VRYSTAAT ARTS FESTIVAL 2027 MAIN FESTIVAL PRODUCTION APPLICATION

WELCOME TO THE MAIN FESTIVAL

The Vrystaat Arts Festival Main Festival is the Festival's curated professional programme. It presents artistically accomplished, distinctive, and audience-relevant work within a professionally managed festival environment. Applications are assessed competitively and in relation to the programme as a whole.

The Vrystaat Arts Festival strives to present a balanced, diverse, and high-quality programme. As such, the Main Festival is not an open-access platform. The Festival may consider artistic quality, originality, innovation, relevance, audience fit, marketability, affordability, diversity, transformation, accessibility, social impact, touring potential, programme balance, venue capacity, technical feasibility, safety, financial implications, and the completeness and credibility of the proposal.

The Festival is not obliged to select any application, provide reasons, enter into correspondence, or fund a selected production.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

To be considered for inclusion in the Vrystaat Arts Festival Main Festival, this application form must be completed and submitted online, together with all required supporting documentation, by Friday, 27 November 2026. Please ensure that you have the following information and documents ready before starting your application:

• a final or sufficiently developed script, text, score or detailed concept document;
• complete production, cast, crew and creative-team information, and principal CVs;
• a realistic, itemised production budget, and full funding information;
• a complete technical rider, stage plan, lighting, sound, AV, set, special-effects, staffing, load-in, and strike information;
• rights and licensing information, including SAMRO, DALRO or equivalent requirements;
• performance history, reviews, trailers, and full-recording links where available;
• high-resolution publicity images, key artwork, and a production-specific marketing strategy; and
• proof of payment of the non-refundable R100-application administration fee.

Applicants should allow sufficient time to complete every page and upload all required 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 R100, VAT included, is payable using the exact production title as the reference. Payment 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: Exact production title

SCREENING, SELECTION, AND CONTRACTING

Applications are reviewed by the Festival Screening Committee, which makes recommendations to the Festival Management Committee for final approval. The Festival may request interviews, revised budgets, scripts, technical information, proof of prior work, rights clearances, or other supporting material as part of the review process.

Any screening result, invitation, or preliminary acceptance remains conditional. Final inclusion occurs only after artistic, technical, financial, venue, and scheduling approval; receipt of all required documents; and signature of the Festival agreement by all required parties.

Until the written agreement is fully signed, the applicant proceeds entirely at its own risk, acquires no right to participate or receive payment, and may not publicly state or imply that the production has been officially confirmed for the Festival.

PARTICIPATION AND FINANCIAL MODEL

Main Festival participation may take the form of a fixed performance fee, box-office share, supported presentation, co-production, or another written arrangement. Any fee, ticket split, contribution, travel support, accommodation support, freight assistance, venue allocation, or technical support applies only if expressly recorded in the signed Festival agreement.

The Festival gives no guarantee of funding, the number of performances, the venue, 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 otherwise bind the Festival without prior written approval from the Festival Director, or an expressly authorised delegate. Unauthorised expenditure remains solely for the production's account, and may be deducted or set off against amounts otherwise payable.

PAYMENT AND DOCUMENTATION

Any amount properly due will be processed within thirty-five (35) business days after the later of: (a) the final day of the Festival; and (b) the date on which the Festival has received all required documents in complete, correct, current, and verifiable form.

Required documents may include the fully-signed agreement, a valid invoice, verified banking confirmation, tax and VAT information, rights clearances, attendance or marketing evidence, and 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 contractual deductions.

SCHEDULING, VENUES, AND TICKETING

The Festival retains final discretion over performance dates and times, number and frequency of performances, venue allocation, capacity, seating plan, ticket price, discounts, promotions, complimentary tickets, sales channels, and admission controls.

Published information and schedules may change where operationally necessary.

Only Festival-authorised ticketing and admission systems may be used. The production may not issue 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 materials, storage, transport, load-in, turnaround, and strike requirements must be disclosed accurately and completely. The Festival is not responsible for, or required to accommodate, any requirement that was not disclosed in the application, or subsequently agreed to in writing. Changes and additional expenditure require prior written approval. Unsafe, unlawful, or materially non-compliant work may be stopped, relocated, or cancelled.

MARKETING, RIGHTS, AND CONDUCT

Selected productions must fulfil the recurring marketing obligations stated later in this application, and in the signed agreement. Applicants must hold all performance, adaptation, music, image, likeness, and other required rights, and must disclose any generative AI or synthetic content.

