Pitch Session
Learn About Puppet Festival Mississauga's Pitch Session.
What Is A Pitch Session?
A Pitch Session is an event for artists to present their work to presenters—individuals who serve as potential buyers of puppetry shows. Whether you have a finished production or are in the process of creating one, a pitch session provides a unique opportunity to captivate presenters and sell your work.
At Puppet Festival Mississauga, we believe in the power of collaboration and creating community through the art of puppetry. Puppet Festival Mississauga’s Pitch Session serves as a pivotal platform for artists to showcase their creations, connect with industry professionals, and potentially secure opportunities to bring their shows to new audiences.
This comprehensive guide will explore the significance of pitch sessions, the role of presenters, and the essential components of a successful pitch.
Who Is Pitch Session For?
Pitch Session is for the benefit of presenters to meet you and to learn more about your show.
Presenters are representatives of festivals, libraries, theatres and other organizations, responsible for curating captivating programming. Think of a curator of a museum looking for a new piece to add to their show. The head of programming at a city library may be looking for a puppet show to add to their library programming. Presenters can be artistic directors or heads of programming of other theatre festivals.
Presenters seek shows that align with their event’s vision and cater to their audience. If you dream of your puppetry performance gracing their stage, understanding what presenters are looking for is crucial.
Get to meet presenters and learn what they are looking for at Puppet Festival Mississauga’s Presenter’s Panel.
The Purpose Of A Pitch Session
The goal of a pitch session extends beyond a mere presentation; it is an opportunity to deliver practical information about your puppetry show. This includes details such as length of the show, audience demographics, number of performers, and more. Each presentation typically spans 10 to 15 minutes, encompassing set-up and take-down time.
Now that we’ve covered the purpose of a pitch session, let’s explore the benefits of participating in one.
Want to learn how to structure your pitch to get the best results?
Take A Look At Pitch Session 2023
Benefits Of Participating In Pitch Session
1. Meet Potential Buyers
The pitch session is an unparalleled opportunity where creators can forge direct connections with potential show buyers. This face-to-face, one-on-one interaction grants a precious 15 minutes of undivided attention, allowing creators to showcase their content in a compelling manner. It’s a pivotal moment to articulate the unique value of your shows, convey your creative vision, and address any queries. This engagement goes beyond a mere presentation, fostering a personalized connection that can resonate with buyers. Building these relationships during pitch sessions is instrumental in establishing partnerships that can bring your creative endeavors to fruition, making it a cornerstone of industry networking and collaboration.
2. Improve Your Show
Gather valuable insights from presenters to enhance your show’s appeal and make it tour-ready. Presenters, with their purchasing perspective, hold the key to understanding why some shows outsell others.
3. Spotlight On Ontario Artists
One of the reasons we at Puppet Festival Mississauga began Puppet Festival Mississauga’s Pitch Session, was to highlight talented puppeteers and artists from Ontario to a national and international audience. We want to give artists who live and/or work in Ontario a chance to showcase and sell their work on a global stage. Pitch Session is also a fantastic networking opportunity This is your chance to meet with people across Canada from the east coast to the west. However we also invite international presenters to attend as well, giving you the chance to network with international festivals as well.
3. You Get Paid
At Crane Creations Theatre Company, we are dedicated to recognizing and compensating artists for their valuable contributions and expertise. As a participant in the Puppet Festival Pitch Session, we highly value your involvement, and as such, we are pleased to offer you an honorarium as a token of appreciation for your time, effort, and creative input during the pitch session. Our commitment to supporting artists extends beyond artistic expression, and we believe that compensating artists is a fundamental practice that aligns with our ethos of fostering a fair and respectful collaboration environment within the creative community.
More Chances To Participate In puppet Festival Mississauga
There are so many ways to be involved in Puppet Festival Mississauga. Learn about our industry events and activities
How To Structure Your Picth
Essential Components In A Pitch Are The Following
1. Introduction
This is a chance for you to let the audience know more about who you are and why you. Build a connection with them, give them insight about what you do and why you do it. Feel free to let your personality shine, and give your special personal touch.
2. Get To The Facts
- What is your show about?
- How long is your show?
- Can your show be lengthened or shortened depending on the needs of the programmer?
- What is the recommended audience age for your show (Kids, Teens, Adults Seniors)?
- Can your show travel? Provincially? Nationally? Internationally?
- How many people on your team travel with the show (performers, musicians, stage managers, technicians etc…) ?
- What are the technical requirements of your show (lights, sound, set etc…)?
- How long does your show take to set up and take down?
- How easily can your set travel? Can you fit your show in a suitcase? Can is travel in a airplane or car? Do you need a truck to transport your set or can part of it be constructed in the venue before you arrive?
- Does your show require a large stage? An intimate space? Are you flexible?
- Can your show be played outside of a theatre (aka. outdoors, online, in a found-space, etc…)?
- How much does your show cost?
- What language is your show in and can it be performed in different languages. Does your show have words at all?
3. Support Materials
Feel free to use support materials to enhance your presentations. Support may come in the form or powerpoint presentations, videos, live demonstrations or excerpts of your work. The purpose of these support materials is to assist presenters in getting a better understanding of your show.
Support Materials also come in the form of printed materials that you can hand out to your audience during your pitch: a pamphlet, or document that summarizes your pitch and how to get in touch. These materials are very helpful to presenters and will increase your chances of getting contacted after your pitch.
Important Note: The Pitch Presentation Is Not A Performance
Feel free to use support materials to enhance your presentations. support materials can be videos, slides, recordings and other audio/visual materials. You can also include demonstrations or excerpts of your show. Please remember that your set up and take down time
What's On At Puppet Festival Mississauga
Pin Pin The Eggsplorer
Pin Pin hatches from his egg and discovers a whole new world. A puppet show great for ages 0+.
Circle of Animals
A shadow puppet show that’s great for all ages. A Circle of Animals is playing at Puppet Festival Mississauga 2024.
Puppet Slam 2024
This variety puppet show is a unique night out you and your friends will not want to miss! Come jam at the Puppet Slam!
FAQ
Where Does The Pitch Session Take Place
The location of the pitch session varies from year to year. In the past it has been held in a theatre, online and in a coffee shop.
Who Are The Presenters That Attend
We invite presenters from across Canada and around the world to attend. The presenters who come to the pitch session vary each year.
Who is eligible to participate
If you reside/work in Ontario and have a show in the works or created you would like to present, you are eligible.
Can I pitch a show that is not a puppet show
You can pitch other shows including other forms of live performance, however they must be relevant to the interests of the presenters.