Fringe festivals are popping up everywhere and more popular than many of the curated arts festivals. Audiences love seeing new work by upcoming artists, with the work accessible and affordable. For many artists it’s where their careers start.
Most fringe festivals in Australia and around the world have open access policies in which any artist can participate. With limited places for artists to get ‘gigs’ in Australia and the chance of being programmed by festival directors in a main stream festival very slim, without fringe festivals many artists would never have a place to have their work seen or be discovered.
Fringe festivals are also playing an important role in artists’ development. They provide a platform to try out new work, develop and hone skills and network with like minded people in the arts industry. In Adelaide, the Fringe has been particularly important and relevant for local artists as aside from the great work Vitalstatistix is doing, there has previously not been a year round, especially dedicated space for independent contemporary performance work like the Performance Space in Sydney or Arts House in Melbourne.
Many artists are creating their own work, funding it themselves and presenting it on the Fringe circuit. From Melbourne Fringe to Fringe World Festival in Perth and the Adelaide Fringe, and then onto Edinburgh Festival Fringe these artists are smart, clever and know what they’re doing. They know that they may not make any money and in some cases may lose money, but Fringe festivals are seen by young artists as a networking opportunity, a training ground or springboard for future career advancement. They are also great fun and exciting to be a part of.
Self-presented independent work is always a risk but savvy Fringe artists are choosing to be involved for the many positives that outweigh that risk. In Adelaide, presenting independent new work outside of Fringe time can be a challenge in attracting audiences. So many artists choose to be part of ‘something bigger‘ and leverage off the increased audiences, excitement and other positive opportunities available to Fringe registered artists.
Each Fringe is also uniquely different and develops to the demands of the artists that are taking part and to the local arts industry. The Adelaide Fringe, the oldest and largest fringe festival in Australia, has always been a platform for the careers of many artists and is renowned for being an event in which artists are discovered.
I asked theatre director and Adelaide Fringe Board member Sam Haren, about his experience of creating and presenting work in the Adelaide Fringe and the part it has played in his career.
Sam, you were part of a collective called The Border Project, when and how did the group get started?
The Border Project was formed by a group of us who all graduated from the Flinders University Drama Centre in 2000. We began experimenting with theatrical form and exploring the future language of live performance. In 2002 we presented our first production written by the German dramatist, poet and theatre director Heiner Müller. Although it was a great success artistically, as we presented the work independently in Adelaide in the middle of the year, we struggled to attract large audiences.
When did The Border Project first present work in the Adelaide Fringe?
In 2004 we presented our first production in the Adelaide Fringe and unlike the previous season attracted a much bigger audience. It was a bold and adventurous four-hour durational work called Please Go Hop! It was staged as a type of board game in which one of the actors would win each night. We were investigating 80’s pop culture and the experience of growing up. We had no idea if a four hour long show based around a board game would work, but Fringe audiences really engaged with it and would stay for 3 to 4 hours. We received a 5 star review, the show sold out and it really kicked off The Border Project.
What was that first Fringe experience like?
The Adelaide Fringe was an incredible place to be able to experiment and attract an audience. We discovered that Adelaide Fringe audiences are really up for experiencing something different.
After the success of Please Go Hop! did you continue to present work in the Adelaide Fringe?
Yes, the next show was Highway Rock‘n’Roll Disaster in the 2006 Adelaide Fringe. We were interested in creating a show based on music videos and shows like Rage. Like a concert, the show featured live music played by all of the cast members. Once again the show was well received by Fringe audiences and we ended up winning the Spirit of the Fringe Award. We were then asked to do a season at the Festival Centre followed by a third season at the Sydney Theatre Company.
In 2008 we returned to the Adelaide Fringe with Trouble on Planet Earth. In this show each audience member was given a handheld controller and could vote on what story line they wanted to see. It was a massive success, sold out and won lots of awards.
How important do you think it was to your career and the other members of The Border Project in presenting your work in the Adelaide Fringe?
In the Fringe we could be fearless, adventurous, playful and really find an audience that wanted to see something different. That suited The Border Project. It got our work seen, enabled us to show everyone what we were doing and we were able to do it in an environment where other artists were also doing fun and adventurous things.
We went onto receive annual funding from both Arts SA and the Australia Council. After the success of Trouble on Planet Earth the company were asked to do a co-production, Vs Macbeth, with the Sydney Theatre Company in the Adelaide Festival of Arts. The work was also seen in both Melbourne and Sydney and in 2012 we presented I Am Not An Animal in the Adelaide Festival.
It was also the beginning of everyone’s freelance careers as the performer’s work was seen by theatre companies such as the State Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company and Windmill Theatre. I started working as a freelance director, directing three shows for Windmill Theatre and creating work in contemporary dance.
I have now left The Border Project and have started a new company, Sandpit that makes multi-platform digital works that exist in the real world. We are currently collaborating with a diverse range of organisations in film and performance including Windmill Theatre and the Adelaide Film Festival.
The 2013 Edinburgh Festival Fringe is on now until 26 August.
The 2014 Adelaide Fringe runs from 14 February to 16 March. Artists’ registrations have just opened and close on 9 October 2013.
