❓ Dr. Jacobs inquired about the Outer Fringe Tours program, and the Minister for Culture and the Arts provided an update on its expansion to regional areas, attendance figures, government support, and positive feedback received.
AnsweredQoN 171Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
FRINGE
WORLD FESTIVAL — OUTER FRINGE TOURS
171. Dr G.G. JACOBS to the
Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I was pleased to see the Fringe World Festival events
recently taking place in my electorate. Can the minister please update the
house on the Outer Fringe Tours program.
WORLD FESTIVAL — OUTER FRINGE TOURS
171. Dr G.G. JACOBS to the
Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I was pleased to see the Fringe World Festival events
recently taking place in my electorate. Can the minister please update the
house on the Outer Fringe Tours program.
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
Ms R. Saffioti :
The member for Swan Hills has got some good photographs.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : Indeed; it was a memorable event. I had to resist the member
for Victoria Park trying to get into the front row.
Ms R. Saffioti : I
actually have some photographs.
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
That is good to know.
I make the observation that the
Fringe World Festival has become a major attractor with a wide range of
programs, performances and events over January and February. This year more
than 600 000 people attended the events across the city, almost twice the
attendance of last year. The government has been a strong supporter since the inception
of the Fringe Festival and we are very pleased to see the growth that has
occurred. In addition to the funding that has been provided by the government
for the metropolitan events that have occurred in the Perth CBD and in the last
couple of years in Midland, Fremantle, Scarborough and some other locations
around the metropolitan area, we have seen the Fringe Festival extend to
non-metropolitan areas with the Outer Fringe Tour program. That started in 2013
with just three regional locations. This year, performances have been seen in
Merredin, Northam, Kalgoorlie–Boulder, Bridgetown, Donnybrook, Albany,
Esperance and Ravensthorpe. For example, this included a special kids comedy
gala program that entertained 800 children and families from across these
communities.
We have had some very positive
feedback, including from the president of the Esperance Theatre Guild, Victoria
Brown, who I understand had a conversation in Esperance about three years ago
with the Premier, and the Premier suggested that it would be desirable to see
the Fringe Festival and other similar events occur in regional centres of
Western Australia. As I said, very positive feedback was provided by Victoria
Brown on behalf of the Esperance Theatre Guild about the benefits to the Esperance
community through events such as the Fringe Festival. She was very
congratulatory of ArtRage, the organisation that puts on the Fringe Festival,
and the state government. This year the Fringe World Festival has earned more
than $6.3 million at the box office and provided a fantastic range of
opportunities for local performers, with 71 per cent of the 2 600 participating
artists coming from within Western Australia.
While I am speaking about festivals,
I also make brief reference to the Perth International Arts Festival, which has
concluded more recently. That was also very successful this year. In
particular, I take the opportunity of thanking and congratulating the artistic
director, Jonathan Holloway, who has just concluded his four-year period in that
role. Artistic directors now serve a maximum of four years with PIAF. I think
everyone would agree that Jonathan Holloway has undertaken a magnificent job in
his role as artistic director in putting on the range and quality of
performances that have been provided. We wish him well as he goes on to his
next role as director of the Melbourne Festival.
Ms R. Saffioti :
The member for Swan Hills has got some good photographs.
Mr
J.H.D. DAY : Indeed; it was a memorable event. I had to resist the member
for Victoria Park trying to get into the front row.
Ms R. Saffioti : I
actually have some photographs.
Mr J.H.D. DAY :
That is good to know.
I make the observation that the
Fringe World Festival has become a major attractor with a wide range of
programs, performances and events over January and February. This year more
than 600 000 people attended the events across the city, almost twice the
attendance of last year. The government has been a strong supporter since the inception
of the Fringe Festival and we are very pleased to see the growth that has
occurred. In addition to the funding that has been provided by the government
for the metropolitan events that have occurred in the Perth CBD and in the last
couple of years in Midland, Fremantle, Scarborough and some other locations
around the metropolitan area, we have seen the Fringe Festival extend to
non-metropolitan areas with the Outer Fringe Tour program. That started in 2013
with just three regional locations. This year, performances have been seen in
Merredin, Northam, Kalgoorlie–Boulder, Bridgetown, Donnybrook, Albany,
Esperance and Ravensthorpe. For example, this included a special kids comedy
gala program that entertained 800 children and families from across these
communities.
We have had some very positive
feedback, including from the president of the Esperance Theatre Guild, Victoria
Brown, who I understand had a conversation in Esperance about three years ago
with the Premier, and the Premier suggested that it would be desirable to see
the Fringe Festival and other similar events occur in regional centres of
Western Australia. As I said, very positive feedback was provided by Victoria
Brown on behalf of the Esperance Theatre Guild about the benefits to the Esperance
community through events such as the Fringe Festival. She was very
congratulatory of ArtRage, the organisation that puts on the Fringe Festival,
and the state government. This year the Fringe World Festival has earned more
than $6.3 million at the box office and provided a fantastic range of
opportunities for local performers, with 71 per cent of the 2 600 participating
artists coming from within Western Australia.
While I am speaking about festivals,
I also make brief reference to the Perth International Arts Festival, which has
concluded more recently. That was also very successful this year. In
particular, I take the opportunity of thanking and congratulating the artistic
director, Jonathan Holloway, who has just concluded his four-year period in that
role. Artistic directors now serve a maximum of four years with PIAF. I think
everyone would agree that Jonathan Holloway has undertaken a magnificent job in
his role as artistic director in putting on the range and quality of
performances that have been provided. We wish him well as he goes on to his
next role as director of the Melbourne Festival.
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