News Archive

Festival Programme is Out Now!

The 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival's printed Festival Guide has been launched and is now being distributed by our dedicated team of volunteers.

Keep an eye out for Guides at Festival hot spots around town, including:

• Quest - you can also buy tickets here
• Ironic Cafe
• Clubs & Societies building at University
• Otago Polytechnic Art School
• Allen Hall Theatre
• Otago University Dance Studies department
• Otago University Students Association
• University Bookshop
• Dunedin Public Art Gallery
• Regent Theatre
• Fortune Theatre
• Dunedin Public Library
• Blue Oyster Gallery

So grab your copy of the Festival Guide from the nearest Festival hot spot or browse this website.

Any changes to the Festival programme will be posted to the front page of this website.

Special Events Lineup

Along with the many artist produced events in the 2012 Dundin Fringe Festival programme, there are six special events produced by the Festival. These events are to mark key moments of the Festival, such as the launch of the Festival and the closing Awards Night, but also to lift the profile of the Festival and to collaborate with particular artists. Some are free and others are ticketed, but all are well worth a look. Here is a rundown of our key events for 2012.

Festival Launch: Tweed Ride & Frocks on Bikes

15 March, The Octagon, 5:30pm, free

Look out for some stunning fashion as artists, fashion designers and models join us for a colourful ride from the entrance of Woodhaugh Gardens down George Street to the Octagon, where we will officially launch the 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival. Join us in the Octagon for Dunedin’s first ever fashion show on wheels and the unveiling of Rare Goods, the Festival’s shipping container cinema showcasing digital art and film.

Rare Goods

15-25 March, The Octagon, 12:00noon – 6:00pm, free

A rare shipment of digital art, film and animation will be on show in the Octagon for the Festival. This is an opportunity to enjoy original work by some exceptionally talented artists, designers and tertiary students. Don’t miss the Dunedin premier of the 3D Maori creation story that was developed by local company Animation Research Limited for the Rugby World Cup.

John Cooper Clarke: British punk icon comes to Dunedin

21 March, Sammy's, 8:00pm, $40/$30

Legendary punk poet John Cooper Clarke brings his unique style of punk poetry to the Dunedin Fringe Festival for one electrifying night. Biting, satirical, political and very funny, his set is characterised by lively, rapid-fire renditions of his poems that have become as distinctive as his visual appearance. A British punk icon, having supported bands like the Sex Pistols, Joy Division, and The Fall, John has left an ideligible mark on today’s pop culture. Martin Phillipps will be performing a short set of rare and obscure songs from the Chills’ back catalogue.

Fireström

16 March, The Octagon, Dunedin, 8:00pm, free

Highly Flammable, NZ's premier fire and pyrotechnics performance troupe, are back from the island of Stromboli, Italy, Europe’s most active volcano and site of the world-renowned Stromboli Fire Festival. Join us for their new fire show, which fuses extreme fire and pyrotechnics. Supporting acts include the irrepressible circus and comedy personality Vinyl Burns (Wgtn) and Dunedin’s extraordinary Taiko Drummers. This is a spectacular one-off fire show suitable for all ages.

Pecha Kucha Night #13

18 March, Fortune Theatre, 7:30pm, $10/$8

Pecha Kucha is a global phenomenon happening in over 450 cities from Chattanaooga to Yogyakarta with hundreds of creative images and stories shared every week. An array of talented artists, performers and designers sparking with wit and ingenuity share their private passions. Each presenter shows 20 images with each image displayed for just 20 seconds. Once started there is no stopping! The quick-fire format, the stories behind the images, the people you meet on the night, all come together to make this a captivating event not to be missed. A list of presenters will be posted on the Festival website.

19 Acts Receive Fringe Funds

Nineteen artist events have been given a massive boost by the Dunedin Fringe Festival, which has allocated $22,500 in funding received from Creative New Zealand. The funding was for the development of new artistic works and for the touring of work from outside Dunedin for the 2012 Festival programme.

The Festival received 38 applications from throughout New Zealand requesting a total of over $70,000. The funding process always involves some difficult decisions as there is never enough money to give to everybody. Funding criteria focused on innovation, experimentation, the standard of presentation and diversity. These acts come from all over New Zealand and will inject a depth and diversity into the Festival programme.

The acts who received funding will not be the only acts in the Festival as many other artists self-fund their work. Some of the artists who didn’t receive funding have decided to register their event anyway which shows the commitment and passion New Zealand artists have for what they do. We wish all our artists well for the 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival.

