For our Artists

Call-Out for Artists: Totnes Fringe 2027

Festival Dates: 15–18 July 2027 · Totnes, Devon

Applications open: Sunday 15 November 2026
Applications close: Sunday 14 February 2027
You’ll hear back by: Sunday 28 February 2027

Totnes Fringe is the South West’s fastest-growing festival of independent live performance: more than 80 shows in 18+ venues, from pubs and churches to the town hall, gardens and even the laundrette. If it can hold an audience, we’ll probably put a show in it. Theatre, dance, comedy, spoken word, music-theatre, boundary-pushing experimental work — we want to see it all.

Over 180 of you applied in 2026. That’s a lot of shows — and choosing was the hardest (and best) job we had all year.

For 2027, bring us bold ideas, unexpected performances and a bit of creative mischief. Surprise us.

Local roots, global reach

Totnes punches well above its weight, and we want a programme that does the same: rooted here, open to everyone. We’re aiming for roughly a third each from:

• The South West — our neighbours, our home crowd

• The rest of the UK

• International Artists

Our Commitment

Artists receive 80% of their ticket income, after transaction fees.

That isn’t an afterthought, or dependent on what’s left once the Festival has covered its costs. 80% of ticket income goes directly to the artists who perform.

Totnes Fringe is an unsubsidised festival, and one of our core principles is to return as much ticket income as possible to the people creating the work.

The remaining 20% contributes towards the cost of delivering the Festival. We support our wider costs through a mix of fundraising, sponsorship, ticket income, and direct sales, helping us keep the Fringe sustainable while continuing to put artists first.

Somewhere to stay

The Totnes community hosts our visiting artists — and our hosts are part of what makes this festival special. We try to find a bed for:

• Artists travelling to us from outside Devon

• Artists performing more than one show

International Artists

We’d love to welcome artists from around the world to Totnes, and we don’t want distance to stop great work getting here.

International Travel Bursaries. Funding permitting, we’re aiming to offer a small number of travel bursaries to help international artists get here. Tell us where you’re coming from and roughly what it’ll cost on the application form — bursaries will go to those who need them most.

Wherever you’re travelling from, we can also offer:

• Accommodation with a local host during the festival

• A letter of invitation for your visa

• A letter of support to help you apply for funding back home

Lots of countries fund artists to perform abroad. On the Move(on-the-move.org) is a great place to start looking.

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How do we choose shows and curating the programme?

Our programming team work hard to create a diverse lineup that reflects a wide range of forms and content — from theatre and dance to comedy, spoken word, and boundary-pushing experimental work. We carefully matched shows to venues of different shapes and sizes, ensuring each performance would shine in its space.

Above all, we aimed to craft a festival programme that appeals to our Festival Audience from the South West and further afield, — offering something for every taste and curiosity.

Accessible Tickets for All
We believe live performance should be for everyone. That’s why our ticket prices are set as follows:

• £10 Full Price

• £8 Pay Less

• £6 Under 18

affordable and fair, to welcome audiences from all walks of life.

Larger-scale productions, such as Opera or Shakespeare at Totnes Castle, may be priced at up to £15.

80% of ticket revenue goes directly to our artists.

We asked these questions when we read applications -

Is there an audience for this in Totnes?
Probably. For a small town, Totnes has a reputation for being open to the alternative — but we’re not going to pretend to speak for everyone. What we will do is programme work that feels interesting, considered, and worth encountering. Expect us to be open-minded about both content and form. Our audiences come from across the South West and beyond.

Is there a venue that can accommodate it?
We have a range of spaces — but not a conventional touring theatre. If your show relies on a high level of technical support, it may be difficult to stage here. Work that can adapt — or that’s been designed with flexibility in mind — will have a much better chance of landing well.

Is there actually a show?
It’s a fair question. We don’t expect fully produced work — we’re very happy to support new pieces and debuts — but we do need to know that what you’re proposing will happen. The application questions are there to help you demonstrate that: clarity of idea, a sense of how it will be made, and confidence that it will be ready.

