How to Host an Open Mic Night

Open mic nights are the classic way to share your gifts with the world and test out material in a low-stakes and encouraging environment. To organize a local open mic night is to give the artistic voices of your community a powerful way to express themselves, and show off your own talents to boot!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Decide what kind of open mic you wish to host. It could be music, stand up comedy, poetry, sketch comedy, performance art, or a combination of anything. This may also include the length of performer' s sets. Five minutes is the standard.

2. Research local establishments in your area that have performance capabilities. They will need some form of PA equipment as well as a cabaret license. Coffee shops and bars are two classic options.

3. Contact the owner of you intended location. Give him/her a clear picture of the event you wish to host. This should include the content, the length of the show, how often you want to hold the show and the expected turn out.

4. Once you have obtained a space you need to find acts for your show. Create a flier that states the location, time, date, and theme of your event and post it both online and physically on local bulletin boards and telephone poles. Talk your show up to as many people as you know.

5. Decide on a sign up method for your open mic. When performers arrive they will need a way to let you know that they wish to perform. Several popular ways are a clipboard where performers write down their names in a first-come-first served system, or to write down all performers names on pieces of paper and to place them into a hat to be drawn and announced at random.

6. On the night of your show, be a gracious host to your performers. Make sure you pronounce their names correctly and keep the energy of the audience up between acts.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the night moving briskly.
• Never make fun a person who has just performed at your open mic.

[CBPope]

on 12/20/2008 Exciting