Why Artistic Programming Matters
Many of our staff members have worked in the arts, so we know how vital Artistic Programming is for busy organizations. It becomes even more important when you deliver a wide range of art forms.
Questions such as “When did we last stage this piece?”, “What fee did we pay this artist?”, or “How long does this work run with intervals?” can all be answered quickly with Artistic Programming. It is a powerful Artifax module, and in this post, I’ll explain why.
Understanding Programs
Programs keep your Artistic Programming information in one place. You can store a Program against an Arrangement and link it to any Events within that Arrangement.
You can also link Programs to Seasons. For example, a Program may sit within your Summer 2023 season. You can also create Series linked to Seasons, such as Italian Classics, which sits under Summer 2023.
This structure helps you organize and retrieve programming information with ease.
Working with Artists
Artifax lets you store People as Entities, but Artistic Programming takes this further. You can link People to a Program as Artists and assign a Credit Type, such as Actor, Director, or an instrument for music events.
These Credit Types are fully configurable so they match your organization’s needs. They are extremely useful when creating brochures, updating websites, or preparing artist contracts.
You can also link Artists to Works. This shows an Artist’s performance history and supports program planning. In addition, you can store unique information using Custom Forms — such as fees, costume details, or dressing room riders.
Creating Artist Contracts
Artist Contracts take the information held in Artifax and generate a personalised document for the Artist or their representative. Once the data exists in the system, the contract can be produced at the click of a button.
Our Product Specialists can help you design your contract template and decide what information should be included. You can also build a set of clauses covering topics like travel or accommodation and select the ones you need for each contract.
This removes repetitive manual work and reduces the risk of errors.
Managing Artist Schedules
Events such as rehearsals, soundchecks, and performances can all sit within an Arrangement. These events feed into the Program. But not every Artist needs to attend every Event.
Artist Schedules let you tick the Events an Artist must attend. These selections can then feed into contracts and itineraries. This keeps everyone informed and prevents confusion during the festival or performance week.
Using Works to Strengthen Programming
Works are highly flexible. They can hold detailed or simple information depending on your needs. Each Work links to a Program and carries information useful for brochures or websites, such as durations, descriptions, and key contributors.
Artifax will also warn you if a Work runs longer than the Event assigned to it.
You can add intervals and buffers — such as time for speeches, scene changes, or the presentation of flowers. Notes and durations help you build the full running time of the Program.
You can also attach Artists to specific Works. If a Program contains ten Works but an Artist appears in only two, this feature makes it easy to build accurate itineraries.
Capturing the Details of Each Art Form
The real strength of Works is the ability to store information unique to each art form. For example:
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Dance — choreographer
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Literature — author
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Film — director, release date, certificate
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Opera — composer
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Theatre — playwright, director, designers
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Visual Arts — artist’s name, year created
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Music — key, composer, arranger, and movement information
This level of detail supports programming, marketing, contracts, and archival work.
Why Artistic Programming Helps You Look Back and Plan Ahead
Artistic Programming is as useful for reviewing the past as it is for shaping the future. By storing Artists, Credits, Works, and Program details in one place — and generating contracts and itineraries with ease — you gain a complete, accurate, and accessible artistic record.
This makes the module a valuable tool for many organizations and a powerful way to plan with confidence.