Fertile Ground Partner Venues
The Partner Venue program was developed to reduce the burden on Producers to find and provide staffing at a suitable performance venue, bring new artists and audiences into supportive local venues, and offer audiences the opportunity to see a variety of Festival offerings in the same location.
About the Partner Venue Program
Partner Venues are local spaces that Fertile Ground rents out for all or most of the Festival and programs with exclusively Fertile Ground projects! Interested Producers apply through the Partner Venue lottery for a chance to secure performance slots in one of our four Festival venues.
Projects chosen for a Partner Venue pay a flat per-performance rental fee, regardless of the length of their show. Each rental, regardless of number of performances, includes a free technical rehearsal with the support of a venue Technical Director, access to the venue’s lighting, sound, and projection equipment, and front of house support in the form of a House Manager and concessions services.
Projects in a Partner Venue space agree to use the Fertile Ground ticketing system, honor free tickets for Festival Pass-holders, and must adhere to agreed upon load-in/load-out times.
Back Door Theatre - 4319 SE Hawthorne, Portland
Space Basics: With non-traditional seating, including couches and side tables, this small black box theatre situated behind the Common Grounds Coffee Shop off Hawthorne Blvd is chic and intimate. The stage itself is a fairly true square, and is typically set up as a 3/4 thrust, with shared couch seating in the front and on the sides.
Shows that will shine here: This is a great venue for a staged reading or workshop production that is ready to start playing around with lighting, sound, and/or projections. While the limited real estate both onstage and backstage make it less than ideal for large ensemble pieces (although they CAN work) or elaborate sets, its high quality projector and robust LED lighting inventory *do* allow Producers to present a fairly splashy and immersive audience experience. Producers in this space will be performing on the set for a Fuse mainstage production – which is currently TBA!
This venue has street parking in the neighborhood and is wheelchair accessible. There are 2 all-gender restrooms in the coffee shop which are available for audience use.
Additional Details:
- Audience capacity – 40
- Rental cost – $150/performance
- Included in rental:
- 4.5 hours of tech time in the space with Fuse’s Technical Director who will program cues for your show and provide a tutorial of how to operate lighting, sound, and projection equipment
- Concessions sales (Producers do not receive any portion of the concessions revenue)
- Limited storage space for set pieces/props
- A backstage dressing room area that can accommodate approximately 8-10 people
- Access to Fuse’s HD projector and screen
- House plot with color-changing LEDs
- Playback system which can connect to a laptop or phone
- 2 music stands (the Festival can help you source more, though!)
Ideal performance length: Flexible – anywhere from 30 min to 2+ hours
Additional tech time *may* be available for additional cost, depending on the availability of both the space and technical director.
A note on schedule: Performance times will be scheduled around Fuse’s mainstage show, which is predicted to perform Thurs-Sat at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm. Most available performance slots will be weeknights and weekend daytimes (believe it or not, these are actually pretty good time slots for Fertile Ground audiences).
More details about the space available on Fuse’s Rental page.
21ten Theatre - 2110 SE 10th Ave, Portland
Space Basics: A cozy black box known for its rectangular shape, deep and narrow, earning it the previous moniker “the Shoebox.” This space has had a glow-up since its Shoebox days, with a comfortable (if small) lobby space, and comfortable stadium style seating in a proscenium configuration. The lighting inventory is less robust than the other Partner Venues, but more than adequate for full coverage of the small stage, and a few distinct looks.
Shows that will shine here: This is a fantastic space for projects that are light and lean – solo shows, small-cast workshops productions with fewer technical needs, and staged readings. This tends to be one of our more tightly programmed venues with minimal storage space, so it’s important that Producers who select this space have minimal set-up/breakdown needs.
This venue has street parking in the neighborhood and is wheelchair accessible, though their wheelchair ramp is technically not ADA compliant. There are 2 all-gender restrooms in the lobby.
