Perth Fringe No More
Tue, 16 Sept 2003, 12:40 pmLeah Maher8 posts in thread
Perth Fringe No More
Tue, 16 Sept 2003, 12:40 pmJust read, in what passes for a local paper here in the West, that the Perth International Arts festival will no longer have a Fringe Festival.
What do we think about this kids?
Leah
What do we think about this kids?
Leah
Re: Perth Fringe No More
Tue, 16 Sept 2003, 05:37 pmWell said Craig.
I'm being lazy and replying to you instead of writing a full essay.
>
> Regardless of whether one thinks it's a poor decision by PIAF
It all comes down to bucks. There isn't a great deal of money in theatre and festivals are resource sponges. But i feel Mainstrem festivals shouldn't be running fringe festivals. the large percentage of fringes world wide have come from artists saying their mainstrem festivals sucks, lets do our own! Also i feel the fringe's lack of linking with the universities and developing a volunteer culture was restricting but im an outsider to the process so speak without a great deal of authority
> or simply a result of diminishing quality of creative output
> in recent Fringe festivals,
I think there is a room for theatre that dosen't work. Theres got to be a risk of failure and we've all got to fail at times. Fringe's should never be judged on creative success
or the result of poor media
> publicity leading to inadequate audiences,
Yes. But its not just the publicity. (but i feel the brochure was less than great last time) We need to create and develop audinces and a fringe festival that charges more than a movie ticket and tries to compete with everyhting isn't going to work! It should have NO shows at 8pm and have accessible shows and saccessible times and accessible venues. The fringe should never be about making money. $5 shows at 6:30pm for 40 minutes then you can go and see your Black Swan etc etc. and dont underestimate the worth of this website, the Blue Room.
it's note exactly
> a mark of health for Perth independant theatre.
A bit annoyed with "Perth theatre in crisis" from the media and "we need a venue and it'll all be okay". At the moment their is an independent theatre company preparing under milkwood, Suspect is on at Rechabites and Two is playing to strong reviews at the Blue Room. Thats just the tip of the iceberg. Nearly all of the funded companies have a regional tour (if not two) happening. And all companies are going towards new shows. And i haven't even touched on shows like Noises off etc etc. We need to be constant champions for ourselves because im not sure who else will be.
>
> And frankly, I almost laughed when I read that the report
> that stated (in the space of about 17 words, I may add) that
> (1) the loss of fringe will allow greater emphasis to be
> placed on Artrage AND (2) Artrage is no longer going to be
> held annually (now biennial). Anyone else notice the
> contradiction there?
>
> From a performer and audience member's perspective, I
> certainly agree that there were problems inherent in the
> Fringe Festival. Part of being in any festival means that
> your show is going to go head to head against numerous other
> productions, and it is easy for a quality, but low-key,
> production to be left virtually audienceless. This isn't
> helped by the fact that the media virtually ignored the
> Fringe Festival in the past 2 years, and when they did
> feature something it tended to be the work of the most
> established artists (which tends to contradict the point of
> the thing). Sadly, the worst cuplrits were even't the major
> newspapers - why oh why our once supportive street press
> magazines have deserted independant theatre (or make
> restrictions such as only reviewing shows that buy paid
> advertisements) is beyond me.
$$$$$$$$$. unfortunately. Luckily we have this website for reviews!
>
> 2001 - great example. Fringe award for best play went to -
> Filch. To say this was a great show would be an
> understatement. Unfortunately, most of the press didn't even
> say it was a crap show - because they didn't say anything
> about at all, it completely slipped their radar.
>
The west did review it. Hated it.
> And if the media aren't supporting a festival - then what is
> it? Just a colourful booklet with a of programme events, with
> a couple of performer's piss-ups at either end?
But...we need to demand attention in over ways. Street theatre days promoting shows, highlight nights at the festival club, channel 31 time . Their are other ways to promote without the press. Lets not get caught in the idea we are aone paper town, 200 poster, 1000 flyer town!
thereya go some semi random thoughts
Dave Ryding
I'm being lazy and replying to you instead of writing a full essay.
>
> Regardless of whether one thinks it's a poor decision by PIAF
It all comes down to bucks. There isn't a great deal of money in theatre and festivals are resource sponges. But i feel Mainstrem festivals shouldn't be running fringe festivals. the large percentage of fringes world wide have come from artists saying their mainstrem festivals sucks, lets do our own! Also i feel the fringe's lack of linking with the universities and developing a volunteer culture was restricting but im an outsider to the process so speak without a great deal of authority
> or simply a result of diminishing quality of creative output
> in recent Fringe festivals,
I think there is a room for theatre that dosen't work. Theres got to be a risk of failure and we've all got to fail at times. Fringe's should never be judged on creative success
or the result of poor media
> publicity leading to inadequate audiences,
Yes. But its not just the publicity. (but i feel the brochure was less than great last time) We need to create and develop audinces and a fringe festival that charges more than a movie ticket and tries to compete with everyhting isn't going to work! It should have NO shows at 8pm and have accessible shows and saccessible times and accessible venues. The fringe should never be about making money. $5 shows at 6:30pm for 40 minutes then you can go and see your Black Swan etc etc. and dont underestimate the worth of this website, the Blue Room.
it's note exactly
> a mark of health for Perth independant theatre.
A bit annoyed with "Perth theatre in crisis" from the media and "we need a venue and it'll all be okay". At the moment their is an independent theatre company preparing under milkwood, Suspect is on at Rechabites and Two is playing to strong reviews at the Blue Room. Thats just the tip of the iceberg. Nearly all of the funded companies have a regional tour (if not two) happening. And all companies are going towards new shows. And i haven't even touched on shows like Noises off etc etc. We need to be constant champions for ourselves because im not sure who else will be.
>
> And frankly, I almost laughed when I read that the report
> that stated (in the space of about 17 words, I may add) that
> (1) the loss of fringe will allow greater emphasis to be
> placed on Artrage AND (2) Artrage is no longer going to be
> held annually (now biennial). Anyone else notice the
> contradiction there?
>
> From a performer and audience member's perspective, I
> certainly agree that there were problems inherent in the
> Fringe Festival. Part of being in any festival means that
> your show is going to go head to head against numerous other
> productions, and it is easy for a quality, but low-key,
> production to be left virtually audienceless. This isn't
> helped by the fact that the media virtually ignored the
> Fringe Festival in the past 2 years, and when they did
> feature something it tended to be the work of the most
> established artists (which tends to contradict the point of
> the thing). Sadly, the worst cuplrits were even't the major
> newspapers - why oh why our once supportive street press
> magazines have deserted independant theatre (or make
> restrictions such as only reviewing shows that buy paid
> advertisements) is beyond me.
$$$$$$$$$. unfortunately. Luckily we have this website for reviews!
>
> 2001 - great example. Fringe award for best play went to -
> Filch. To say this was a great show would be an
> understatement. Unfortunately, most of the press didn't even
> say it was a crap show - because they didn't say anything
> about at all, it completely slipped their radar.
>
The west did review it. Hated it.
> And if the media aren't supporting a festival - then what is
> it? Just a colourful booklet with a of programme events, with
> a couple of performer's piss-ups at either end?
But...we need to demand attention in over ways. Street theatre days promoting shows, highlight nights at the festival club, channel 31 time . Their are other ways to promote without the press. Lets not get caught in the idea we are aone paper town, 200 poster, 1000 flyer town!
thereya go some semi random thoughts
Dave Ryding
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