The full list of recipients are:

Industrial Burlesque Collective (Wgtn) with 'Zomburlesque'

Skirted Records (Wgtn) with 'Transit'

Kallo Collective (Wgtn) with 'The Fickle Finger of Fate'

Steve Ting (Dn) with 'Tangled Waters'

Dunedin Medieval and Renaissance Society (Dn) with 'Sex*Death*Magic'

Arthur Meek (Akld) with 'Richard Meros Salutes the Southern Man'

The Theatre As Is (Dn) with 'Pink Spider Men'

Jimmy Currin (Dn) with 'My Dinner With Dicky'

Robert Haley (Wgtn) with 'Mindreader'

Leo Ladell & Richard Dingwall (Dn) with 'Swing time with King Leo'

Free Theatre (Chch) with 'Hereafter'

Soma Media (Akld) with 'Girl with a Movie Camera'

Valarie Brooks (Dn) with 'Frocks on Bikes'

Black Sheep Productions (Akld) with 'Faux Pas'

Alex Lovell Smith (Dn) with 'Concrete Chimera'

Audrey Baldwin (Chch) with 'Canker'

Mike O'Kane (Dn) with 'Billboard Sixty'

Phillip Braithwaite (Wgtn) with 'Be Glad You're Neurotic'

45 Artist Events Registered

The deadline for artist registrations for the 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival closed on 18 November with 45 events across all art forms registered. This shows a fantastic level of support for the Festival with artists from throughout New Zealand and overseas taking part in what will be a vibrant and comprehensive programme.

Theatre is a particularly strong category for the 2012 Festival with comedy, physical theatre, improv, clowning, and street based performance all present. Many theatre shows will take place in the Fortune and Globe Theatres which have been programmed with multiple shows every night of the Festival. The visual arts is also well represented in the Festival as is comedy, dance and music.

Eight outstanding comedians have been confirmed for the Festival’s Comedy Club and the Festival Club's programme of music and cabaret performance is looking very promising. Altogether we will have 50 events featuring over 250 artists from New Zealand and around the world and we can't wait to bring this to Dunedin audiences.

The 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival will take place from 15-25 March with the official programme published on 16 February.

Comedy Club Positions Up for Grabs

Stand up comics are invited to apply for the new Comedy Club programme as part of the 2012 Festival. This will involve two distinct seasons with each season featuring 3-4 comedians. The line-up show format is a change from last year and will allow the Festival to showcase a greater range of local and visiting comedians, as well as supporting both new talent and established names.

The Festival has run a high profile Comedy Club for three years. We are looking for 6-8 comedians including emerging and established artists. We are especially keen to hear from artists who are pushing the boundaries of stand-up comedy.

The Club is at the XII Below bar in the central city which is well known as a venue for music and comedy acts. The Comedy Club, which is just downstairs from the Festival Club, will be managed by the Festival and widely promoted to audiences. For out of town artists travel and accommodation costs will be covered and all comedians will receive performance fees. This will be a high profile and popular event and we’ll do our utmost to look after everyone involved!

You don’t have to register as an event to be in the Comedy Club. Because the Comedy Club is programmed by the Festival you can apply directly to the Festival to be part of the programme.

Download the application form by going to www.dunedinfringe.org.nz/get-involved and submit your application by 18 November 2011.

Or give the Festival office a call to discuss your ideas and plans. Phone 03 477-3350 or email info@dunedinfringe.org.nz

Want to do your own thing?

Comedians can also choose to register as an independent event. If you want to bring a full length show to the Festival then this is the best option. You will need to source your own venue and produce and promote the event yourself. Total control is yours for the taking – it’s how most shows in the Festival work. Just make sure you register your event by the 18 November via the online registration form.

More information about registering an event can be found in the Artist Information Pack on the Get Involved page of the website.

A venue list is also available on the Get Involved page and Festival staff are available to provide advice on venues.

The deadline for registering an event is 18 November 2011.

One Week to Register!

Artists have only one week to register for the 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival. The deadline is Friday 18 November. Early registrations are already being made via the online registration form which is very encouraging.

We expect at least 40 events to register which will make one action packed Festival! Intending artists need to get all their event details, description and image sorted before trying to register. If you’re having trouble finalising aspects of your event get in touch with Festival staff so we can help.

