Archive for August, 2012

World Fringe Congress Report #5: Searching for the authentic Fringe, Reflections and Constructive Criticism

Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

Exhaustion is becoming a common theme at the World Fringe Congress, and after only 2 or 3 hours of sleep I was back at it again, blogging and getting ready for the final day. My mission, in addition to wrapping-up the Congress, was to actually get out there and see some Fringe shows to help me reflect […]

World Fringe Congress Report #4: World Fringe Fair, Open Spaces and Members Only Clubs

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Day 3 of the World Fringe Congress began with the World Fringe Fair, a showcase of all the Fringe Festivals present for the general public. We each got a small table, so I set up my infringement materials, including Buffalo Infringement Festival’s 2012 programme, a small booklet explaining the mandate and history of the movement, the […]

World Fringe Congress Report #3: Retaining the Fringe Edge or Show me the Money!

Sunday, August 19th, 2012

The second day of the World Fringe Congress, Friday August 17, had a jam-packed schedule of panel discussions, break-out sessions, and a reception chez the Lord Provost (Edinburgh’s mayor), leaving absolutely no time to attend any shows at the Fringe, Forest Fringe or Free Fringes. The themes I narrowed in on were seemingly contradictory. Fringe […]

World Fringe Congress Report #2: The word on the street and Congress opening

Saturday, August 18th, 2012

All is not well at the Edinburgh Fringe, and like in North America, there is considerable discontent amongst artists on the street regarding an increasingly corporate festival. It seems that most artists go into an unreasonable amount of debt to play at the Fringe, while at the same time a deceptive new system,  the re-branded “Edinburgh […]

World Fringe Congress Report #1: First Impressions

Thursday, August 16th, 2012

I have arrived in glorious Edinburgh, Scotland, in the midst of both a strong downpour and the world-famous Fringe Festival. The city can only be described as beautiful, with its mediaeval architecture, quaint pubs and shops, and surprising nooks and crannies in every winding lane. While it’s tempting to just soak it all in by […]

Off the hook: 8th Buffalo infringement festival the most amazing yet!

Tuesday, August 7th, 2012

“Infringe every day” was the mantra on everyone’s lips. The words were also prominent in performances, on posters and political buttons, and even on the enormous Trojan Buffalo that greets those arriving at the festival. A light-hearted take on the Trojan Horse, a deceptive weapon from antiquity that put adversaries into the heart of enemy […]

World Fringe Congress to welcome infringement festival

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

The Montreal infringement festival, sometimes described as “the anti-Fringe”, has been invited to the first-ever World Fringe Congress, a gathering of the leaders of 40 Fringe Festivals  – and one infringement festival – from 13 countries across the globe. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, now the largest arts festival in the world, will be hosting the unique event this year from […]