There is no submission/selection process to participate in Fertile Ground. Anyone with work that meets the requirements of new and local is welcome to present work by registering to participate, and paying the registration fee.

Registration for a single Fertile Ground project is $135 which includes:

• A single listing on the Fertile Ground website and Festival guide
• At least one social media post (FB & Instagram) highlighting your project
• Free use of Fertile Ground’s ticketing system
• Access to expert-led marketing, producing, and accessibility workshops
• Use of CoHo Theatre’s Resource Center

Producers may submit to produce as many projects under the same producing name as they would like. There is a charge of $25 per additional project listing (on the website and in the Festival Guide) with a $300 cap.

Registration opens November 1, 2024 and closes December 15, 2024. Late registration is available December 16-31, 2024 with an additional fee of $50 (Note: late registrants may not have their listing included in the printed Festival Guide, but will be in the digital guide and website).

When you register your project(s), please be prepared to supply the following information:

• Name of Producer
• Name(s) of Project(s)
• Brief (300-word) project description(s), including name(s) of creator(s)/collaborators
• Number of performances, including dates and times
• Venue information: name and location (full address)
• Venue seating capacity
• Single ticket price

You will also be asked for contact and payment information at the time of registration.

In previous years, Festival Passes have entitled pass-holders to free tickets to any show in the Festival. This year, in order to direct a higher percentage of ticket revenue to producers, we are instead trying a system where 100% of ticket sales go to producers, and:

• Audiences may purchase Festival Passes that entitle them to ½ price tickets to any show
• Both Tix.page (the ticketing platform) and Fertile Ground add a ticketing fee to every ticket purchase (excluding reservations for free performances)

Producers will not be required to hold a certain number of seats for pass-holders, but there will also be no limit on the number of pass-holders who can attend any show. 

We hope this change strikes a balance between the producer’s need to earn ticket revenue, and the pass-holder’s desire for their pass to ensure access to all of the shows they wish to attend.

Registration will be open November 1st, 2024 on the Fertile Ground Website.

1. How does Fertile Ground support my show?

Fertile Ground’s primary function is to act as a marketing umbrella for all Festival projects. The Festival is broadly marketed in traditional digital, print, and social media throughout Portland. The Fertile Ground website and Festival guide provide centralized locations for patrons to explore the Festival offerings, and the Festival pass incentivises audiences to take a chance on unfamiliar work. As a program of the Portland Area Theatre Alliance, Fertile Ground aims to support producers by providing access to expertise and resources that may be exceptionally beneficial to newer producers. 

2. What are the requirements to participate in Fertile Ground?

Shows in the Fertile Ground Festival should have a local writer/creative team, with at least one of the writers/creators living in Portland, and the majority of the performers/designers based in the Portland area. 

Producers are expected to handle all aspects of producing their show, including securing a venue, providing all artistic/production staff, and participating in the marketing/promotion of their show. 

We welcome shows at any stage of development, from first draft readings, sing-throughs of all or a portion of a new musical, a workshop production, or fully produced world premieres.

3. What are the GROW Awards?

The GROW Awards were created in 2021 to help address the equity and access barriers to participation in the festival that exists for underrepresented artists, and to increase the richness and impact of the Festival by increasing the diversity of artists and programming. Applications for the 2025 GROW Awards open September 15, 2024. Visit the Fertile Ground Website for more information.

4. How does the Participant / Fertile Ground Partnership work?

Festival participants independently produce their own projects. Fertile Ground provides marketing for the Festival and acts as a resource for producers. Fertile Ground is not legally liable in any way for your event. Here are some ways Fertile Ground supports you as a producer:

Festival Website

• Your project is listed on the Festival website
• You supply the listing, description, and photo/image

Public Relations & Marketing

• Media Relations – Your project is included in festival press materials distributed to local, regional, national media
• Social Media – Your project receives support via Facebook and Instagram
• Marketing Outreach – You project is mentioned in Fertile Ground’s e-newsletter, and as opportunities arise, your project is included in special events, community partnerships, etc.

Workshops and Roundtable resource events

Fertile Ground offers informational gatherings, workshops and networking opportunities in the months leading up to Fertile Ground, including

• PR & Marketing Bootcamp
• Producing Workshop
• Accessibility Workshop
• Producer Meetup & Networking Event

General Support

Fertile Ground staff are available to support you, answer your questions and provide a helping hand.

5. How do Fertile Ground Partner Venues work?

We want to make it easier for producers to find venues… and to build the “festival” atmosphere by having multiple projects hosted at hub venues. Producers may apply for a performance slot(s) in a Fertile Ground Partner Venue beginning September 15, 2024. All Venue applications will be evaluated to determine if a specific project is a good match with a specific venue, and suitable projects will be placed in a lottery for open performance slots. Priority will be given to projects seeking multiple performance slots, though we will also include single-performance projects if and where we have space. We will do our best to ensure that all projects are placed in time slots that align with likely access to their target audience(s).