What is up with shows this year? In my apps for this Summer, 3 have extended their app deadlines and notification dates come and go with no news. 3 Rivers has extended the notification DL 3 times. It started at 3/10 and is now 3/31.
I am getting very grumpy over this and I am usually a sunny personality type. The apps are very strict. Postmarked by this date or we will start a bonfire with your submission. Nothing after this date will even be opened. Bounce your check and we will blackball you from all future events within 400 miles of your home. Apparently, the organizers have no such problems. They are free to play with our heads and our schedules, apparently drinking chardonnay while they do it
If I need to submit several apps for the same weekend, I do it with an eye to deadline and notification dates to reduce the risk of losing my booth fee. Well, scratch that this year.
Some say it's because the shows are not getting enough applicants. I find that hard to believe. But I've never seen anything like this in my 15 years on this side of the application dance.
Anyone know what's going on?
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The extended deadline is STILL set for May 31st, but I already got accepted... maybe because I applied early?
I have to agree with Pat and others than question and have a hard time accepting explanations like "layout issues". Over the past few years I've seen shows like Gasparilla extend it's deadline every year, then say in its rejection letter that they had more than 1000 applicants. Sorry, that's crap. There were MORE than enough qualified applicants when the first deadline came to pass, as evidenced by all the good artists that are rejected each year. And MORE THAN ENOUGH MONEY to jury the show and pay all the show notifications costs. Don't you all think so? Say 700 applicants at $30 being what ... $21,000?
So maybe one solution is to DEDUCT some points from each person that applies late ..... something that truly penalizes them more than charging them a late fee, while at the same time rewarding those who apply on time. Any merit to such a system?
In the horse-cart scenario, I think the layout is the horse. You have to know what the layout is before you determine how many artists are in or out. If you lose spaces (e.g., construction, lack of completing construction, etc.), then fewer artists will be accepted in ... if areas open up (e.g., completed construction) then more can be let in (not synonymous with "should be let in). Ultimately, the longer shows have been around they more they should know how many booths the show can support based on sales in their community/region, the effectivness (or lack thereof) of their advertising, etc. etc. etc. All those promotion things. And the dicing-of-the-pie thing.
But the jury shouldn't be concerned with that. They just jury (crappily in many instances I would add). They provide a ranking by score of the artists, right? The show determines, BASED ON THEIR LAYOUT, how many artists are in, how many wait-listed, based on factors LIKE how many booth spots they have. One problem that likely exacerbates this (how's that for a word!) is shows setting their deadlines 6 months or more in advance of the show. IF THEY KNOW FROM PAST EXPERIENCE they may have layout issues, then they have the free will to set the deadline closer to the show (oh, let's say 3 months before the show) so they can work out these details without having to extend their deadline. It seems sadly stupid and pathetic for shows to KNOW there will POTENTIALLY be a problem ... and .... do nothing about it.
AND .... if they are concerned with dwindling applications ..... I'd love to know how many ever reflect on WHY that is happening, besides throwing it all to the wind with "oh, it's the economy". What are they not doing well enough? What can they be doing better? How do they strengthen their event. Every business has to do this, we as artists, businesses in the community .... the show is no different. What is the difference THEY can make to bring more artists back? AND ..... see if among all those rejected artists are not a plethora of talented artists that for whatever reason, their jurors are just scoring too low to get in. I guarantee that amongst the "reject artists", the way shows are jurying these days, are many good artists and strong bodies of work.
Really curious why no show promoters jump in on these topics and discuss the reasoning behind some of their decisions. Connie .... ???? You're a promoter ...... why don't you jump in as one promoter's perspective? Can't you encourage some of your promoter friends to specifically address the reasoning behind extending deadlines? See if their rationale holds water? Wouldn't that help here?
A few years ago I emailed Zapp and suggested that they request that their featured shows to be as professional as we are expected to be on deadlines. I think that shows should provide some indication of when their process will take place.
Some shows will list of when the application is due, when their jury meets, and when inviations will go out, which I consider to be professional. Others don't tell you a thing, and you are at their mercy and whim, which I find pretty disgusting.
I had forgotten this, but four years ago I applied to 3 Rivers Festival and remember that they basically kept me hostage by not letting me know for at least two months after I applied, and of course there is no indication of when the jury meets and decides. I haven't applied there again. Perhaps this practice of theirs has disgusted enough other artists that they aren't getting the quality applications they want.
Why don’t they send out notifications first, and then work out the layout? With most shows you don’t get your booth # until later. But at least you know if you’re in. Are they trying to save on postage?! Most paper apps still want you to send a SASE anyway.
I did not apply to this show (out of my area), but like the OP says, we have to follow their deadlines, why don’t they?
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