A Fangirl’s Guide to Concert Fan Projects
If you attend concerts, you may have heard the phrase “fan project” being used by someone handing out coloured papers or other items to attendees in line. You may have wondered what that term means or why fans are given items to hold up during specific songs. Maybe you later participated in the project during the concert, or you may have forgotten or followed others in the crowd by not participating.
Planning fan projects for concerts can require a lot of time, money, and promotion to convince most show attendees to join in. As you consider planning a fan project, or even if you just want to know how to get involved next time, we want to help you be successful in making a memorable experience for fans and the artist performing.
Project Goal
Fan projects are collaborative creations organised by a fan or a group of fans meant to support an artist or draw their attention to the fans. If you are considering running a project, it is important to decide on your goal!
Your goal could be that you want to make the show unique and memorable for fans and the artist. It could be that you want to show your appreciation for the performer. Your project could be centred around giving a gift to the artist from fans. Maybe you are trying to celebrate something like the artist’s birthday, a holiday, or a milestone that the artist hit recently. Projects could even be used to connect fans with each other.
Having a set main goal is crucial for promoting your project later. From using it on social media posts to talking to fans in line for the concert, your goal will stick with you until the project is over. It will also inspire your ideas for specific activities or items associated with the project.
Brainstorming Ideas
Not every fan project is the same, and it is important to come up with ideas that align with your main goal. There are many factors to consider – from how many fans can be involved, to how artists will notice the project, or even what songs you may associate with it. You can do this process alone or collaborate with others.
Some projects include books or videos given to the artist before or during the concert to involve fans. Other projects between fans could include making bracelets, bows, or guitar picks to trade in line or inside the venue. Still, most projects typically require holding up items during specific songs of the concert. If that is your plan, you need to decide on songs to use, what fans should hold up (coloured paper over phone flashlights, paper hearts or stars, signs with phrases printed on them, fake flowers, or anything else), and how many people will be able to participate. You could even have fans vote on ideas on social media to get more feedback.
With our fan project experiences, we know how difficult it can be to make these ideas into physical items given out at the concert. It is important to make as many items as you can to pass out, but also share a template online for fans who can contribute smaller amounts. If you plan to use scrap paper for a project (such as for making coloured phone flashlights), buy a stamp with instructions for which song to hold the coloured paper up during. Use a Cricut or similar machine to cut out paper hearts, stars, or fake flower petals, but be careful about damaging your machine. Try to label each individual item (like each paper or each fake flower) with instructions for what song to hold it up during so fans are reminded how to participate during the concert.
Utilising Social Media
Promotion is one of the key factors to consider when organising fan projects, and social media is a perfect tool to use for that. So many fandoms are active on various apps and websites and it is important to find where a majority of your artist’s fandom is. For example, fans can be active on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and other sites. While you could run a project without social media (or by using a personal account), fewer people will be aware of it and want to participate.
What should you post on social media? As a fan project account, you have some flexibility in what to post. You could post information about the projects and how to participate. You could also post about the venue or tour, so fans are prepared for the show. Or you could make group chats or connect fans with each other in other ways. By following other fan accounts, you could collaborate with them on content. Doing Q&A posts could allow fans to get their questions answered by you.
One thing to keep in mind is that you have the choice to stay anonymous until the show day or all the time, or you can connect your name to the project if you are comfortable doing that. We have had experience doing a “face reveal” on the day of the show and having people ask us if we are running the projects and then proceeding to talk about their excitement and gratitude.
Clarifying Rules
Could you imagine putting so much time and energy into a project just to be told by the venue that it is not allowed? We have been through this, and it hurts to hear that everyone had to throw away the project outside. This is why it is so important to clarify the rules of the venue before the show.
Venues usually have their rules on their website and, if not, you can try to email or call them to find out more. You will want to know if certain items (like fake flowers or balloons) are allowed at all. Also, you should check to see what size signs are permitted. If you plan to set up the fan projects in a venue before the show (such as for creating different colours or patterns for the seated sections), check to see if you can get early access to help set up.
If you are also posting about venue rules (such as about camping) on social media, be sure to clarify any confusion with the venue. Fans often want to line up early or use numbered wristbands, so knowing the venue’s rules will help everyone going to the show.
Being Environmentally Conscious
Be sure to consider your project’s impact on the environment! How much paper are you using, and is there a way to reduce that (like making smaller shapes that are being cut out)? If you have scrap paper left over from cutting out shapes, consider making rectangles or squares from that for phone flashlights for a second project. Think about avoiding paper overall by using an app to change phone screens to a certain colour, and just use paper for QR codes that are passed around. If you use paper, make sure that your project is something people might keep to remember the project and concert instead of just throwing it away.
Also, be aware of any allergies or unsafe materials that you may want to use. For example, many people are allergic to latex, so consider using paper lanterns that fans can keep after instead of latex balloons.
The Day of the Show
On the day of the concert, you might be feeling a mix of emotions, from excitement to anxiety. Trust us that is normal! Have a plan for how to get fans involved in the projects at the show (especially since not everyone will know about it). Be ready to talk about your goals and why people should participate. If you are passing out items like papers or signs, make sure to have each one individually labelled or instructions on the bag that they are in, and hope that people take a picture of that.
Also, make sure to stay active on social media in the lead up and throughout the day of the show. You could participate in a Q&A or tour takeover to make sure that fans are prepared for your projects and the concert in general. This allows fans to also realise how much time you are putting into the show and may encourage them to join in.
Most importantly, enjoy the concert and have fun! It is meant to be an enjoyable experience, and even if your project does not go exactly as planned, that is okay. Make friends, help each other out, and have a great time.
Helpful Organisations and Apps
You are not the first one to run fan projects, and there is a lot of help out there for you. You can reach out to the venue, record label, artist publicist, photographer, and others to get assistance from their various backgrounds. Lightcert and apps like Screen Flashlight can enable fans to hold up coloured phone screens instead of paper. Carrd or Weebly are beginner-level website builders to use if you make a website for your projects. Silhouette Studio, Adobe Illustrator, and Google Docs can help make templates for printing signs or coloured papers. Canva or Adobe Express can be used for social media graphics and branding, while Capcut can be used for video editing.
Participating Instead of Organising
If you just want to participate and not run a fan project, that is also exciting! Research your concert before the show day and see if there are any projects that fans are organising (and if they have a show-specific account to follow for updates). If the project asks fans to bring their own supplies (like signs), make some for yourself, whoever you are going with, and any friends you might make around you. Be sure to reshare the fan project posts on your social media accounts and interact with them by commenting and liking their posts. Some fan projects are just passed out in line and not posted on social media, so be ready to participate in those. If you have ideas for whoever is running the project, share them with the organisers.
While organising or participating in a fan project can sound daunting, do not let that scare you away from it. From our experience, we have made some of our best friends and had the most memorable concerts from running projects. So, start that fan account, make sign templates, and get excited about showing your appreciation for an artist at the show!
