Why Timing Matters for Festivals
Living in the UK, I know that asking “How are you?” rarely reveals how someone truly is — we always say we’re fine. After more than twenty years working with performing arts festivals, I’ve also learned that asking “When would be a good time to…?” is rarely helpful. The better question is “When would be the best time…?”, because even a ten-day festival creates pressure across the whole year. Good times may happen on stage, but they almost never appear in a festival implementation plan.
Understanding the Festival Planning Cycle
At Artifax, we pay close attention not only to when a client’s festival takes place, but also to the key points in its planning cycle. This helps us offer support at the right moments. Even with long-term artistic planning happening years in advance, the twelve-month runway to a festival is always busy. Each phase has its own demands, leaving only small windows for review, planning, and system improvements.
A core team will usually plan the festival full-time. They manage the schedule and contract artists and works. Freelancers and temporary staff may join later to help with travel, accommodation, and transport. When the festival begins, even more staff may be required, often across venues not managed by the organization. Afterward, the core team pauses briefly, then shifts focus to the next festival.
Why a Single Source of Truth Matters
Each phase brings the same need: one source of accurate data and smooth collaboration, especially when new staff or external teams join the process. In our experience, having a single source of truth is essential. It allows teams to share accurate information quickly and prevents a surge in data entry during handovers between departments. Without this, teams face spikes in workload, higher risk of errors, and avoidable stress. For example:
-
If programmers record planning data in Artifax, details such as dates, times, works, and agent information are already in place when it’s time to produce a contract.
-
Programs can be refined with intervals, timings, and other work details as they become known, then shared with marketing, box office, and operations.
-
Performances can be imported into box office systems or pulled straight into your website.
-
Additional information can support production schedules and artist itineraries, which can be shared as documents or viewed online with restricted access.
-
You don’t need to maintain a separate archive — the system becomes a complete artistic record that you can search at any time.
Helping Your Team Work Smarter
Your core team doesn’t need to work harder to support new staff — just smarter. With Artifax, they can:
-
Keep every department informed through automated email notifications.
-
Track progress using tasks.
-
Avoid lost files by attaching key documents directly to records.
-
Spot issues early using scheduled exception reports, and make it easy for teams, freelancers, and partners to get the information they need through clear operational or statistical reports — always up to date and ready to use.
When to Start Improving Your Systems
So, when is the best time to start improving your systems and processes?
Talk to us as soon as your festival ends (or after you’ve had a moment to recover!). We’ll help turn your debrief into a de-stress for your core team.