Flood of artist grant applications
We are wrapped to have received 32 grant applications and a further 17 venue applications by the 22 October deadline. Artists from Dunedin and throughout New Zealand have presented some fantastic ideas with applications totalling $70,000. We had only $22,500 worth of grants to give out so the funding panel focused on the most innovative and experimental works most likely to appeal to Fringe audiences.

The decisions have now been made and we are now waiting for the funded artists to confirm, then we'll post the full list of funded works. Thanks Creative New Zealand for your support!

Funding for Fringe Artists

Applications are open for Fringe funding! If you are planning a show for the 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival then you should consider applying.

Creative New Zealand have given the Festival $25,000 which we will use to present approximately 15 events as part of the 2012 Festival programme (15-25 March). Artist grants are awarded through an application process which is open now. The  grants are for artists to develop new work for the Festival or to tour existing shows to Dunedin.

Any New Zealand artist can apply although please be aware this funding is not expected to cover all your costs. This is developmental funding and you should consider how you can raise other funds either through door sales, sponsorship or other means.

The focus of the Festival is on original contemporary art so naturally the assessment criteria for the funding is based around the following Fringe values:

• Innovation
• Experimentation
• Presentation
• Diversity

There's more information about how to apply and more detail on the criteria in our Artist Information Pack. You can download this from the Get Involved page of this site. There's an application form on the same page!

The deadline for application is 22 October 2011.

If you have any questions contact the Festival office. We recommend that artists contact us anyway to discuss their show and to get advice on how to make the best application possible.

Other funding opportunities include Creative New Zealand's Quick Response round which closes on 28 October 2011. Artists can apply for both the Fringe Funding and Quick Response but as the source of funding is the same (Creative NZ) you can only receive one grant. Quick Response grants may be more suited to larger events and artists with a strong track record. Check which criteria suits your project and if in doubt contact Creative New Zealand or the Fringe Festival.

Festival Q&As for Intending Artists

Artists are encouraged to attend one of the Festival Q&As to be held in September and October. This is an ideal opportunity to hear about changes to the Festival and to ask the Festival Director any questions about how things might work for your show.

The first session is in Dunedin and two further sessions will be held for out of town and international artists via Skype.

Dunedin Q&A: Thursday 15 September
Glue Gallery, 26 Stafford Street. Starts 5.30pm
All welcome. Find out more here.

The Skype Sessions:

Northern hemisphere artists: Thursday 6 October, 8.00am NZ time (GMT+12)
Southern hemisphere artists: Thursday 6 October, 1.00pm NZ time (GMT+12)

You need to register for the Skype Q&A as places are limited.

Fringe shows tour to Southern Festival of the Arts and International Comedy Festival

Three shows that took place in the recent Dunedin Fringe Festival are now part of the Southland Festival of the Arts which runs from 29 April to 15 May in Invercargill. The shows Scared Scriptless by Christchurch's Court Jesters will run alongside Auckland production Drowning in Veronica Lake at the Repertory House on 12-13 May at 6.30pm.

Fringe Festival director, Paul Smith, said this was a first for the Fringe Festival and shows the quality of acts are of a high standard. "The Southland Festival of the Arts is a relatively new event and its timing means that they can now pick a couple of fringe shows to include in their programme. This is a fantastic development for the artists involved as it allows them to develop new audiences and to make the most of their work."

Mr Smith said the Fringe Festival had attracted an increasing number of Festival directors scouting for talent. "Another example is Adam Hayward from the Body Festival of dance from Christchurch who came down to see a show called Capturing Other which played at the Fortune Theatre as part of the Fringe Festival.”

“The Fringe Festival is where new ideas and talent emerges and many artists go on to tour their work to other festivals."

Pecha Kucha Night is another event that will take place at the Southland Festival of the Arts on 1 May. This is being produced by the Fringe Festival using artists and designers from the Southland area and will be the first Pecha Kucha Night to be held in Invercargill.

Mr Smith said a further seven comedy acts were scheduled to perform at the upcoming International Comedy Festival in Auckland and Wellington. The Dunedin Fringe Festival ran from 17-27 March.

Theatre Reviews Dunedin Fringe Festival 2011

13 Awards Distributed

The Festival attracted over 200 artists from all over New Zealand plus international guests, many of whom attended the Awards Ceremony on Sunday 27 March. Thirteen awards were presented in recognition of outstanding achievement in each art form as well as general awards, culminating in the Best of the Fringe which was awarded to Footnote Dance for their production Hullapolloi.