And finally — is it exciting?
If we have to make choices, this is what it comes down to. By “exciting”, we don’t mean loud or extreme. We mean work that feels alive. Something you clearly care about. Something that has a reason to exist, and a reason to be seen now.

Hello to our 2027 Artists

We’re so excited to have you join us. Whether you’re bringing theatre, dance, comedy, spoken word, or something genre-defying, you’re now part of the Totnes Fringe — a grassroots celebration of bold voices and brilliant performance.

This page is your performer guide to everything that makes Totnes — and this festival — special.

Thanks for Taking the Leap
This Totnes Fringe Festival — and by joining us, you’re not just performing at a festival; you’re helping to shape it.
We know that taking part in a new event ( this is our third year) is a leap of faith. It means trusting the process, the place, and the people. We deeply respect the risk you’ve taken to be here — and we’re genuinely grateful.
This festival has been built with love, care, and a big belief in what artists like you can do when given space and community. Thank you for saying yes.

We’re also working hard behind the scenes to bring audiences through the doors — spreading the word, partnering locally, and making sure your work reaches as many eyes and ears as possible. We are trying to plaster the town with posters and programmes. Please feel free to bring flyers over the weekend- we can get volunteers out on the street with your flyers Edinburgh style and get involved with our social media; collaborate, share a reel and our posts.

Powered by Passion: Our Incredible Volunteers
Totnes Fringe exists thanks to an amazing team of volunteers who give their time, expertise, energy, and heart to make it happen. Every performance and every audience member is supported by people who believe in the power of creativity and community.

By joining us, you’re part of a truly grassroots festival—built by artists, locals, and dreamers.

Thank you for bringing your work to Totnes. You're helping shape what this festival is, and what it could become.

Year one was astounding, this second year is shaping up to be even better.

Dartington Hall: A Radical Legacy

A radical legacy

Just beyond Totnes lies Dartington Hall — not just a beautiful estate, but a place of cultural revolution. Founded in the 1930s as a centre for progressive education, social change, and the arts, Dartington became a beacon for experimental thinking and performance.
From 1961 to 2010, it was home to Dartington College of Arts, internationally recognised for its radical, interdisciplinary approach to training performers, musicians, choreographers, and makers. Students were encouraged to blur genres, challenge convention, and create work that was rooted in place, politics, and community.
Dartington’s influence reaches far beyond the South Devon hills. In its heyday, it welcomed some of the most important figures in modern performance and movement, including:

Michel Chekhov, actor and teacher, who founded his Theatre Studio here in the 1930s. His approach to imagination and inner gesture revolutionised actor training.
Rudolf Laban, pioneer of modern dance and movement analysis, who lived and worked on the Dartington estate after fleeing Nazi Germany.
Mary Fulkerson, influential choreographer and teacher of Release Technique, who taught at Dartington in the 1970s and 80s.
Seán O’Casey, the great Irish playwright, who lived at Dartington Lodge from 1938 to 1954, writing and reflecting in the heart of the Devon countryside.

Though Dartington College was controversially closed and absorbed into Falmouth University in 2010, its legacy continues — in the community, in its archives, and in festivals like this one. The Totnes Fringe carries that torch: a belief in the power of experimental work, local roots, and fearless creativity.

Local Walks to Clear Your Head (or Fill With Ideas)

EXPLORE TOTNES AND BEYOND

The River Dart Walk: A peaceful, flat stroll along the river to Dartington (around 30 mins each way). Watch kingfishers dart and herons stalk as you go.

Dartington Hall Estate: This historic estate is also a walk away. Wander through ancient woodlands, past hidden sculptures, and into the Great Hall courtyard.

Sharpham Loop: For something longer (2–3 hours), head downriver through vineyards and fields with glorious views across the Dart Valley.

Bridgetown Nature Trail: Cross the bridge for a tucked-away circular trail through quiet lanes, meadows, and wildflower patches.

VISIT TOTNES INFORMATION

Come for a festival stay for a while. You can read lots more about TOTNES and the surrounding area at the website of one of our sponsors, Visit Totnes.

VISIT TOTNES