Public Relations

Press Releases

To generate editorial coverage for the festival, we will write and distribute dedicated WAF press releases. These will promote the Fringe programme as a whole, inviting journalists to find out more about the single events.

You will need to coordinate your own PR campaign to secure editorial coverage for your own event. Write a press release to send it to journalists. You will need to create a ‘story’ – a ‘hook’ that will generate their interest.

It is also a good idea to build relationships with journalists, don’t just email – call if possible, and invite them to your event to create long-term relationships. A small list of genuinely interested journalists who will support your project usually gets much better results than a long list of people who don’t know you or your work.

Once you've registered for Wandsworth Arts Fringe we will share with you a local culture press list to contact in April 2024 - if you haven't received this, email us at arts@wandsworth.gov.uk

For your press release:

Keep in mind that journalists receive many press releases per day so ideally send something with a catchy title with clear and concise information so they can quickly get all the information they need. Usually they are a single page or 450 word maximum.
Bullet points are a good way of clearly disseminating key information.
Remember to create a ‘hook’ that will generate interest. What story can you tell? Human interest or a local connection can be a good point of interest.
Use the 5 Ws to write your press release: What, Where, When, Why, Who: Ensure the press release includes key information: description, prices, dates, location and contact details.
Use quotes (things you or others have said about your project) that journalists can use in their pieces (visitors, artists or audience can be quoted).
The best way to send press releases is by email. You could also have some printed to hand out physically if you are expecting journalists to attend your event or meeting a journalist for a face to face interview.
Only use real information and facts.
Check the grammar and spelling before sending it.
Have high and low resolution images and logos with the full credits available for press and tell them that you have them available in case they need them. Perhaps send a low-resolution image in your first email to grab their attention. Do not send high-resolution images on spec.
Online tools such as Dropbox or wetransfer.com allow you to distribute your larger files (such as high-resolution images or video clips). Let the journalists know if you will be sending your images via any of these channels.

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