The Festival coordinated a group of nine judges to see all Festival events. The awards were judged according to their level of innovation, experimentation, standard of presentation, and engagement. Festival Director, Paul Smith, said with so many talented acts it was a difficult task for the judges. "The most popular acts are not always the most innovative and the criteria prioritises innovation over attendence levels."

"The production of Hullapolloi was a challenging work for both the dancers and the audience. The dancers were in full body suits that came up over their heads which meant they had to dance by sound and touch. The piece was engaging and provocative generating ongoing dialogue and debate."

"There were many other stand-out works in the Festival and I would like to congratulate all the artists involved for what they have achieved. The Festival brought an amazing array of art to the public and created a fantastic atmosphere in the city. The Dunedin Fringe Festival presented a well coordinated programme of high quality innovative art that engaged a significant proportion of the population." 

Actual audience numbers will not be available for some weeks as the Festival gathers information from the many artists involved.

THE AWARD WINNERS:

BEST COMEDY – Harpur’s Bizarre: Immortal Combat by Sarah Harpur
Nominees:  I’m Sorry I Said That by Irene Pink & Justine Smith, Wilson Dixon’s American Dream

BEST DANCE – Capturing Other by Beautiful Sake Productions
Nominees: Hullapolloi by Footnote Dance, Chocolate Zucchini Cookies by Dance Lab

BEST MUSIC – Lines of Flight by Metonymic Trust
Nominees: No Depression (In New Zealand) by The Eastern Family, Master’s Curious Delirium by Bird Wizdom

BEST THEATRE – Once Was… by The Theatre As Is
Nominees: Mates & Lovers by Fabulous Arts Aotearoa New Zealand, The Visitor by Sit n Spin Productions

BEST OUTDOOR – Animae by Erica Duthie & Struan Ashby

Nominees: Tablo Presents! by The Notional Theatre Company, Chocolate Zucchini Cookies by Dance Lab

BEST VISUAL ARTS – Bloodlines and Bloodstains by Desi Liversage
Nominees: Don’t Look by Complete Protection, Half by The Branch

BEST FRINGE INVENTION – Jumboots by Jarn Bulling
Nominees: Critter Cage Jacket by Matt Neumegen, Seat Hoggers by Kina Hewat
 

BEST PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN The Branch – Half
Nominees: Mates and Lovers by Fabulous Arts Aotearoa New Zealand, I’m Sorry I Said That by Irene Pink & Justine Smith

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN – Drowning in Veronica Lake by Flaxworks
Nominees: Love You Approximately by The Clinic, Capturing Other by Beautiful Sake Productions

MOST PROMISING WORK – The Visitor by Sit'n Spin Productions 
Nominees: Capturing Other by Beautiful Sake Productions, Once Was by The Theatre As Is

MOST ORIGINAL CONCEPT – The Fullness of Empty Pockets by Colleen Altagracia
Nominees: Capturing Other by Beautiful Sake Productions, Don’t Look by Complete Protection

STAND OUT PERFORMER – Sarah Iwaskow in Capturing Other
Nominees: Paora Taurima & Simon K Leary in Mates and Lovers, Alex Ellis in Drowning in Veronica Lake, Campbell Kneale in Our Love Will Destroy the World

BEST OF FRINGE – Hullapolloiby Footnote Dance

Nominees: Mates and Lovers by Fabulous Arts Aotearoa New Zealand, Lines of Flight by Metonymic Trust

Strategies for the Best Fringe Ever

With 50 or so acts in the 2011 Dunedin Fringe Festival to choose from it can be tricky to know what to go to. How do you know the show is going to be any good or one that you will enjoy more than the next one? Here are five strategies to ensure you get the best out of the Fringe Festival.

#1: Find a trusted venue
The Festival works closely with some well known venues in Dunedin. The Fortune Theatre, the Globe Theatre, Chicks Hotel, and Sammys all feature quality Festival acts. The line-up at the Fortune and Globe in particular has been specially programmed by the Festival and will not disappoint.

#2: Laughter is the best medicine
Comedy is our largest art form category and you're bound to have heard of at least one of these comedians before. Many have international experience and most are heading straight for the International Comedy Festival in Auckland and Wellington after performing at the Fringe Festival. With three shows a night the Polson Higgs Comedy Club is a surefire night of good times.

