Owen O’Leary – Fringe Press & Marketing Consultant

On his Marketing Masterclass, Owen will detail the steps involved in putting together a successful marketing strategy and why you should never arrive in Edinburgh without one. He will also be giving advice on effective marketing techniques every company can use from flyering that sells to securing prebookings before you even get to Edinburgh. There is a market for your show. Owen will help you find it!

Owen started his press and marketing career at the Festival Fringe Society in 2001 and has never looked back. He spent three and a half years working year round on the Fringe which gave him a unique insight into the workings of the festival and the benefit of seeing first hand Hollywood stars make their mark and unknown artists making their name on the stages in Edinburgh. On becoming a press and marketing freelancer Owen brought his expertise to work on a number of touring theatre and dance productions including working with Fringe venues Assembly Theatre and Underbelly.

Outside of festival time Owen has enjoyed developing his expertise with the Traverse Theatre and whilst working on events such as CowParade Edinburgh the MTV Europe Awards. On his call Owen will detail the steps involved in putting together a detailed marketing strategy and why you should never arrive in Edinburgh without one as well as giving advice on effective marketing techniques every company can use to get the audience their show deserves.

Steve Ullathorne – Fringe Photographer and Designer

Steve’s Photography and Design Masterclass he will be detailing the key
elements of effective show photography, the 5 must haves your print
will need to sell and how to take a show concept and transform it into
an image that sells.

London based photographer Steve Ullathorne’s portraits of comedians and actors have been published nationally and internationally. Appearing in amongst others, The Times, The Independent, The Observer, The Guardian, The Mail, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard and The Scotsman along with magazines including Tatler, Colorlines (USA), Megafon (Sweden), Fest, Science & Spirit (USA), Time Out (London and New York) and Hello. His landscape photographs also appear in various international travel publications.

Steve has produced photography and design for over 300 posters for the Edinburgh Festival, The Soho Theatre, National tours and theatres in London, New York and Los Angeles.

His work has been exhibited at The London Transport Museum, The Candid Gallery, three solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival and a London run of “Restyles of the Dead and Famous” at The Rag Factory in 2010.

James Seabright – Fringe Producer and author of ‘So You want to be a Producer’

In James’s Producing Masterclass interview he will discuss the nuts and bolts of producing on the Fringe including how to build momentum for your show, how to manage sales dips and how to be ready for touring opportunities at the festival and how to find those often elusive promoters.

James Seabright has produced and/or general managed over 100 shows since 2001, with an emphasis on touring shows around the UK and internationally, as well as productions in various venues both on and off West End in London. He has been profiled by both The Independent on Sunday and The Stage, and has twice been the recipient of the Stage One New Producer Bursary (2002 and 2004). He has been a guest speaker at RADA, City Lit and at the Masterclass series run by Theatre Royal Haymarket. James is under commission to Nick Hern Books to write So You Want To Be A Theatre Producer, www.producerbook.co.uk, which is scheduled for publication in April 2010.

Since 2003, James has taken a number of productions to the Edinburgh festival each year under the Festival Highlights banner, and was named in 2008’s Stage 100 list of leading figures involved with the Edinburgh fringe. His shows there have won a wide range of awards, including Musical Theatre Matters Best Lyrics Award for Barbershopera II in 2009,
Spirit of the Fringe Awards for Showstopper! in 2009 and Zoe Gardner in 2008, a Herald Angel award for Ed Hamell in 2007, and Scotsman Fringe Firsts for What I Heard About Iraq in 2006 and Gone in 2004 (both directed by Hannah Eidinow).

Ed Bartlam – Underbelly Co-Director

On the Venue Insight Masterclass Ed will detail the successful elements of
Underbelly’s big hits as well as discuss how smaller shows can compete
effectively with the big boys at the festival. Ed has experienced the festival from both sides as a performer and venue manager and has had the benefit of seeing first hand the success secrets of shows that have punched above their weight to make their mark on the Fringe.

Ed Bartlam made his fist foray into the Fringe as a member of Edinburgh University’s Double Edge Drama Theatre Company in 1999. The search for the perfect venue led to the creation of Underbelly in 2000 with Co-director Charlie Wood. Since then Ed and Charlie have an incredible impact on the fabric of the festival rising from unknowns to become major players in the festival scene.

Underbelly has hosted numerous Fringe First winners, a Perrier Award winner and countless sell out shows each year. Ed has the benefit of seeing both sides of the Fringe experience as an actor and company member and now as a successful venue manager. His experiences have given him a unique insight into what makes a Fringe success and how smaller companies can make the Fringe a level playing field.

Paul Sullivan – Fringe Publicist

On his call Paul will detail the tactics he uses to gain press coverage for his clients across a range of publications, he’ll also speak about how to approach the press, how to find the press angles in your show and how to keep the coverage coming right through the festival!

Hugely popular equally amongst press, performers and venues Paul Sullivan is one of the hardest working publicists at the festival. Paul has been promoting hit shows of the festival since 2001. This will be Paul’s 10th year on the Fringe and over the years Paul has been the man responsible for publicising festival shows for acts including Reginald D Hunter, Julian Clary, Camille O’Sullivan, John Bishop, Eurobeat – Almost Eurovision, The Caesar Twins, Tao Drummers.

In 2004 he was named Fringe Publicist of the year with the judges citing: ‘the award reflects Paul Sullivan’s expertise in the representation of comedy and theatrical performers and institutions. His friendliness, organisational skills, and ability to summarise complex artistic information in very few words create the best possible bridge between journalists and the interests of his clients.’

In short when it comes to PR on the Fringe, Paul is one of, if not the best there is.

Judith Doherty – Fringe Producer and International Touring Expert

On Judith’s ‘What’s Involved in Touring’ masterclass we will discuss in detail how to deal with producers, how to negotiate touring contracts
and how to plan a UK tour after the festival.

Judith is the Producer, Chief Executive and Co-Artistic Director of Grid Iron, which she founded in 1995. Judith has produced all the company’s shows including tours throughout the UK and Ireland. Grid Iron’s growing reputation has brought them two European Capital of  Culture Commissions, for Cork 2005 and Stavanger 2008 and an extensive programme of work for the British Council in the Middle East.

Grid Iron have received 26 awards (including numerous Fringe First and Herald Angel awards) and a further 18 nominations covering all aspects of their work. Since 2000 Judith has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. Since 2004 she has been a member of the Board of the Independent Theatre Council. She has also served as an SAC Specialist advisor. In 2003 Judith was award a Daily Mail Spirit of the Fringe Award for her contributions to the Edinburgh Festival.

2010 will be Grid Iron’s 9th year producing at the Fringe and the company has also performed at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Abie Philbin Bowman – Comedian

On Abie’s Skyrocket Your Comedy Career Masterclass he will detail the secrets to supercharging your comedy career on the Fringe. He’ll speak about the simple things you can do to get noticed in the biggest section of the Fringe programme and has some fabulous advice on making the most out of every Fringe opportunity. Abie made his Edinburgh
Fringe debut in 2006 with Jesus: The Guantanamo Years. The show completely sold out, and was reported by over 30 media outlets including Associated Press, Reuters, the BBC, Sky News, Le Monde, The Financial Times, The Guardian and The New York Times. The Scotsman dubbed Abie “the face of this years’ Fringe”. Jesus: The Guantanamo Years later toured London’s West End, the USA and Pakistan. Released on iTunes, it entered the top ten comedy albums across Europe and in Japan.