Additional Details:
- Audience capacity – 40
- Total venue capacity – 49
- Rental cost – $150/performance
- Rental cost includes:
- 4.5 hours of tech time in the space with 21ten’s Technical Director who will program cues for your show and provide a tutorial of how to operate lighting, sound, and projection equipment
- House manager
- Concessions sales (Producers do not receive any portion of the concessions revenue)
- Limited storage space for set pieces/props
- 2 small dressing rooms that can accommodate 4-5 people total
- Access to a projector and projection screen
- House plot with limited number of color-changing LEDs
- Playback system which can connect to a laptop or phone
- 5 music stands (the Festival can help you source more, though!)
Ideal performance length: anywhere from 30 min to 2+ hours
Additional tech time *may* be available for additional cost, depending on the availability of both the space and technical director.
More details about the space available on 21ten's Rental Page.
The Boiler Room - 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland
Space Basics: This mid-sized black box nestled in Portland State University’s Lincoln Hall building feels industrial and spacious, despite its medium-sized audience capacity. With those sweet, sweet university resources, the Boiler Room has a decent amount of storage space, ample dressing rooms, a tricked out lighting grid, projector, and an exceptional sound system.
Shows that will shine here: This space will be mostly run by PSU student interns, which means a little less scheduling flexibility, but lots of great amenities. This space is designed for projects in an advanced workshop phase, ready to make use of the lighting and sound playground this venue has to offer. Producers applying for this venue should be prepared to commit to a minimum number of 4 performances. As our Partner Venue with the largest stage and greatest audience capacity, the Boiler Room will be a fantastic venue for larger casts, musicals, and shows of any size that are eager to incorporate more robust design elements.
This venue has street parking in the neighborhood and is wheelchair accessible. There are 2 all-gender restrooms in the lobby.
Additional Details:
- Audience capacity – 64
- Total venue capacity – 86
- Stage dimensions: 34’ deep, 36’ wide
- Rental cost – $200/performance
- Rental cost includes:
- 5.5 hours of tech time in the space with Boiler Room’s Technical Director who will program cues for your show and provide a tutorial of how to operate lighting, sound, and projection equipment
- Board op
- House manager
- Concessions sales (Producers do not receive any portion of the concessions revenue)
- Limited storage space for set pieces/props
- Large dressing room are that that can accommodate 12-15 people
- Access to a projector and projection screen
- House plot with limited number of color-changing LEDs
- Playback system which can connect to a laptop or phone
- 5 music stands (the Festival can help you source more, though!)
Ideal performance length: between 1-2 hours, not to exceed 2 hours in length.
Additional tech time *may* be available for additional cost, depending on the availability of both the space and technical director.
For more details, check out the Boiler Room Equipment Inventory and the Boiler Room Tech Info Sheet (note – not all information on the Tech Info Sheet will apply to Fertile Ground rentals. Please do not contact PSU staff with questions about the space – reach out to FertileGround@portlandtheatre.com
Instructions for submitting a Venue Application:
1. Review the four available Venues above to determine which Venue is the best fit for your Project. Select that Venue on your application. You will also have the option to select a second choice venue on the application.
2. Fill out the Venue application with as much information as you know about your Project at this time. If you get new information about your Project before the Lottery, please reach out in order to update your application.
3. Please only submit a Venue Application for one Project. If you are a main collaborator or artistic lead on another Project applying for Venue placement, please contact Festival Director Tamara Carroll at fertileground@portlandtheatre.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you plan to apply for a GROW Grant, please DO NOT submit a separate Venue Application – a Venue application is included as an optional part of the GROW Application!
Venue Applications will be accepted through October 27, 2025.
Venue applicants will be notified of placement on November 7, 2025.
OTHER IMPORTANT DATES:
October 28-November 6, 2025 – Back and forth with lottery winners to finalize details
November 7, 2025 – Venue Placements finalized
November 10, 2025 – Festival Registration Opens
January 19, 2026 – Final Day to Withdraw from a Venue for a full refund
February 13, 2026 – Final day to withdraw from a Venue for a 50% refund
April 10-26, 2026 – Fertile Ground Festival
Do you own or operate a venue?