#3: Dig a little
A little bit of research can go a long way. Many acts have their own website, Facebook or Myspace page which provides additional information, reviews and images. Some also feature promotional trailors or live footage from previous shows. Failing that you can always ask well placed friends or listen out to the interviews scheduled on Radio One, More FM and Radio Dunedin.

#4: More is better
One of the surest ways to find the best act is simply to go to more shows. With many acts only 60 minutes long and entirely affordable this is a sensible strategy that can yield excellent results. A typical night out on the Fringe can easily include seeing two different shows, or at least one show and a visit to the Festival Club.

#5: Free is best
There is a whole bunch of exhibitions and installations that are completely free. From cutting edge art at the Blue Oyster Gallery to the strangest inventions you ever saw at the Otago Settlers Museum. You can't go wrong.

Artists Fundraise for Christchurch

A number of shows by Christchurch artists are still coming despite the trauma of the last few weeks. Sit & Spin Productions have confirmed they are bringing their show The Visitor despite having friends killed by the earthquake. They have had to recast the show as their actors have been relocated out of Christchurch or too badly affected to stay involved. They have since decided to donate any proceeds from their show at the Dunedin Fringe to the families of the victims.

Lyttleton band The Eastern have also decided to use their event, No Depression in New Zealand, as an opportunity to fundraise for the earthquake donating proceeds to the rebuilding of Lyttleton and the Red Cross Appeal. The Court Jesters's Court Theatre is damaged but they're still coming to entertain Dunedin audiences with their show Scared Scriptless - LOVE, and Once Upon A... The Clinic are still bringing their acclaimed show Love You Approximately and Tablo Theatre are bringing their amazing puppets with Tablo Presents!.

We urge all Dunedin people to get out and support those who are making a huge effort to bring their show to Dunedin. These guys are amazing!



Links to shows still coming:

The Eastern with show No Depression (in New Zealand)

The Court Jesters with shows Scared Scriptless - LOVE & Once Upon A...

The Clinic with show Love You Approximately

Tablo with Tablo Presents!

Sit'n Spin with The Visitor



Cancelled due to Earthquake:

Through the Looking Glass by Sarah Forgan

Programme Updates

Sunday Roast - The Alpacas (Dun)

Sunday Roast has been advertised as running for 90 mins. It will run for 60 mins.

Theatre, pg.30 (Festival Guide), website

Festival Club - 18th March, 10.00pm

Delaney Davidson will replace The Eastern.

pg.7 (Festival Guide), website

YYYEEESSS - Dr Frock Productions (Dun)

Visual Art - pg.35 (Festival Guide), website

There's been a change of venue and time:

Venue: 284 Princes St

Time: 12:00pm - 6.00pm

Through the Looking Glass - S.J. Forgan (Chch)

Visual Art - pg.35 (Festival Guide), website listing

Unfortunately the artists have had to cancel this event due to the Christchurch earthquake.

Still Life at the Station - 19th March, 9:00am - 11:00am

Dunedin railway Station/Otago Farmers market, Anzac Ave

pg.9 (Festival Guide), website listing

Chris Davis (Lord Livingstone) is unfortunately unable to make this event due to the Christchurch earthquake but there will be heaps of other fantastic Human Statues for you and your family to enjoy.

I Heart - Sweaty Heart Productions (Akld)

Dance - pg.23 (Festival Guide), website

On Sunday 20th March I Heart will start at 7:30pm instead of 7:00pm.

Festival Club - 17th March, 10:00pm

pg.7 (Festival Guide), website

Local comedian Ian Loughran will replace Tarun Mohanbhai for this night only.

Pecha Kucha Presenters Revealed

The 9th Pecha Kucha Night to be held in Dunedin is on its way as part of the 2011 Dunedin Fringe Festival. As always we have a fantastic line-up of artists, designers and personalities with a whole bunch of images, ideas and stories to share.

For those who don't know about Pecha Kucha Night events, this is a wonderful event that is all about people sharing creative ideas. A Pecha Kucha night involves the projection of a series of large images via a data projector. A dozen invited presenters show 20 images each, with only 20 seconds to speak to each image (a total of 6.40 minutes per presentation). The magic is the rapid-fire presentation and the diversity of presenters and topics on the night. This is a non-profit movement about bringing artists and designers together and getting inspired by their ideas.Pecha Kucha Nights now take place in over 300 cities around the world.

Here's the presenters. Tell your friends as this is going to be a great evening!

