Cape Town Fringe Festival is going to new places

Organised by the same team that puts together the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown every year, the Cape Town Fringe will be back in the Mother City from September 21 to October 8 in a brand new format.

According to Cape Town-born executive producer, Ashraf Johaardien, this year’s festival will not be at City Hall. “Part of the ethos of fringe festivals across the world has been the creation of platforms and opportunities for artists who have been relegated to the margins.

“We will have a hub elsewhere in the city centre but the focus of the 2017 festival will be on partnering with existing spaces across the peninsula as well as supporting and nurturing new spaces that have relevance and resonance in the communities where they have emerged. So this year both venues and artists are invited to apply.”

“We are focusing on building a ‘Cape Town Fringe Circuit’,” explained Festival CEO Tony Lankester. “We’ve been going for three years and the Cape Town Fringe has made its mark on the City’s arts calendar.

“Thousands of performers and tens of thousands of audience members have enjoyed what the Fringe has offered. However, across the city, there are venues, theatres, performers and communities battling to find their way into the mainstream and, often against enormous odds, are still managing to bring stages to life with great art. So this year we want to work with new theatre-makers and spaces to amplify their platforms and the work they are putting on them.”

Productions in all genres of performance are eligible for consideration. Preference will be given to smaller and medium-sized works that can tour to venues on the Cape Town Fringe circuit. The work should be bold, compelling unconventional, socially aware and relevant. – Citizen reporter