Today is the official opening day of the fringe and it’s already kicked off with a lot of opinions piling in about a number of issues. Some fun, provocative headlines: Is the Fringe too big? Does it need to be limited? Are the working conditions unacceptable? Are people being exploited? Should it be more regulated?
Everything goes back to the original founding idea which we all love, the Spirit of the Fringe. Started by performers, constantly reinvented by them, uninvited, unfunded, uncurated, unrestricted by anything except talent, determination and how they fund themselves to participate. For me, the Spirit can be summed up in the word: choice.
People come because they choose to, they want to participate. This goes beyond performance to embrace all those who come to work here, to help deliver the fringe and drink it all in.
Real entrepreneurship, self-investment and a lot of risk taking. And always, hopes and dreams. Some of which will be fulfilled and some of which will come to nothing or worse.
For performers it offers incredible career opportunities, for everyone else it’s not just a temporary summer job. I know many people with successful careers in entertainment, who started here – working front of house, on street teams, really mucking in. It’s a life changing experience.
Should all this opportunity to participate be eroded or taken away through restriction and limitation? No! It’s a month. It’s a festival, a celebration. It’s insane and marvellous.
Then we all go back to the real world, to study, to work, less hours, better pay, better conditions, but not half as much fun. Where else in the UK can you just get up and do it? So yes to entrepreneurship. Yes to people’s choice. Yes to open access. Let the performers and workers decide whether to come or not. Hands off our Fringe!
