NEWCASTLE FRINGE FESTIVAL
Let's Get This Party Started! WORDS Liane Morris
WITH PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS ON VENUE CAPACITIES EASING IN NSW, NEWCASTLE FRINGE FESTIVAL IS SET TO DELIVER MAXIMUM ENJOYMENT TO MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE. March is Newcastle Fringe Festival month with a smorgasbord of diverse entertainment with something for everyone, including theatre, cabaret, burlesque, circus, music of every genre, a mini choir festival and even an international basketballer for the kids. This is the seventh year of Australia's biggest little Fringe and the first time that it has been extended to eight days across two weekends, featuring more than 130 shows in 10 venues across Newcastle, Hamilton and New Lambton. 16
WHAT IS A FRINGE FESTIVAL? A fringe festival, by definition, is performance art that's on the fringes. Historically speaking, fringe festivals were an unofficial offshoot of another more mainstream arts festival. Over time, this definition has changed to mean a festival of art that is experimental, new and emerging, most often open access and uncensored. A fringe festival is where the artist takes the risk and the majority of the ticket sales. Mainstream festivals pay artists for their work and take the door sales for the organisers. At Fringe, the more people who attend, the more the artist receives. NEWCASTLE FRINGE – THE ORGANISATION The organisers of the Newcastle Fringe Festival are a group of dedicated volunteers whose mission is to support emerging arts, particularly local artists and live performance. The festival is designed to enable artists to earn money from their art form and provide them with a platform to experiment and create new work. This results in an engaging, quirky festival where anything and everything can and does happen!
WCB – SIGIL
"Our artists are emerging and experimental. Some are professionals, and others aren't, so the fun in Fringe is going along to see what happens," said Newcastle Fringe Chairperson Brooke Twyford. "Lots of celebrities, particularly in comedy, have had their beginnings in fringe festivals, and there are some real gems to be discovered. "It's also super affordable – we deliberately keep ticket prices low to encourage more people to join in the fun." Financial sustainability is always a challenge, and this year was exacerbated by the COVID situation. Sponsors were understandably gun-shy of financially supporting events-based organisations because they are vulnerable to COVID restrictions and cancellations. The festival is supported this year by primary sponsors Port Waratah Coal Services and AGL with additional financial support from Costin Roe, a local engineering consultancy firm. The festival was successful in receiving a Create NSW grant to assist with venue costs, and media partnerships include intouch Magazine,