Confirmed presenters (not in order):

Mishca Rhys Hill // Artist & Designer // We can watch you it doesn't stop you

John Egenes //Traveller // The Long Ride

Mark McGuire // Senior Lecture, Department of Applied Sciences, University of Otago // Public Square or Walled Garden?

Ian Chapman // Lecturer Music // Rebel Rebel - You've Torn your Dress: Kiwi Women in Rock!

Jonathon Cweorth // Medievalist // Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd

Martyn Roberts // Theatre Studies Lecturer // Rediscovering Analogue

Jinty McTavish // City Councillor // Urban Genius - inspiration from around the globe

Lara MacGregor // Artistic Director, Fortune Theatre // The Circles We Move In

Stanley Manthyng // Queer Loudmouth // The Tale of Mrs Kissenger

Nina Katchadourian // Artist in residence, DPAG // Animal Crossdressing

Jamie Hanton // Director of Blue Oyster Gallery // The Database of Original Art

Lynn Vare // Songwriter // Love songs - My Bastard Children

30 Outrageous Inventions to be Exhibited

Thirty unique and humorous inventions have been selected for the Fringe Inventions exhibition to be held at the Otago Settlers Museum from 12 March-3 April.

Fringe Inventions is inspired by the strange and amusing Japanese art of Chindogu, which literally translates as 'strange tool'. Chingodu are inventions designed to solve everyday problems but are so impractical or embarrassing to use that they are almost useless. Too useful or commercially viable and they are no longer considered a Chindogu. 

The exhibition is the third to be held as part of the Dunedin Fringe Festival which this year runs from 17-27 March. 

More entries than ever before

87 entries were received from throughout New Zealand with several tertiary, secondary and primary schools participating. The selection process was made based on quality of concept, construction, design and how well each invention represented the 10 tenets of Chindogu. 

Festival Director, Paul Smith, said the standard of entries was high and the level of participation encouraging. "This is a fun event that draws on our ability to think outside the square. It is product design with a twist and hilarious to visit."

People's Choice Award

The 30 accepted entries will be judged by the visiting public through a people's choice award. The three inventions that receive the highest number of votes will be awarded vouchers donated by Mitre 10 Mega Dunedin. 

For more information please contact the Festival office or Festival publicist Sarah Girvan on 03 4792036 or 021 55 22 40.

Online Media Release

Blindfolds, Country Music Comedians, Rockabilly Gypsy Punk and Tape Artists.... Dunedin showcases art, innovation and experimentation in the South Island’s only Fringe Festival.

The 2011 Dunedin Fringe Festival has attracted over 50 comedy, music, dance, theatre and visual art acts, including its biggest ever line-up of comedy and touring artists. The Festival will be held from 17-27 March with the full programme launched on 17 February. The event, which includes all art forms, will be the eighth Fringe Festival held in Dunedin since it was founded in 2000.

The 2011 Dunedin Fringe Festival has attracted its best ever line-up of music and comedy acts. In keeping with Dunedin's rich history as a music hub, the Festival presents biennnial experimental music event Lines of Flight which will be held in Port Chalmers over three days. Plus, Dunedin will be the first to see several comedy acts that are in New Zealand for the International Comedy Festival in Wellington and Auckland in April.

What makes the 2011 Dunedin Fringe Festival so unique is its focus on experimentation. A non-curated Festival, the Fringe has an open access artist policy. Many acts and exhibitions hold their world premiers at the Dunedin Fringe. “The Dunedin Fringe has built a reputation as a launching platform for emerging artists.  We've had tons of artists launch their careers here and go on to tour extensively internationally,"  said Paul Smith, Festival Director.

The plethora of visual arts, theatre, music, comedy and outdoor acts ensures there is something that appeals to every audience.  Some key events that showcase the diversity of this year's Fringe include:

· Wilson Dixon, Cowboy Comedian from Cripple Creek Colorado, Winner of "Best Local Show‟ and the Supreme Award, "The Fred‟, at the 2010 New Zealand International Comedy Festival.

· The Barons of Tang, Melbourne based 7 piece band that mesh traditional gypsy and tango feels with circus, rockabilly and jazz into high energy music. The Barons of Tang will be performing at the official Fringe Festival Launch and at the Festival Club on the 17^th March and at Otago University for the Pick of the Fringe on Friday 18^th March.

· Still Life at the Station - A first time event for the Fringe, over 20 human statues from around the country will descend on the iconic Dunedin Railway Station. 

