Fringe on the Top
On the 16th of August the World Fringe Congress begins, welcoming Fringe directors, organisers and performers from all over the world. An official event of the Cultural Olympiad, the Conference is the first gathering of its kind, aiming to foster international collaboration within the global Fringe community.
The Congress will give Fringe organisers an opportunity to share knowledge and develop a lasting network, exploring how Fringes can work together to further the aims of Fringe activity worldwide. Aiming to inspire, the Congress will also give Fringes a chance to meet Edinburgh participants and wider cultural leaders, raising awareness of the importance of Fringe activity.
The four-day Congress will include sessions in many Fringe venues throughout Edinburgh, with a mixture of lectures, discussions and networking events. One of the most exciting of these will be The World Fringe Fair at Fringe Central on the 18th, where Fringe festival organisers from around the world will set up tables, allowing Edinburgh Fringe participants to browse the Fringe world and meet its organisers in person.
The World Fringe Congress is being delivered by a partnership between the World Festival Network, an organisation established to support the global Fringe community, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the organisation behind the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Supporting the Congress are Creative Scotland, The City of Edinburgh Council and the British Council Scotland.
The mix of events, discussion topics and networking opportunities will provide a space for those involved in the worldwide celebration of Fringe performance a chance to share their knowledge and form links that will allow global collaboration. Providing an opportunity for performers as well as organisers and directors, the Conference promises to play an important role in the development of Fringe Festivals around the world.
More information about the Congress can be found here.
