The Dunedin Fringe Festival dips its winkle-pickered toes into uncharted waters this month. Usually run in September and October every second year, ‘‘the Fringe'' as it is colloquially known, is now standing on its own as an annual event.
The first one kicks off in two weeks and organisers are confidently predicting it will be a big success.
The Otago Festival of the Arts and the Fringe Festival arrived on stage, hand in hand, in 2000. The concept proved inspired and fitted Dunedin like a glove - the more highbrow arts festival attracted international and top-shelf acts, while the irreverent Fringe picked up pretty much everyone else. Everybody was happy.
However, the Fringe has been rattling on the crib bars for more attention for a while now.
The last festival, held in 2006, was a week longer than its predecessors and featured more than 90 acts, ranging from street performance, to music, multimedia, film, theatre, dance, comedy, art exhibitions and a few other things which defy categorisation.
A personal favourite was the chap who pulled himself along the ground with two plumber's plungers during a busy Octagon lunch hour.
Fringe director Paul Smith says the change was strategic and designed to align the Dunedin festival with its Wellington and Adelaide counterparts and increase student involvement.
‘‘We've tried a number of different formats and have come to the conclusion that we can't take the fringe any further in its current format,'' he says.
‘‘An annual festival will help facilitate some outstanding performers coming to the next Dunedin fringe. Both the Adelaide and Wellington fringe festivals are annual events held in February and March. Being annual means we can work productively with sponsors. It's a lot more feasible and sustainable.''
The Fringe headquarters is currently based in the Carnegie Centre basement in Moray Pl, but launched its 2008 festival last week from the old Dunedin North Post Office (which was vacated last year by the Otago Art Society) and would appear to have a natural home there.
The geographical focus of the Fringe this year has also been moved, from the centre of town to the Otago Museum Reserve.
But not everybody has been doing cartwheels over the move. The Otago Festival of the Arts is, perhaps understandably, disappointed that its charismatic little brother wants to go away and have his own fun.
‘‘They've always worked well as a complement to each other. It's worked well for us both,'' director Nicholas McBryde said.
‘‘They perceive that they lose traction if the fringe festival is held every two years. All I can say is that I'm disappointed they're moving.''
However, Mr McBryde did not want to be seen to be criticising the Fringe Festival, which he said ‘‘is a fabulous event for Dunedin''.
The impression is of two talented siblings, who are pursing different artistic careers.
‘‘The fact is, we'd never have come this far without the arts festival. We've always had a good relationship and I think there is an understanding between the two festivals that we are quite different and that there is a place for both,'' Mr Smith says.
‘‘A fringe festival is organised in a completely different way from an arts festival. We support emerging, innovative work. We take risks that most arts festivals wouldn't dream of. That's what the fringe is about; providing challenging new experimental art to the public in a very accessible and affordable way,'' he says.
‘‘The other thing that differentiates us in a way is that the number of Dunedin artists involved in the fringe is massive. We really do represent the Dunedin arts scene and that's really important. We do things the Otago Festival of the Arts can't.''
The last Otago Festival of the Arts was launched by Prime Minister Helen Clark and boasted a line-up including world-class acts such as the Jacques Loussier Trio, from France, and Argentina's Ballet Concerto.
The Fringe, in contrast, provides a platform for local and New Zealand artists to display their talents.
‘‘There is an emphasis on emerging artists and inventive experimental work and that's part of the whole philosophy of the fringe,'' Mr Smith says.
‘‘But not only that, it is also stretching the boundaries of what's possible and encouraging artwork that is new, inventive and experimental.''
Dunedin art commentators say only time will tell whether the move is a success.
‘‘Where there is room for doubt is whether students are a good target market for the fringe. They aren't in Wellington and Adelaide,'' Otago Daily Times Art Beat columnist Peter Entwisle wrote last year.
‘‘Also, whether coming after Orientation is good timing for cash-strapped students, and whether the sophisticated acts recruited for the Adelaide and Wellington fringes are likely to be attracted to the Dunedin festival's less selective programme.
‘‘But, the Fringe people want to try the experiment [and] it's probably best that they do. If it isn't successful it can be reviewed. This seems a case where qualified support would be reasonable,'' he said.
‘‘Arts festivals, indeed all the arts, are more important in civic life than they used to be. New Zealand's rugby, racing and beer culture is largely a thing of the past.''
The change in festival dates has already been embraced by the performers, with more than 500 artists lined-up for this year's festival.
‘‘As well as allowing us to work much more closely with other fringe festivals, the new dates will avoid the previous clash with exams and assessment, giving tertiary students more opportunity to experience the fringe both as performers and audience,'' Mr Smith said.
‘‘Having an annual presence will help facilitate participation from artists, schools and tertiary institutions. This is vital in building awareness and attendance from new audiences.
"Students are not our core demographic - this is an arts festival, not a student festival - but the proximity of places like Allen Hall and the Playhouse, Hutton and Mary Hopewell theatres creates a natural hub,'' he said.
‘‘The Fringe works really well here. It probably suits Dunedin better than anywhere else in New Zealand. Dunedin has always been about experimentation and it is a city which has great allure. It's a beautiful city and the artists want to come here. Now, we want to set the framework for the future. It's about looking after the values of the fringe festival.''
Those values are about fun, colour and accessibility. And, when the weather is smiling, it's just about the most fun atmosphere to be had in Dunedin.
There is something about the Fringe that just suits our seemingly mirthless Presbyterian city. It takes over the streets like no other event and our grey buildings provide the perfect backdrop to the colourful shenanigans.
Street performance is a big part of the Fringe and has a special place for Mr Smith, who is a former street performer and stiltwalker. ‘‘My history as a street performer is one of the reasons why I'm always keen to get lots of street stuff happening,'' he says.
‘‘Some acts, particularly the busking-style performers, drum up an audience. They have to get their audience so they can have a good show and get something out of it. But I'm quite a fan of obscure performance art on the street that has no busking whatsoever. It just happens in front of you or you end up being part of it without you actually realising. I like that unexpected performance, that blurring of the lines.''
