Connection a focus for Fringe festival

Dunedin Fringe Festival co-directors Ruth Harvey and Kate Schrader are delighted with the array of artists and performers who already have signed up to be part of the 2024 festival.

There is still time for more innovative and independent artists to sign up ahead of the closing date of December 17.

The annual Dunedin Fringe Festival, set to return from March 14-24, 2024, is timed to coincide with other New Zealand fringe festivals, and attracts artists from across the country and Australia.

"At this stage, we don’t know what our full programme will be, but we know we will be featuring offerings from fantastic emerging and established artists," Ms Harvey said.

The theme of the 2024 festival will be "connection and community", to emphasise the "many interfaces between the fringe team and the artists, and the artists and the audiences", she said.

"There is a lot of talk about the loneliness epidemic at the moment, and creating connections between people is something that artists do better than anybody."

Ms Schrader said connection had also been part of this year’s Dunedin Fringe Festival, which aimed to give people a joyful experience and bring people back to live performance after the difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"That is an important part of our role as a community connector, to bring different aspects of the community together in a supportive, safe, and beautiful way."

The Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust runs an artist grant programme, which has received an extraordinary breadth of applications, and has also implemented a Maori artists’ grants scheme to encourage more kaupapa Maori events.

"The Dunedin Fringe Festival is an open-access festival, meaning the door is always open to everyone," Ms Schrader said.

"However, in the past, people might have seen the door, but didn’t know how to walk through it — so hopefully this new fund will be helpful for them."

Ms Harvey said the fact that the fringe festival’s funding pool had been quickly over-subscribed showed that artists were continuing to struggle in tough economic times.

"Artists need support to bring projects to fruition, it’s that simple."

Being able to connect with fringe festivals in Wellington and Nelson meant that there could be a touring pathway created for artists to help counteract the expense and challenges of taking a show on the road.

"We are also looking at creating a pathway for touring for local artists, and are excited that New Zealand Fringe has been able to access some funding to support that," Ms Harvey said.

With its egalitarian approach to showcasing artists’ work, the Dunedin Fringe Festival was able to support those just starting out, as well as giving a platform to established artists.

"It means there are great opportunities to experience shows from people like New Zealand’s top comedians in a low barrier way," she said.

brenda.harwood@thestar.co.nz