6 September 2009

The Future of Fringe

| johnboy
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[First filed: September 04, 2009 @ 19:04]

John Hargreaves efforts to kill all fun in Canberra appear to have hit a hurdle. The Fringe Festival is rising like a phoenix (or a zombie if you prefer) and will be making our Februaries bright, fun, and slightly inebriated.

In amongst all the confusion and mess the Multicultural Affairs budget is going to continue funding some sort of fringey-ness at the folk festival.

Meanwhile the Fringe Festival is going to be free standing, to some degree self-funding, and applying for money through the normal festival funding pool.

Adding to the fun the Centenary of Canberra has has announced that they’re going to be putting on something that looks and sounds a lot like a fringe festival at pretty much the same time (around Canberra Day).

Anyway here’s 10 minutes of Jorian Gardner’s 17 minute speech in Civic Square announcing his vision for the future (including stepping away from running the thing after next year)

(Short slideshow below)

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Nambucco Deliria2:50 pm 07 Sep 09

Careful PB, someone will be on here calling you ‘anticultural’ if persist in attacking the innocent luvvies…

Pommy bastard2:36 pm 07 Sep 09

How about a more modern folk song..

The wine bars of old Canberra town…

In Canberra Town where I was born
The streets are paved with lentils
The cars are all GM
and theatres experimental…

If you go down to Canberra town
no matter what you do,
you’re bound to get a politician
sucking up to you

Rumpty tootle
Pina colada,
half a pound of muslie
I want to go to the toilet

(Apologies to Alexie)

Good to see Jorian could take time out from an audition for a “Division 4” or “Matlock Police” remake!

Some familiar faces who have performed at the fringe and the folkie in that crowd…..is the word ‘opportunity’ one they have ever heard? or, atypical of Generation Meh, they’d rather have a moan about an authority figure like Hargreaves….? Give both a chance to work and hey – more gigs. Hello, is that, like, logical?

The last few folkies I’ve been to there has been plenty of out there stuff that would be fringe in any one’s language (noting that I’ve seen the same performers at both)….yet the pathologically ignorant would prefer to see the folkie as old blokes playing violins and singing about milkmaids…..

Maybe Jorian’s buddies at City News can sponsor the whole she-bang?

And look at that turnout! Must be at least 20 (including the police)

Good to see my point excluded again

Pommy bastard3:06 pm 05 Sep 09

A rewrite from another perspective (with apologies to johnboy)

John Hargreaves efforts to use taxpayers money for the benefit of taxpayers in Canberra appears to have hit a high note. The Fringe Festival will still be in existence, and will be making, for those who like such things, Februaries bright.

In the restructuring, the Multicultural Affairs budget is going to continue funding some “alternative” entertainment as part of the folk festival.

Meanwhile the Fringe Festival is going to try to be free standing, surprisingly some degree self-funding, but still having a dip in the taxpayers pockets via the normal festival funding pool.

Adding to the fun the “Centenary of Canberra” lot have has announced that they’re going to be putting on something that looks and sounds a lot like a “fringe” festival at pretty much the same time (around Canberra Day). Will there be enough audience demand for third place Australian idol competitors, hippies in fancy dress, and local bands for two “festivals”, and how much of their own cash will each of them raise?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Ps. having said all that, that’s a very attractive young lady in the image above.

Pps. it is a young lady isn’t it? You know what these fringe types are like….

All this makes me wonder whether, if it could run self-sufficiently in the 1st place, why does it need government money?

Jorian Gardner really strikes one as being a bit of a ‘try hard’

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