Applicants remain responsible for their cast, crew, contractors, and guests, and must comply with South African law, Festival rules, UFS campus and venue rules, and safety, child protection, anti-harassment, and non-discrimination requirements. Serious misconduct, hate speech, illegal drugs, duty-impairing intoxication, or unsafe conduct may result in removal or cancellation.

KEY DATES

Festival: 6-10 July 2027
Application deadline: 27 November 2026

In this section, please provide the details of the individual or organisation applying to participate in the Festival, including the person authorised to enter into an agreement with the Festival and the main production contact. The Festival may verify registration, tax, VAT, banking, authority, and contact information as part of the application and contracting process.

Tell us about your production, its artistic identity, and the audience experience you aim to create. This section helps the Festival understand the work, its context, and its suitability for the curated Main Festival programme. Please provide clear, concise, and accurate information, and observe the stated word limits.

Tell us about the people behind the production, the company bringing it to the Festival and any travel or accommodation requirements associated with participation. This information assists the Festival with artistic assessment, operational planning, scheduling, safeguarding, and the consideration of any travel or accommodation support requests.

Complete cast and crew

List all cast members, musicians, creatives, technicians, and support personnel involved in the production. Include full names, roles, hometowns, or cities, and any other 2027 Vrystaat Arts Festival productions in which they are participating.

Participation in multiple productions

To assist with scheduling and to promote equitable participation opportunities, no individual may be involved in more than two (2) productions within the 2027 Vrystaat Arts Festival programme. Requests to participate in an additional production will be considered only in exceptional circumstances, and must be approved in writing by the Festival Director, or Programme Manager before participation may be confirmed.

Please note: The information below is collected for planning and needs-assessment purposes only and does not guarantee Festival support. Travel and accommodation assistance is limited and will only be provided where expressly approved and confirmed in writing by the Festival. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, participants and productions remain responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and associated costs.

The Vrystaat Arts Festival is committed to a programme that supports transformation, meaningful participation, professional development, and access to the arts. Please provide clear, specific information on how your production contributes to these objectives, and how audiences with different access needs will be supported. Where a particular measure is not applicable, please indicate this rather than leaving the field blank.

Tell us how your production will be presented at the Festival and what venue, scheduling, and technical resources are required. This information assists the Festival in assessing feasibility, allocating venues, planning schedules, and identifying any operational, technical, or safety considerations. Please provide accurate and complete information, and upload all required supporting documents.

Venues are allocated strictly according to availability and scheduling, and no specific venue selection is guaranteed. As this is a festival, all venues operate according to a predetermined technical plan. While the technical needs of each production will be taken into consideration, accommodation of these requests cannot be assured.

Please note: Technical and production requirements should be provided as accurately and completely as possible. The Festival will endeavour to accommodate stated requirements as far as reasonably possible, but cannot guarantee that all requests can be met. Final arrangements are subject to venue availability, technical capacity, scheduling, and the terms of the written Festival agreement.

Please provide a clear and realistic overview of the production's budget, confirmed and pending funding, and the financial or logistical support required for Festival participation. This information assists the Festival in assessing the production's financial viability, and determining an appropriate participation or partnership model. All amounts should be stated in South African Rand (ZAR).

Please provide information relating to payment, intellectual property rights, licensing, sponsorship arrangements, conflicts of interest, and the use of artificial intelligence. This information assists the Festival in ensuring legal compliance, transparency, and the responsible presentation of work within the Festival programme.

Please note: The Vrystaat Arts Festival is a VAT-registered organisation. Ticket prices paid by patrons are VAT inclusive, and the VAT component is payable to the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Accordingly, VAT is deducted from gross ticket sales before any agreed revenue split is calculated.

The Vrystaat Arts Festival recognises that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly used across creative industries and may serve as useful tools for research, planning, administration, editing, and other supportive functions.

However, as a festival dedicated to celebrating and supporting artistic practice, human creativity, and original artistic expression, the Festival prioritises work created by artists and creative practitioners. The Festival's platforms exist to promote and showcase human creative endeavour.

The Festival and participating productions share responsibility for audience development and promotion. Please provide details of your marketing strategy, publicity materials, and audience development plans. The quality, completeness, and timeliness of marketing materials may influence the Festival's ability to promote the production effectively.

Please note: The Festival's marketing efforts are most effective when supported by active participation from productions. The following minimum marketing obligations form part of the Festival's audience-development approach and may be incorporated into the final Festival agreement.

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.