Calgary Fringe Festival
Encyclopedia
The Calgary Fringe Festival is an annual fringe theatre
festival in Calgary
, Alberta
.
-type drama festival in Calgary was the Plan B Festival, held in 2000 at a variety of locations in both Calgary's downtown and the neighbouring community of Inglewood. The Plan B Festival arose after the 2000 Calgary Fringe Festival was cancelled due to administrative difficulties, and involved (and was organized by) many of the same artists that were originally planning on partaking in the aborted Fringe. Calgary Artist/Activist Patricia Anne Duquette, on behalf of Green Fools Physical Theatre Co., coordinated a massive community effort to rescue the festival with the additional aims of setting a precedent for future fundraising efforts. Approximately 5,000 people attended the adhoc presentations and events over the course of five days, establishing an overwhelming show of interest among Calgarians.
The first official Fringe festivals in Calgary took place in 2001 and 2002, organized primarily by the Loose Moose Theatre
company, and based entirely in the inner-city neighbourhood of Inglewood. These were short, three-day festivals, held the weekend after the Edmonton International Fringe Festival
. However, after the completion of the 2002 festival, Loose Moose lost their lease on the Garry Theatre, and were thus unable to produce the Fringe in subsequent years.
The Fringe is now a full-length 10-day Fringe, and is situated in the calendar with the first weekend overlapping with the end of the Saskatoon
and Minneapolis Fringes, and the second weekend overlapping with the start of the Edmonton Fringe -- a number of shows were performed at both Fringes, either closing in Calgary early or opening in Edmonton late.
In addition to the theatrical performances (greatly increased to 36 from the roughly dozen in the 01 and 02 Fringes), the 2006 Calgary Fringe included street performances and vendors (typical for a Fringe) as well as a film festival, visual arts displays and live music (less common). The 2006 Calgary Fringe was held at a number of venues; the festival elements, film, visual art and music were held on 17th Avenue in the Beltline district, with the theatrical performances split between the nearby Calgary Opera
rehearsal hall and the more distant EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
, located in the downtown.
Fringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
festival in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
History
The earliest FringeFringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
-type drama festival in Calgary was the Plan B Festival, held in 2000 at a variety of locations in both Calgary's downtown and the neighbouring community of Inglewood. The Plan B Festival arose after the 2000 Calgary Fringe Festival was cancelled due to administrative difficulties, and involved (and was organized by) many of the same artists that were originally planning on partaking in the aborted Fringe. Calgary Artist/Activist Patricia Anne Duquette, on behalf of Green Fools Physical Theatre Co., coordinated a massive community effort to rescue the festival with the additional aims of setting a precedent for future fundraising efforts. Approximately 5,000 people attended the adhoc presentations and events over the course of five days, establishing an overwhelming show of interest among Calgarians.
The first official Fringe festivals in Calgary took place in 2001 and 2002, organized primarily by the Loose Moose Theatre
Loose Moose Theatre
The Loose Moose Theatre Company , is a theater company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was co-founded in 1977, by Keith Johnstone and Mel Tonken. LMTC has an international reputation for developing the theatrical style of improvisation and specifically the work of Keith Johnstone...
company, and based entirely in the inner-city neighbourhood of Inglewood. These were short, three-day festivals, held the weekend after the Edmonton International Fringe Festival
Edmonton International Fringe Festival
The Edmonton International Fringe Festival produced by the Fringe Theatre Adventures is an annual event held every August in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada....
. However, after the completion of the 2002 festival, Loose Moose lost their lease on the Garry Theatre, and were thus unable to produce the Fringe in subsequent years.
Reestablishment
A new license to produce a Fringe in Calgary was secured from the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals in 2005 by a new team headed by Blair Gallant and Jason Rothery, and a new Fringe was held in the summer of 2006. Many elements have changed from the earlier Fringes, including time, scope and locations.The Fringe is now a full-length 10-day Fringe, and is situated in the calendar with the first weekend overlapping with the end of the Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
and Minneapolis Fringes, and the second weekend overlapping with the start of the Edmonton Fringe -- a number of shows were performed at both Fringes, either closing in Calgary early or opening in Edmonton late.
In addition to the theatrical performances (greatly increased to 36 from the roughly dozen in the 01 and 02 Fringes), the 2006 Calgary Fringe included street performances and vendors (typical for a Fringe) as well as a film festival, visual arts displays and live music (less common). The 2006 Calgary Fringe was held at a number of venues; the festival elements, film, visual art and music were held on 17th Avenue in the Beltline district, with the theatrical performances split between the nearby Calgary Opera
Calgary Opera
The Calgary Opera is a Canadian professional opera company in Calgary, Alberta, originally known as the Southern Alberta Opera Association. It performs in the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, accompanied by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and the Calgary Opera Chorus...
rehearsal hall and the more distant EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts
The EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts is a multi-venue arts centre in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada, located in the Olympic Plaza Cultural District.-History:...
, located in the downtown.