It is important to find a site big enough to hold the projected crowd.
Establishing a community-based arts festival can be challenging and requires a dedicated group of individuals willing to lend their creativity and time to the project. A lot of planning goes into starting a festival, from the exhibits themselves to building sufficient funding. You must mobilize enthusiastic team members who are delegated specific responsibilities. You need to involve as much of the community as possible, from elementary students to professional artists.
Instructions
1. Create a planning committee. This should be a group of volunteers willing to spend the time necessary to create the festival. It helps if some members have had experience planning large events or are familiar with the art community. Determine the tasks that need to be completed to organize the festival. Delegate the responsibilities. Create a timeline. Host frequent meetings, particularly the closer it gets to the festival. Establish subcommittees for parking, entertainment, food, security, accounting/auditing, permits, arts outreach, contests, publicity, clean-up and community relations.
2. Secure funding. Setting up an arts festival incurs various costs, from spreading publicity to renting equipment. Seek donations from community institutions and organizations, such as banks and businesses. Make sure they will be recognized for their contributions in order to make sponsorship more appealing to them. Create gold, silver and platinum levels to encourage support at all levels. Publish an arts guide with advertising that could be a source of funding. Ask your community newspaper publisher for support.
3. Locate a site to hold the festival. It should have easy access, be readily visible and large enough to hold the projected crowd. Public spaces, such as parks, are often cheap and central places to hold a community festival. Gain the necessary permission for a site before advertising the festival. Check the date for conflicts with other events in the community or nearby.
4. Obtain the necessary licenses. The paperwork requirements vary by community. Contact the local government offices or the town clerk to find out what documents are necessary to hold a festival. You will need liability insurance, security, parking supervision and traffic control. Since your festival will likely serve food and refreshments, you and your vendors will need permits from the local health department.
5. Invite the exhibitors. Try to get as wide a range of participants as possible. For example, allow the local elementary school to have an exhibit. This will get their parents and grandparents to come to the festival, increasing the crowd numbers. Also get in contact with local artists and any kinds of creative groups in the area.
6. Focus on the arts community for participation and support. Create a committee of arts-oriented volunteers for outreach and promotion to all types of artists in the region. Include visual and performing artists, authors, publishers, historical and cultural associations, environmental groups, schools and colleges as well as retired artists and dignitaries.
7. Create your arts festival into an event that makes news. Host arts competitions in many categories: visual and performing arts for all ages and talent levels. Award prizes from donors. Host an awards ceremony. Invite a well-known artist or dignitary to host the ceremony or make a speech that will draw a larger audience from the region. Invite a local cartoonist to give a "chalk talk" about his craft. Create activities and classes for kids to seniors -- from chalk art and face painting to a portrait class. Make your competitions and classes part of the advance publicity for your festival.
8. Publicize the event. Put up fliers in public places, as well as shop windows. Establish a website and Facebook page. Send out an email blast. Take out radio and newspaper ads. Ask churches and other organizations to announce the event. Work with the chamber of commerce and tourist development agency to promote the festival throughout the region. Be creative in finding ways to spread the word without tallying high advertising costs. Create various levels of media sponsorships to get in-kind promotion from newspapers, radio, TV and cable, and websites.
