New Zealand Fringe Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Zealand Fringe Festival |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Arts |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Wellington, New Zealand |
| Inaugurated | 1990 |
| Previous event | 1 March 2019 - 23 March 2019 |
| Next event | 28 February 2020 - 21 March 2020 |
| Organised by | Creative Capital Arts Trust |
The New Zealand Fringe Festival is a super fun arts festival held every year in Wellington, New Zealand. It takes place over several weeks in February and March. The festival is a place where artists can try out new ideas and show off their amazing talents. In 2020, the festival celebrated its 30th birthday!
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What is the Fringe Festival?
The New Zealand Fringe Festival started in 1990. It was the very first "fringe" festival in New Zealand. This type of festival was inspired by similar events in cities like Edinburgh and Adelaide. The first festival was held at a place called BATS Theatre.
At first, the festival happened every two years. It was connected to the New Zealand Arts Festival. In 1994, a group called the Fringe Arts Trust (FAT) was created to manage it.
Today, the festival is run by the Creative Capital Arts Trust. This group was formed in 2011. They also manage another cool street festival in Wellington called CubaDupa. Since 2011, the NZ Fringe Festival has grown a lot. It went from having 52 shows to 150 shows by 2016! This group is a non-profit, which means they don't aim to make money. They are guided by a team of five volunteers.
What Can You See?
The New Zealand Fringe Festival is an "open access" festival. This means it's a great place for artists to try new things. They can experiment, show off, and present their new or improved works. The festival happens every year for three weeks in February and March.
There are often more than 150 different events. These events can include over 600 performances during the three weeks! You can see all sorts of art forms, like:
- Audio shows (like podcasts)
- Busking (street performers)
- Cabaret
- Comedy
- Circus acts
- Dance
- Improvisation
- Music
- Online performances
- Physical theatre
- Poetry
- Puppet shows
- Spoken word and storytelling
- Traditional theatre
- Visual and digital art
The festival is put together by the non-profit Creative Capital Arts Trust. They have a team of art managers and staff who make it all happen.
How Artists Participate
Because it's an "open access" festival, there are no strict rules about what artists can show. Artists just pay a one-time fee to register. The New Zealand Fringe team then helps them out. They provide marketing, like putting their show on the festival website and in the program. They also give artists helpful information and advice. Artists are in charge of their own show's costs and how they present it.
The festival also has a special program called Kakano New Works Funding. This helps new shows from New Zealand get started. They also work with other international festivals. This creates chances for New Zealand artists to travel and perform in other countries.
Awards and Famous Performers
The New Zealand Fringe Festival has received some cool recognition!
- In January 2014, National Geographic magazine said it was one of the top 10 "Must Do in February Festivals" around the world.
- In November 2014, the festival won the Wellington International Airport Regional Community Award for Arts and Culture.
Famous Alumni
Many well-known New Zealand artists and groups have performed at the New Zealand Fringe Festival. Some of these include:
- Flight of the Conchords (a famous comedy and music duo)
- Rhys Darby (a popular comedian)
- Strike Percussion (a cool percussion group)
- Footnote Dance (a modern dance company)
