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Block Booking

Collaborating to Book Outstanding Performances Across BC

Block booking helps presenters collaborate to book more outstanding performances in communities throughout BC.

Block booking enables our members to experience the power of collective buying for all disciplines of the performing arts. Through block booking, BC Live addresses the need of our presenters to bring amazing cultural experiences into their communities, regardless of the size and location. We invite all our presenter members to be a part of our block booking program.

How Block Booking Works

Block booking is a presenter-driven activity; this means that the presenters determine which artists they are interested in pursuing for shows, and thus which artists are added to the system.

BC Live’s Block Booking Coordinator streamlines the actual booking process. The Coordinator does not decide who tours and who doesn’t; their role does not replace the artist/agent connection with presenters nor do they determine which artists will tour to which venue. The Coordinator takes the expressed interest of the presenters and tries to make them happen.

Artists and their representatives are still encouraged to make connections with presenters about their shows. If artist representatives would like their show pitched at a block booking meeting, then they must secure interest from a presenter in the network and have them pitch the show to their colleagues.

Once sufficient interest is expressed for a show, the Coordinator gives the artist representative access to the Arts Touring Connector to view the tour as it is created, developed, and finalized. The artist representative will be assigned tasks, visible in the ATC dashboard. These tasks can include requests from the Coordinator for more information about a show.

Once a show has confirmed multiple offers, a Letter of Intent (LOI) is sent to the artist representative for review and signature. The Letter of Intent will include a list of presenters, performance dates and one aggregate fee for all the shows. Once the LOI is signed the artist representative can then create individual contracts with each presenter included in the LOI.

Training Video: How to Use the ATC

Watch the video below for a comprehensive overview of how to use the ATC.

Block Booking Meetings for Presenters

BC Live hosts block booking meetings for presenters bi-weekly from 12:00 noon to 1:30 pm (PDT). These meetings provide an opportunity to pitch artists, discuss bookings and collaborate on tours. Zoom details will be emailed to all presenter members signed up to use the block booking system. To view upcoming dates, see our Events Calendar.

Block Booking Benefits & Resources

Block Booking results in presentations being easier and more affordable, especially in rural and remote BC. Block booking also assists presenters to find and book diverse artists and underrepresented arts forms. Tours become more feasible and better for artists through better routing and consistency. The ATC is updated regularly, based on presenter interest and artist confirmation.

Members also benefit from:

  • bi-weekly in person and online block booking meetings
  • curatorial and programming information sharing
  • access and support for the ATC
  • liaison with artists
  • information about artists ready to tour
  • Pacific Contact showcasing artist information such as fees, availability and technical/production specifications

From January 1, 2024 the fee structure for tour bookings is calculated based on your BC Live membership type /operating budget:

  • if you are a Type A Presenter, with an Operating Budget of less than $100,000, your commission will be 2% for all performances booked
  • if you are a Type B Presenter, with an Operating Budget of $100,000 to $500,000 your commission will begin at 4% for all performances booked
  • if you are a Type C Presenter, with an Operating Budget of over $500,000 your commission will begin at 7% with a sliding scale

See Members for information about membership.

Block Booking Questions?

For technical issues with the ATC, please contact Ross Paton at rkmpaton@gmail.com.

To contact the Block Booking Coordinator, email petrice@bclive.ca.