• Advertise
  • Request Review
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy
  • Login

Theatre Bubble

The UK Theatre Network

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Features
  • Spotlight
  • Opinions
  • Interviews
  • Guides

Crowdfunding Companies: Les Foules Theatre

February 22, 2016 by Lake Gregory

Part of Theatre Bubble’s Crowdfunding Series, investigating the potential and pitfalls of Crowdfunding in the UK Theatre Industry today.

Les Foules Theatre Company won the 2015 Origins Award for Outstanding New Work at the Vault Festival for their play Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone. Returning to the Vault Festival this year with Crude Prospects, a “kicked-up Western gone North”, they turned to crowdfunding to finance their projection equipment. Whilst they missed their funding target of £1,500, they were able to keep the £741 they had raised from 19 backers in a month, having applied for ‘flexible funding’ – a crowdfunding method which eliminates the ‘all or nothing’ rule enforced by other crowdfunding sites. Following our review of Crude Prospects last week, we caught up with Les Foules Theatre to hear about their experience of crowdfunding.

Les Foules Theatre raised £741 on Indie GoGo

Les Foules Theatre raised £741 on Indie GoGo for Crude Prospects

TB: Why did you turn to crowdfunding?
LF: We were putting in an application for an Arts Council England grant back in November and the process gets you thinking about how you can raise 10% of the funds for that project elsewhere – a crowdfunding campaign is the obvious starting point. We hadn’t done one since 2012 so we felt that the timing was right.

TB: What do you think makes a successfully crowdfunded project?
LF: Well, the campaign itself has to do a good job of representing what you need the funding for and what the project is about. Personally, we like to create trailers that offer a flavor of what the show will be, rather than film ourselves as ‘talking heads’ appealing for funds – but both seem to work.  Whatever happens, it seems that really breaking down your costs for your funders in an important part of the process. Essentially, the success of crowdfunding project when you are not a very well known entity is about everyone who’s involved (actors, writers, directors, designers etc) tapping into their personal networks and spreading the words far and wide as possible. And about having a very supportive and generous personal circle who are willing to get the work going.
.
TB: How was your experience of the crowdfunding process? Would you recommend it?
LF: Our friends and family were brilliant, and they contributed generously. Without them we’d be having to self-fund the show, which would be extremely tough on us. Theatre making is hugely expensive and you pretty much have to wrangle everything for free anyway. On this one we’ve had rehearsal space generously donated to us, so we’ve been able to use the crowdfunding to cover our basic material costs – projections, set and costume. That’s gone a long way to alleviating the personal financial pressure of putting on a show and making it happen in the first place. If you don’t mount a campaign every five minutes it’s definitely worth it . That said, it’s not an alternative to subsidization if you’re an emerging theatre company as it really will only be friends and family who come up trumps as the main backers of the project.  Your goal has to be reasonable, and you have to know that despite everyone’s generosity it will barely touch the sides of a production costs: everyone involved in the project is still likely to remain unpaid.  And it can feel a bit like a weird kind of artistic panhandling at times …  Still, we can’t complain – we’ve been very lucky on this one.
Author: Gregory Lake

Filed Under: Spotlight Tagged With: crowdfunding, Crude Prospects, Indie GoGo, Les Foules Theatre, Vault Festival

INTERVIEW / Fraser Grace talks about Bliss at the Finborough Theatre

Written by Fraser Grace (Breakfast with Mugabe, RSC), Bliss is based on a short story by censored writer Andrey Platonov. It’s at Finborough [Read More]

NEWS / Japanese Romeo and Juliet to the songs of Queen announced

Coming to Sadler’s Wells in September as part of its world tour, A Night At The Kabuki is a retelling [Read More]

INTERVIEW / Paul O’Donnell talks about Shoot Festival

Shoot Festival returns this year with a mix of commissioned pieces and showcases of the best of Coventry’s arts scene. [Read More]

Review / The Man who Knew Too Much at Omnibus Theatre

A packed Omnibus Theatre lapped up the entertaining antics of The Man Who Knew Too Much. Co-Director and Co-writer Olivia [Read More]

Spotlight / Inua Ellams at 05Fest Lewisham

Inua Ellams, the Albany and WE ARE LEWISHAM  presents………. 05Fest, 10 – 19 March Poetry takes front and centre stage [Read More]

Top Posts & Pages

  • 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Your Reality TV Auditions
  • Katy Owen: Auditioning for Oxford School of Drama
  • 5 Stage Elements to Consider for a Rousing Theatrical Production
  • Writing the Perfect Press Release
  • Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe
  • Pilgrims at the Yard Theatre
  • Sarah Bodalbhai on Escape from Planet Trash
  • Forced Entertainment announce new award in memory of Huw Chadbourn
  • Does Small to Mid Scale Theatre Touring Actually Work?
  • The RSC's King Lear at the Barbican
  • Lake Gregory
    Contributor

  • February 22nd, 2016
  • comment iconNo Comments
  • Facebook60TweetLinkedInEmail

    Newsletter

    Enjoyed what you've read? Get even more great content directly to your inbox - Completely Free

    About Theatre Bubble

    Theatre Bubble is the news, review and blogging site created by Blue Pie Media and run by a dedicated team of outstanding editors and writers: we're always looking for new contributors - to find out more click here.

    Contact Us

    News: news@theatrebubble.com
    Reviews: reviews@theatrebubble.com
    Website: webmaster@theatrebubble.com

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2022 · Blue Pie Media

     

    Loading Comments...
     

      Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

      Email sent!