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St Mary's Church Putney and a view of Putney Bridge

Finding the right venue

Discover Wandsworth venues and explore our support guides for helping you secure the right venue for you.

Read our guidance on choosing the right venue for your event, then have a look at our Venue Directory to get an idea of the venues available in Wandsworth for the festival. You will need to confirm a date and time directly with the venue. 

If you find a venue that is not in the directory, [javascript protected email address] and we will add it for you.

Five dancers performing inside a beautiful church

Choosing a Venue

Choosing the right venue is an important decision, and there’s several factors you should consider. Look for a venue that suits your work practically - is the venue the right size and set up for your event? Does the time and date you want fit into the venue’s existing schedule? It’s also worth considering whether your event and the venue are a good fit in terms of who their existing audiences are (if any) and whether the atmosphere of the space is right for your audience. 

Once you have a made a list of potential venues, go through the questions below before confirming your choice:

  • Capacity – does it meet your needs?
  • Location and audience – is it close to transport, does the venue have an existing audience that suits your event?
  • What is the cost of hiring the venue?
  • What does the hire fee cover? Does it include any marketing support and technical staff for example?
  • Can the venue market and publicise any Fringe events? If so, what can they offer?
  • What technical facilities does the venue offer? Is this included in the hire or is it an extra charge?
  • Is the venue licensed? Is it important that audiences can grab a drink pre or post show?
  • Who will be running the box office (if applicable) and front of house?
  • Is your venue wheelchair accessible? Does it have an accessible toilet? Does it have any other access facilities?
  • Does the venue have any rehearsal space or dressing rooms? Can they let you store anything on site?
In the dark, a women wearing green sings. She has large circles over her eyes making her look bug-like. In the darkness behind her, 6 pairs of eyes are glowing.

Common Venue Hire Structures

  • STRAIGHT HIRE - Venues charge a fixed flat rental and the artist keeps 100% of the box office or exhibition sales. This is the most straightforward arrangement. It means the artist takes on all the financial risk.
  • BOX OFFICE SPLIT - The artist and venue split the box office takings. The percentage split will vary depending on the individual agreement. A common share is 70–80% (artist), 30–20% (venue).
  • NO VENUE HIRE - The venue is offered at no charge. However, there may be charges for staff, technical equipment etc. This is a popular option with events that bring in other revenue for the venue such as food and beverage sales.

Venue Agreements

We are here to give you information on finding a venue, but it is your responsibility to secure the use of a venue. All financial and contractual details are directly between you and the venue, not Wandsworth Arts Fringe. 

Make sure that everything you negotiate with your venue is included in a contract or agreement. Ensure you understand your financial commitments as well as performance and exhibition commitments.

Your agreements should answer these questions:

  • Who is responsible for technical requirements? 
  • Agree supply and use of any venue equipment (can you use chairs, tables, toilets etc.?) 
  • Who is responsible for venue set up each night? 
  • Who is responsible for venue pack down and cleaning?
  • How much time can you have for setting up, packing down, and rehearsals (if any)?
  • Do you have permission to store props and/or artwork?
  • Who will be in charge of box office sales, and how will it work?
  • Who is providing Front of House and Technical Staff?
  • Does the venue have the correct licenses in place for you event?

Your agreements should include:

  • A cancellation policy for both the artist and venue
  • An outline of any additional fees not included in venue hire (where relevant)
  • Payment  details and conditions (where relevant)

Note: You're advised to have Public Liability Insurance 

A performer on stage inside an arch

Download our venue agreement template - You can use this document as a template to formalise the  agreement with your venue.

Please note: this is not a legally binding contract, just a structure to guide you through the process of clarifying what you and your venue expect from one another.

All financial and contractual details are directly between you and the venue, not Wandsworth Council. 

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Using Outdoor Spaces

If you would like to use a park or green space you will need permission from Enable (Parks) or Wandsworth Housing (Estates), depending on which site you are hoping to use. 

Please note that charges normally apply. You may also need a Temporary Event Notice from Wandsworth Council. 

View more - Venue Directory The Bedford Clubroom
View more - Venue Directory

Venue Directory

Want to see which spaces are available for performances, exhibitions, and community events around the Borough? Explore Wandsworth's Venue Directory.
View more - Venue Directory