Reach out to fertileground@portlandtheatre.com to have your space added to our list of available venues, or to discuss becoming a partner venue!
Venue Program FAQs
What’s included in the cost of a partner venue rental?
Every Partner Venue is a little bit different, but here’s a general framework:
- 4-5 hours of arranged time in the space for load in/rehearsal/tech before your first performance (additional time available at additional cost).
- Technical Director support throughout your tech rehearsal to help navigate lighting, sound, and projection systems.
- Limited storage space for set pieces and props during the Festival
- Free use of Fertile Ground’s ticketing platform
- Access to a house lighting plot, sound system, and projector.
- Use of the venue dressing rooms starting 1 hour before show time
- Concession services (the venue runs concessions and keeps concession revenue)
Does everyone who applies for a venue automatically get put in the lottery?
Not exactly.
Festival venues are designed to host a large number of rotating projects, which means all projects need to have the ability to be fully loaded in and out of a space quickly. A show might not be right for the lottery if it has a large amount of scenery that would need to be moved and stored, or is very short (15-20 min), or requires technical support that we cannot guarantee.
Our goal is to include every project that applies. If the Festival team has any concerns about placing you in your preferred venues, we will reach out *before* the lottery to share our concerns and discuss alternatives. If you haven’t heard from us, that means your project will be included.
Projects are most likely to be included in the Festival venue lottery if they:
- Have a show and cast aligned to the size of the stage and facilities.
- Can fully load out their props/set and fully clear the performance and dressing room space in 30 minutes.
- Can load in their props/set and accomplish all necessary preshow activities in approximately 30 min.
- Require minimal technical support and can work with a basic light plot/plug in a sound computer.
How does the Venue Lottery work?
Before anything else: GROW Grant recipients receive priority placement in the Festival Venue of their choice before the venue lottery. As many as 6 projects may be placed in venues before the lottery.
First Round Lottery Pull – 1st lottery pull for projects led by LGBTQIA2S+ artists specifically for placement in the Back Door Theatre space. Any projects remaining after all of the Back Door slots have been filled will be placed in the Main lottery
Second Round Lottery Pull – Lottery draw/placement for up to 3 projects that have requested 6+ performances
Third Round Lottery Pull – All other projects are selected through a random lottery, and offered a place in either their first or second choice venue.
Things to note:
The lottery is not an exact science, because shows are of different lengths, or can only perform during certain times, or other specific needs/quirks. Our goal is to fit as many projects into our Partner Venues as possible, and all decisions we make are in service of that goal.
- Projects may be offered more or fewer performance times than they originally requested.
- We do our very best to offer each project a diversity of time slots, but we also sometimes make a judgement call based on our perception of the intended audience (matinee/afternoons for family-friendly shows, late night slots for more mature content, etc).
- You’ll be expected to keep your show length within the limits of your time slot.
What happens if I don’t get a venue?
If we are unable to provide space in one of the Festival venues, you will need to find a different performance venue. We are happy to make recommendations and introductions, but unfortunately can’t guarantee anything. Check out our List of Performance/Rehearsal Spaces for some possibilities, or visit PATA's Company Member Directory to search for potential venues.
When/how do I pay for my venue?
If you accept your venue slot, you will be asked to pay a deposit equaling 50% of the total venue rental by November 30th, 2025. You will be invoiced again for the remaining balance on March 1, 2026.
If you end up needing to withdraw from the Festival for any reason, you can receive a full refund of your deposit if you withdraw before January 19th. If you withdraw after February 13th, due to the administrative time required to make changes and updates (as well as not being able to guarantee a project can step in to fill your slot) we will not be able to refund your deposit.
Accessing Website and Venues
Please email Tamara Carroll at fertileground@portlandtheatre.com to get help navigating our website or ticketing system, if you have questions about the accessibility of performances and venues, or any other questions, concerns, or feedback.
Quick Links
Contact
fertileground@portlandtheatre.com
