Fringe benefits for urban festival
After a successful debut last year, Sydney’s Fringe Festival has received a huge shot in the arm, with a sponsorship worth $390,000 from the City of Sydney.
The multidiscipline art and cultural showcase features events and exhibitions across the inner-city suburbs of Newtown, Enmore, Surry Hills, Erskineville, Chippendale, Marrickville and Leichhardt, with a focus on the urban underground.
Last year the Fringe Festival attracted more than 100,000 people and over 3,000 artists, with 250 shows, performances and artworks at 50 different venues.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore, said it is important for the City to support young creative talent through events like the Fringe Festival.
“This Festival provides an opportunity to showcase underground talent from some of Sydney’s most promising young artists and performers in theatre, music, cabaret, comedy, digital art, film and street theatre,” she said.
“It’s important for young artists and performers to have the opportunity to share their work. This Festival supports our Sustainable Sydney 2030 program by providing culture and creative depth and diversity to our global City for everyone to enjoy.”
The City’s sponsorship which consists of cash and value in kind was unanimously endorsed by Council.
While it has approved the sponsorship package, Council has also asked the festival organisers to expand it into the Oxford Street Cultural Quarter and surrounding area.
“The success of the inaugural Sydney Fringe Festival and growth of similar festivals in other cities suggest that the Fringe may soon need to extend beyond the inner west,” said Ms Moore.
“Venues in and around the Oxford Street Cultural Quarter provide exciting options for Fringe artists, and we’re keen to support them.”
The Sydney Festival remains small compared to the 2010 Melbourne Fringe Festival, which used more than 100 venues and the Adelaide Fringe, which used more than 280 venues this year.
The Sydney Fringe Festival is an initiative of the Newtown Entertainment Precinct Association (NEPA) and runs over two weeks in September.
