The National Arts Festival and the City of Cape Town have announced a partnership to launch a new performing arts festival, the Cape Town Fringe.
The National Arts Festival and the City of Cape Town have announced a partnership to launch a new performing arts festival, the Cape Town Fringe.
“The National Arts Festival team delivers one of the world’s best-known and biggest events each year in Grahamstown," said Cape Town's Executive Deputy Mayor, Ian Neilson. "Through this partnership they will weave the same magic in Cape Town.”
The Cape Town Fringe will take place from 25 September until 5 October 2014.
“The implication for Grahamstown is positive," Festival Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Lankester.
"The Cape Town Festival will not compete with Grahamstown," he said. "It is in September, a completely different time of year and there are many other Festivals in September which don't compete with the National Arts Festival. They have actually increased the size of the festival market. People do not only go to only one festival per year."
"It takes the National Arts Festival brand to a whole new market, people who haven’t necessarily made the trip to Grahamstown yet.”
He said that Grahamstown can be proud that the Festival it created 40 years ago is spreading to new areas.
“As a company, the National Arts Festival can’t survive just producing one festival per year, which is why we have taken on a range of projects such as the Creative City project.”
He said these projects will increase the Festival's already positive contribution to Grahamstown.
Cape Town was chosen as host city after the National Arts Festival conducted an extensive analysis of where to stage a new Festival.
Cape Town met the criteria set by the organisers: it already puts creativity at the forefront; has a strong and loyal theatregoing audience; has the right energy for a free-spirited event; and the scale to grow the Fringe over time, "without losing the sense of intimacy that is so important" he said.
The Cape Town Festival will be modelled on Fringe Festivals in New York, Amsterdam, Adelaide, Edinburgh and Grahamstown and will feature “young, dynamic and cutting-edge” work from some of the country’s leading theatre-makers, said Festival Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Lankester.
The National Arts Festival is a member of the prestigious World Fringe Alliance, a grouping of nine Fringe Festivals in Grahamstown, Hollywood, New York, Edinburgh, Brighton, Prague, Amsterdam, Perth and Adelaide, which reach an audience of over 3-million people. Lankester was the founding Chair of the Alliance.
“The Fringe model rests on two pillars; first, bold, innovative, exciting work which pushes boundaries for both artists and audiences; second, a business model … which encourages independence and sustainability, while costs are shared between performers,” he said.
The City is committed to the project for three years, provided the event meets attendance and participation targets.
“We want this event to not only enrich the lives of residents, but also to create jobs, contribute to the economy and drive tourism," Neilson said.
The Cape Town Fringe aims to present around 40 productions in venues in and around the city centre, as well as in satellite venues in areas such as Langa.
“Access is critical to the success of a Fringe and was a big factor in our decision to proceed with this project,” Neilson said.
The National Arts Festival’s Artistic Director, Ismail Mahomed, said that organisers were looking for work that is “brash, bold, cheeky, outspoken, confident, socially aware and independent”.
He said the Fringe model means that productions will pay a modest registration and venue hire fee, and then take "the lion’s share of the box office.
“The Fringe itself then manages the bulk of the marketing, ticket sales, venue set-up and all the staffing, financial, technical and legal requirements for the event.”
While the Fringe will use as many as 16 venues, Cape Town’s City Hall will form the event's base, and will boast several performance venues and a Fringe Hub where artists, audiences and the media will gather at the end of each day.
The call for proposals is currently open and more information can be found at www.capetownfringe.co.za
