlap:
Minimum marketing expectations:
-
weekly activity following the official launch of the Festival programme;
-
at least two feed posts and two Stories per week from eight weeks before the Festival;
-
at least three substantive feed posts per week and Stories on at least five days per week during the final four weeks before the Festival; and
-
daily activity during Festival week.
Content must identify and tag the Festival, use the supplied ticket link, approved artwork, applicable hashtags, and sponsor acknowledgements, and may not misrepresent the Festival. Mere reposts, duplicated content, uncaptioned posters, and private messages are not substantive posts. The production must retain analytics, screenshots, and other evidence and provide proof on request.
Failure is a material breach. After written notice where reasonably practicable, the Festival may reduce discretionary exposure, withdraw complimentary benefits, recover additional marketing costs, alter or reduce performances, suspend ticket sales, cancel participation, and/or withhold or set off amounts reasonably attributable to the breach. The Festival assumes no responsibility for poor ticket sales.
RIGHTS, PUBLICITY LICENCE, AND AI
The applicant warrants that it owns or controls every necessary copyright, performance, music, text, translation, adaptation, image, video, trademark, performer, voice, and likeness right and will obtain and pay for all licences before publication or performance. Proof may be required at any time. The applicant indemnifies the Festival and its partners against infringement claims, penalties, and costs.
The applicant grants the Festival a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use submitted names, biographies, logos, images, approved recordings, short excerpts, and publicity material for application administration, programme listings, publicity, sponsorship, reporting, and archival purposes. No full commercial recording right is transferred unless separately agreed upon in writing.
Any material generative-AI use in script, music, image, video, voice, design, marketing, or performer likeness must be disclosed, including the tools and scope of use. The applicant warrants lawful inputs, required consents, and sufficient rights in outputs. Deceptive impersonation, cloned voices, or likenesses without explicit consent, and unlawful or infringing content are prohibited. The Festival may require labelling, replacement, or removal.
SPONSORSHIP AND BRANDING
All existing and proposed sponsors, funders, product placements, activations, and branding must be disclosed immediately. Nothing may conflict with Festival or UFS partners or be displayed, announced, distributed, or activated without prior written approval. The Festival may require amendment or removal. No production sponsor acquires rights against the Festival, its venues, partners, or audiences.
CONDUCT AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERSONNEL
The applicant is responsible for every cast member, creative, crew member, contractor, and guest. All participants must comply with South African law, Festival and UFS rules, accreditation and access requirements, occupational health and safety, child-protection requirements, and reasonable instructions.
Violence, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, hate speech, illegal drugs, duty-impairing intoxication, unsafe conduct, reputational harm, unauthorised access, or interference with staff, audiences, venues, or other productions is prohibited. Serious misconduct may result in immediate removal, cancellation, and recovery of costs without liability to the Festival.
WITHDRAWAL, CANCELLATION, AND FORCE MAJEURE
Withdrawal, non-performance, late arrival, inability to perform, material breach, or failure to supply required documents permits the Festival to cancel participation and recover or set off non-refundable and reasonably incurred costs, audience refunds, losses, and replacement costs.
The Festival may cancel, curtail, relocate, reschedule, substitute a venue, reduce performances, or change the format for operational, financial, sponsor, safety, legal, public-health, or force-majeure reasons. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Festival is not liable for consequential loss, lost profit, travel, freight or accommodation costs. Where practicable, the Festival may offer an alternative, but is not obliged to do so.
INSURANCE, LIABILITY, AND INDEMNITY
Participation is at the production's own risk. The production must insure its people, equipment, sets, props, vehicles, and other property. Festival insurance does not automatically cover individual productions, or participants.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Festival, its directors, staff, UFS, sponsors, venues, and contractors are not liable for loss, theft, damage, injury, illness, death, delay, cancellation, venue or equipment failure, power or network interruption, lost profit, or consequential loss, except where liability cannot lawfully be excluded.
The applicant indemnifies those parties against claims, penalties, losses, damages, and reasonable costs arising from the production, its personnel or equipment, infringement, breach, negligence, misconduct, or legal non-compliance. Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
POPIA AND INFORMATION USE
The Festival may collect, verify, use, retain, and share information with staff, evaluators, venues, UFS, service and ticketing providers, funders, sponsors, and authorities where reasonably necessary for selection, administration, delivery, safety, reporting, sponsorship, legal compliance, and archival purposes. The Festival may contact the applicant about the application and Festival-related matters.
The applicant warrants that it has authority to provide third-party personal information and will notify those persons where required. Data subjects retain applicable rights of access, correction, and objection. Reasonable security measures will be used, but absolute security cannot be guaranteed.
COMMUNICATION, INTERPRETATION, AND LEGAL EFFECT
The applicant must keep contact details current and confirm material telephone discussions in writing. Notices sent to the supplied email address are deemed received in the ordinary course unless delivery failure is shown.
These application terms are governed by South African law. If any provision is invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in force. A failure or delay by the Festival to enforce a right is not a waiver. No amendment, waiver, approval, or consent is valid unless recorded in writing by the Festival Director or an authorised delegate.
This application does not create employment, partnership, agency, joint venture, or authority to bind the Festival. Electronic communications, signatures, and records may be relied upon. If these application terms conflict with a later-signed Festival agreement, the signed agreement prevails to the extent of the conflict.
KEY DATES
- 27 November 2026: Applications close
- December 2026: Screening results communicated
- January 2027: Required programme information due
- 6–10 July 2027: Vrystaat Arts Festival
CONTACT
General: info@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za | www.vrystaatkunstefees.co.za
Programme Coordinator: Juné Pretorius | june@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za | 081 862 9867
Technical Manager: Michelle Horn | michelle@vrystaatkunstefees.co.za | 079 898 1428
Physical Address: Vrystaat Arts Festival, Shop 57, Preller Shopping Centre, Dan Pienaar, Bloemfontein, 9301
Important: Complete every applicable field accurately. The applicant has a continuing duty to disclose changes. Submission does not guarantee selection, and preliminary acceptance is not a binding Festival agreement.