Yes. But please note that outdoor and site specific performances have particular requirements beyond conventionally staged indoor performances. For example, you may want to consider setting a higher contingency in your budget (e.g. 10% rather than 5%) due to the higher variable costs for outdoor work than for conventionally staged indoor performance. You should also give careful consideration to what skills and expertise you may need to successful deliver this type of work, in particular if you have not created this type of work before. For example, you may wish to employ a production manager experienced in delivering outdoor work.
If you are planning an outdoor performance, we recommend you take the following into consideration at an early stage in your planning:
- What the local licensing requirements are (these vary in different local authority areas) and how to meet these
- Whether you will need to have access to power and/or water, how you will arrange this and how you will ensure power supplies will be waterproof.
- How to make your show as weatherproof as possible. Remember that wind can be as much of an issue as rain.
- If you will have equipment/set on site overnight or in a busy environment how to provide security for this.
- How will you deal with noise pollution? (both your show disturbing others and other sources of noise disturbing your show).
- How will stray animals and wildlife, anti-social behaviour and other disturbances be dealt with and by whom?
- How will you ensure that passers-by have clear passageways so as not to disturb the show?
- How you will ensure emergency access and clear passage for emergency vehicles.
- How will you set up provision for first aid, lost children and an assembly point? (First aid provision might be different for performers/crew and audiences.)
- What will the communication channels be between the performing company, the host organisation and emergency services?
- What will your cancellation and inclement weather procedures be?
- Insurance is essential. Clarify whose insurance (performing company’s and host organisation’s) covers what.
Cast and crew:
- What provision you will need for your cast and crew for dressing rooms/green room/dry spaces/set up areas/secure areas.
- Whether you will need to provide portable toilets for your cast/crew.
- Whether you will provide food/drink for your cast and crew, noting that this is the industry norm.
Audiences and access:
- How to make your site as accessible as possible. Will you need to lay down tracking for wheels? (wheelchairs, children’s prams, mobility scooters etc.)
- Whether you will need to provide a viewing platform or dedicated space closest to the performance for people in wheelchairs
- How you will control the crowd and steward your performance. Is this the responsibility of the performing company or host organisation? If the audience is required to move from scene to scene will your stewards ensure that smaller audience members are at the front?
- What are the desire lines i.e. how an audience will naturally gather and move on the site?
- If the audience is required to move from scene to scene is there provision of seats for those who might need them?
Audiences and communication:
- How will you provide information to the audience that the show is outdoors and that they should wear appropriate clothing and footwear?
- How you will provide audiences with updates/information about the performances, including cancellations.
- If performance(s) have to be cancelled, will you be able to reschedule them?
Audiences (general):
- Whether you will need to provide portable toilets
- Whether you will provide refreshments