A dance or circus programmer doesn’t make decisions based on artistic talent alone. They make decisions based on whether the theatre can technically host the work, whether the company’s profile fits their audience, and whether the materials they receive let them defend the booking to their own team.

An EPK for performing arts must answer the technical questions before the artistic ones. Because if the rigging doesn’t exist in the venue, everything else is irrelevant.

What a performing arts EPK needs

Complete technical rider (downloadable PDF)

This is the most important document for any performing arts programmer. It must include:

  • Stage dimensions required (width, depth, grid height)
  • Rigging requirements if applicable (loads, suspension points, minimum height)
  • Electrical requirements (power needed, number of circuits)
  • Load-in and load-out time
  • Number of technicians needed in the venue (company-provided vs. venue-provided)

Without a technical rider, the programmer can’t even check feasibility with their head of technical production.

Show video (not a company showreel)

The distinction matters: the programmer needs to see the specific show being proposed, not an edited highlights reel from the company’s last five years.

Ideal format: a professional recording of the full show (or the central 10–15 minutes), in private streaming with a password if needed. Decent sound quality: silence and music must come through clearly, not through a handheld camera microphone.

A well-lit phone video of the current show is more useful than a professional video from five years ago of a different piece.

Synopsis in two formats

  • Short synopsis (50–80 words): for programmes, festival websites, press releases. It must communicate the concept without being cryptic.
  • Long synopsis (200–300 words): for funding applications and board presentations. Can be more contextual.

Avoid grant-application language (“proposes a dialogue between body and space that challenges the gaze”). The programmer needs to understand the work in thirty seconds.

Artistic team sheet

Director or choreographer, performers, technical manager. A full CV for each member isn’t necessary: name, role and two lines where relevant.

If the company has received support from residencies, grants, or been selected for recognised circuits (Mercat de les Flors, FIRA, Circostrada), include it. It validates the work in the eyes of other programmers.

Available formats and adaptations

State whether the show can adapt to non-traditional spaces (street, courtyards, unconventional venues), whether a reduced version exists for smaller spaces, or whether family or educational formats are available.

A programmer with a limited space who discovers you have a street version may book you anyway.

The mistake companies specifically make

Not separating the artistic dossier from the technical rider. A thirty-page document mixing conceptual reflections with technical drawings is impossible to read for someone who needs data quickly.

Solution: the digital EPK is the accessible summary. The technical rider is a separate PDF. The full dossier (if needed) is offered on request.

To understand the basics first, read What is an EPK and what is it for.

If you want us to build your company’s EPK, tell us about your project.