· Pick of the Fringe - The Octagon will be transformed into a stage for the lunchtime performance series, and a tape art installation by visiting artist Erica Duthie.

· Festival Club at Bennu Restaurant -  Hosted by Radio One's Aaron Hawkins, it's magical mayhem in a stylish setting with atmosphere to burn – don't miss the late night action from key festival music acts such as Bird Wizdom and The Eastern.

· Animae Tape Art - Artists Erica Duthie and Struan Ashby have created large ephemeral works of art on buildings around the world – with tape. In two locations they will evolve a mural over four days entitled Animae, drawing life-sized mythical creatures into public spaces. Come see the artists as they draw – you may be immortalised in their temporary mural. 

· The Eastern -  Christchurch band presents No Depression.  Part concert, part play, part sing-a-long, part campfire story, part bar room string session features songs of history, hope, danger, drama, woe, solidarity, strength and sadness.

· Footnote Forté – Hullapalloi. Hullapolloi is a new work from Kate McIntosh and Jo Randerson made for Footnote Dance. Here is a group of odd creatures. They move together, breathe together – shuffle, grunt and fall together. With their special equipment and odd-shaped bodies they train, they play, they follow the rules. The rules are complicated and strict. They play again.

Full programme information and artist profiles will be available on www.dunedinfringe.org.nz from Tuesday 22^nd February.

CONTACT:

For more information please contact:

Sarah Girvan
Publicist, Immersion Marketing
03 479 2036 or 021 552 240
sarah@immersionmarketing.co.nz    

Paul Smith
Director, Dunedin Fringe Festival
03 477-4983 or 021 150 9207
director@dunedinfringe.org.nz 

Printed Guide Hits the Street

The Festival Programme was launched at a raucous event on 17 February in Dunedin. The printed guide looks colourful and eye-catching with our blindfolded woman staring out into black space and having a damn good time doing it!

This year we have 50 events spanning all art forms with a particularly strong comedy and theatre section. In addition we have a handful of awesome Festival produced events that take art to the people in new and exciting ways.

The printed Festival Guide is out on the street now and another 10,000 will be distributed over the next few weeks to cafes, bars, galleries, libraries, the visitor centre, theatres and many other places all over Dunedin. We have also posted programmes to selected outlets around New Zealand so they can see what they're missing out on – who knows they might just jump on a plane and visit! It'll be worth every bit of effort.

Meanwhile stay in touch with the latest info on the Festival's Facebook page.

Have you found your fringe?

Volunteering for Fringe

Become a volunteer for the Dunedin Fringe Festival and experience first hand some 50 cutting edge art events by New Zealand and international artists. Volunteers are an essential cog in the Fringe machine. We need dozens of helpers to ensure the smooth running of what will be a vibrant and exciting festival.

No experience is necessary. Enthusiasm is however, a must. We have seven main volunteer role areas. Jobs within each of the areas vary and volunteers may be asked to help out in more than one area. Each volunteer has the opportunity to give their role preference and we will try our best to accommodate,. No promises! They are as follows:

Front of House: These volunteers will man the box office for Fringe run venues. They will also be needed for festival events such as the programme release on 17th February and the festival awards night on 27th March. We ask that those wishing to do FOH come to a short training session after our welcome meeting on 8th March.

Event Assistance: Volunteers in this area will pack-in and out stage and seating for events and shows. Event assistants may also be required for our larger outdoor events for security and crowd control.

Kiosk Staff: Volunteers in this role will man the Fringe information kiosk positioned in various central city locations answering enquires and selling festival t-shirts.

Promotions: Volunteers working in promotions will have a wide variety of roles from programme drops to street hand-outs and publicity stunts. The more volunteers we have in this role, the bigger and more vibrant our presence will be. 

Admin: Admin volunteers will work in the Fringe office fielding enquiries and checking float calculations for accuracy.

Hospitality: At times our volunteers may work over meal times or into the night, in such instances we hope to feed the starving masses. Hospitality volunteers will pick up food from cafes and deliver it to working volunteers. 

You can donate a few hours here and there or immerse yourself in the Fringe experience. Volunteering gives many perks such as meeting great artsy people, a free Fringe t-shirt, and discounted (sometimes free) entry into events. It is also a great thing to write on your CV, not to mention heaps of fun with a great bunch of like-minded people! It's the perfect way to embrace your fringe within.

Expressions of interest to Katie: volunteer@dunedinfringe.org.nz or phone 03 477 3350