Preamble
Right now, I’m at the start of recruiting potential hosts which will take a week or so, so please do register your interest below, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible once I’ve got some suitable properties to offer. (I’d intended to get started last November but my current job has kept on getting in the way. I could have also started this a week and a half ago had I known that trying to recruit one or more people to take over this project would have been such a completely massive waste of time).
Accommodation
The aim for this project is to source affordable and suitable accommodation for Fringe artists during their Fringe run. Of the accommodation I can offer, the majority will be from my callouts for hosts, while others will be rooms and flats offered to me, or other people with available rooms which I offer to fill on their behalf. I’m predominantly seeking accommodation outside the city centre but with decent travel connections. This is because a) the hosts don’t typically do Fringe digs so that they’ll charge far more reasonable amounts, and b) no student flats.
I’m aiming for us to visit each prospective host in their homes so that I can cover details with them, check them out, take current photos, and provide information about the surrounding areas, eg bus stops, cashpoints, supermarkets, pubs, cafes (in order of priority, of course!)
Paperwork
I will have a contract with each host to manage responsibilities and expectations. We will also provide each guest with a lodger tenancy agreement as well as separate documents with property information, such as address, WIFI PASSWORD, nearby bus stops, schedules and journey times, and property-specific house rules and information – such as why each room in my flat has an umbrella near the window.
Money
We want to streamline the process as much as possible for both hosts and artists, so we have a financial package offering a deposit scheme, invoices and receipts, and transaction reporting for full transparency. We also offer an intermediary service in case of any issues which arise, so we aim to handle as many of the practicalities as possible so that you can focus on your show, and having a stressfree home environment during your stay.
More Money
I know full well that each artist coming up for the Fringe loses a shitload of money during their stay, has no funding nor source of Fringe income, and quite possibly no savings, no money nor savings and quite possibly only a wee bit of wiggle room left on their credit cards. While I try to negotiate the lowest rent possible with each of the hosts, there will be instances where the rent will exceed some artists’ budgets, so we can offer bursaries to help subsidise artists’ costs of accommodation.
Fringe Buddies
We will also check in on you to see how you’re getting on in your digs and with your show, and as the properties generally won’t be in any of the Fringe bubbles, I’d like to have a Facebook chat and a WhatsApp group/s to connect all the other participating artists for meeting up, seeing each other’s shows, seeing shows together and so on.
Apology
I know that this is a lot of information to digest, and that it’s rather admin-heavy, but it’s intended to fully protect hosts and guests, and after last year’s Fringe, to introduce ways of simplifying and streamlining the whole process for all parties involved.
Information from artists
For now, as our menu of digs is not yet available, I’d like to capture expressions of interest with the form below. It’ll be replaced by a more thorough form once this is all up and running, with details needed to provide the potential hosts with, and to help match you with available properties. Please note that all artists have to be vetted first, so I cannot simply provide you with somewhere on request.
Accommodation Request Form
I’ve created a basic form for details about your show and dates, or you’re more than welcome to contact us by email, Messenger, Instagram, Twitter or – why not? – Threads. The form is here: Accommodation Request Form; please note that I’m usually snowed under with work (and that’s not even including this!) so it may take me a few hours to get back to you.