The Main Festival is a curated professional programme. Applications are welcomed from professional artists, companies, producers, and other eligible applicants whose work is suitable for consideration for the 2027 programme.

No. The Main Festival is not an open-access programme. Applications are assessed competitively and in relation to the programme as a whole. Submission of an application does not guarantee selection, an invitation, venue allocation, funding, or participation.

Applications are reviewed by the Festival Screening Committee, which makes recommendations to the Festival Management Committee for final approval. The Festival considers factors including artistic quality, originality, relevance, audience fit, feasibility, diversity, accessibility, transformation, technical requirements, financial implications, and overall programme balance.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application. The Festival does not enter into correspondence regarding the reasons for, or reconsideration of, programme selection decisions.

Applications must be completed and submitted online, together with all required supporting documentation, by Friday, 27 November 2026.

Yes. A non-refundable R100 application administration fee (VAT inclusive) applies. Proof of payment must be uploaded with the application.

Applicants should submit a complete application with all required supporting documentation by the closing date. Incomplete, inaccurate, misleading, illegible, or late applications may be excluded without further correspondence.

An individual may not be involved in more than two productions within the Festival programme. Requests for participation in an additional production will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and require written motivation and prior written approval from the Festival Director or Programme Manager.

Not necessarily. Festival participation may take the form of a fixed performance fee, box-office share, supported presentation, co-production, or another written arrangement. The Festival has limited financial and operational resources and cannot guarantee financial or other support to every selected production.

No. Requests are considered subject to Festival resources, availability, feasibility, and approval. No support is confirmed unless it is expressly recorded in the signed Festival agreement.

The Vrystaat Arts Festival is VAT registered. Ticket prices are VAT inclusive, and the VAT component is payable to SARS. Where applicable, VAT is therefore deducted from gross ticket sales before the agreed revenue split is calculated.

Any amount properly due will be processed within 35 business days, calculated from the later of the final Festival day or the Festival’s receipt of all required documentation in complete, correct, current, and verifiable form.

Yes, where applicable. A complete and current technical rider should be uploaded with the application, together with relevant stage plans, set drawings, lighting plans and AV information.

No equipment or technical support should be assumed to be guaranteed. The Festival will endeavour to accommodate stated requirements as far as reasonably possible, subject to venue infrastructure, equipment availability, technical capacity, scheduling, and the final written agreement.

Productions are responsible for providing their own data projectors and screens unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Festival.

This information helps the Festival plan venue schedules, changeovers, and technical operations. Applicants should provide the time they ideally require; the Festival will endeavour to accommodate these requirements where reasonably possible.

Material changes to the production’s technical design, cast, concept, duration, budget, or other relevant areas must be disclosed to the Festival and may require prior written approval.

The applicant is responsible for obtaining all rights, licences, permissions, and consents required to present the production, including applicable performance, adaptation, music, image, and audiovisual rights.

You should disclose the outstanding rights or applications, including expected decision dates. The Festival may request proof of clearance before confirming participation.

Yes. If AI is used in the creation, development, production, presentation or marketing of the work, applicants must disclose the relevant AI tools, their purpose, the affected material or assets and the extent of human creative oversight.

This may include AI-generated text, images, music, video, design, or other creative material, as well as cloned voices, synthetic likenesses, and synthetic performers. All such relevant use must be disclosed.

The Festival aims to understand how AI is being used in submitted work and to ensure that its use is transparent, legally compliant, and consistent with the Festival’s artistic and ethical requirements.

Applicants should provide high-resolution publicity images, key artwork where available, press material, reviews, and trailer or teaser links where available. The application also asks for a production-specific marketing and audience-development strategy.

Yes. Selected productions are expected to participate actively in audience development and marketing. Minimum marketing expectations are set out in the application and may form part of the final Festival agreement.

Yes. The Festival provides baseline programme and promotional support, but the extent of additional coverage depends on available resources and the quality and availability of production marketing material.

Proportionate contractual remedies may apply where agreed marketing requirements are not met. Any applicable remedy will be subject to the terms of the signed Festival agreement and the applicable limits on deductions.

The Festival will review eligible applications through its screening and selection process. The Festival may contact applicants for clarification or request additional information, documentation, revised budgets, technical information, rights clearances, or other supporting material.