Promoters

Carn to Cove is only possible thanks to the dedication and committment of hundreds of volunteer promoters who bring joy and laughter to the heart of their communities.

Menu Parties

We hold menu parties twice a year, in April and September, for promoters to hear details of the shows for the next season. Following the menu party you select your top three choices, we will confirm the dates with the artists, let you know about your chosen show, and issue you with a confirmation contract.

Once you’ve returned your contract, we will send out the artist’s contracts, and give them your contact details for publicity materials.

You will be paying a minimum fee or 80% of the box office takings, which ever is the greater figure. You keep the other 20% and any sales from refreshments, raffles etc.

After the show, we need to you complete a box office return form detailing your ticket sales and send it back to us along with your payment.

Publicity

There are lots of ways of promoting your show but it does take enthusiasm and commitment. Whatever methods you apply, be sure to be very clear about the following:

The name of the show
The name of the venue
Where the venue is
What time the show starts
What the arrival time is
How much the tickets cost
How to buy a ticket
A contact name and number

Carn to Cove ask all the artists to provide posters for you to use. We ask for about 30 A4 posters and as much as 200 leaflets.

You are responsible for the ‘overprinting’ of the posters. This means there will be room on the posters for you to paste onto the poster a simply printed note with the details of your venue, the date and time of your show and a contact telephone number.

Put your posters up:

At the venue, at work, Arts Centres, Bed & Breakfasts and hotels, bus shelters, cafes, churches and Parish Council notice boards, council buildings, drop in centres, hospitals, in village and other local shops (supermarkets generally have community notice boards), lamp-posts and telegraph posts, libraries, local theatres, museums, post offices, pubs and clubs, recreation, centres and swimming pools, schools and colleges, surgeries, tourist offices.

At the above places they should have space to take a dozen or so. Send a leaflet in the post to all your contacts, members of your village hall, friends and business colleagues.

One of the most effective ways of promoting local events is word of mouth. If you are enthusiastic about your show, that enthusiasm will definitely rub off! Tell everyone you know about the show and tell them how great it’s going to be.

Put a notice in the free listings of your local paper. The newspaper usually requires about a fortnight’s notice. You should not have to pay to be included in newspaper listings sections.

Write your press release, invite the newspaper to send a photographer to take a photograph of, for example, a couple of volunteers putting up posters.

BBC Radio Cornwall is also worth contacting, your local parish magazine and newsletters too.

If you have access to email, send details of the show to everyone you know who has an email address.

Word of mouth can start A.S.A.P.

Posters & contact the press about three weeks before your show.

Tickets

You can choose to sell tickets locally and online through ticketing system, Ticket Tailor which is operated by Cornwall 365.

You can set an allocation of tickets to sell online and an allocation to sell on the door.

Make it easy for people to buy tickets.

If they have to phone for a ticket, make sure they know when would be the best time to call, use an answer-phone and if someone leaves a message call them back. Potential customers will soon get disgruntled if they can’t get what they want!

Technicalities

Creating a technical information sheet is the easiest way of arming yourself with the right information should anyone require it. It helps you be absolutely clear on what you can provide on a practical level. It should include:

A general introduction about the venue, your community group and the kind of events / community projects you do.
The venue name, address, telephone, fax and email.
The key-holder’s name, address and phone number.
A map or directions of how to find the village hall and the key-holder’s house.
Access – are there any steps? How wide and high are the doors?
A simple floor plan.
A cross section of the hall, with heights and roof beams in the way.
Venue size – length, width, unobstructed height.
Stage, if you have one, size and height off the floor.
Stage and window curtains, what colour are they?
Floor surface; e.g. wood, lino, smooth or rough.
Black out; full black out, curtains, high windows.
Lighting equipment, if any.
Sound equipment, if any.
Power supply, single or double phase, how many 13 amp, 32 amp, or 63 amp sockets?
Disabled access and facilities.
Dressing rooms, kitchens, toilets, how big and how many?
Refreshments

The Performance

As the date for your show draws near, the performers will discuss with you when they will need to arrive at your venue and how long they need to set up before the start of the show. It is really important that the person who has promised to let the performers into the hall is at the right place at the right time!

When the company arrives

Give them a warm welcome, a cup of tea and offer to help.
Ideally, they should unload through a wide door and straight into the performance area.
Warn them beforehand about double yellow lines and 3 flights of stairs!
Be on-hand to answer any questions and help, e.g. where they can park and unload, where the fuse box is, is there a telephone, who will switch the house lights on and off. But give them enough time and space to set up.
The performer will not expect quality changing rooms, but they welcome:

Heating and cleanliness.

A place for hanging costumes and a full length mirror
Their own toilets, if possible.
Access to a kitchen when setting up.

Your volunteers should:

Arrive at the venue before the audience does – at least 45 minutes.
Arrange things: box office, programmes and raffle tickets etc.
Make clear signs, showing prices and the name for cheques.
Be very clear how many seats you can sell, and how many more can stand at the back.
For late-comers: A volunteer have to wait outside the performance area
Get the Audience seated: quickly, efficiently and politely
Start on time: More than ten minutes is discourteous
Public Announcements: A BRIEF welcome is appropriate
Noises off: Try and keep extraneous noise

Health and Safety during the event:

The first aid kit
Person qualified with first aid skills
Contact people in an emergency
Fire alarms, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and emergency lights.
Recent visit from your Fire Brigade’s Fire Prevention Office
The fire doors clearly marked and unlocked
Seats safe, the wide aisles, the fire exits, lights and equipment
Check at the end of the night for electrical appliances are turned off
Insurance: Is it needed for the building, contents, personal belongings and public liability?
Licensed, for what?

At the end of the show

You are the host – thank the audience for coming – but keep it brief!
There are always things to do afterwards – ask for as much help afterwards as for setting up or one lonely person (probably you!) will be stacking chairs whilst everyone else is in the pub!

Tell the world afterwards:

Report back to any committee members who weren’t there.
Report back to Carn to Cove.
Send in forms, and especially money, required by Carn to Cove as soon as possible – before you lose track or forget!
Carn to Cove will send you ‘feedback’ forms to fill in. We really need your thoughts and observations.
In general, if your performers are ‘adopting a role’ (theatre, opera etc.) or you are promoting music or public dancing you need to be covered by a Premises Licence. We recommend that you check with Cornwall Council to be certain of what kind of licence you need for what type of performance. The contact is Jessica who is based in the Penzance office.

You can contact Francesca, Carn to Cove Programme Manager with any questions you have.