Melbourne Fringe Festival 2012
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Melbourne Fringe Festival 2012

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“The role that Melbourne Fringe plays within the community and why it exists is constantly changing,” notes Neal Harvey. As the Creative Producer of Melbourne Fringe, Harvey oversees the program of events produced by the festival itself, alongside encountering an eagle-eyed view of the inner-dynamics of the festival. “We’re there to support independent artists and provide them with presentation and development opportunities. But having said that, there are a lot more of those opportunities now then there were three years ago,” he details carefully before drawing reference to other local arts organisations. “Melbourne Theatre Company have just launched their Neon program which is only for independent artists. Malthouse [Theatre] have just launched Helium which is just for independent artists to present work. Arts House have a very strong program, Darebin are looking to offer opportunities for independent artists as well.”

“Melbourne Fringe needs to constantly evolve and fit into the landscape that’s out there,” he continues. “[We need] to make sure that we’re providing surfaces that aren’t being duplicated by other organisations and that we’re actually meeting the needs of what our artists and stakeholders want. It changes a lot in Melbourne. There’s a lot that goes on here. Melbourne Fringe needs to be responsive and adaptive to that.”

Celebrating its 30th birthday in 2012, the festival will this year present over 4,000 artists in 120 venues city-wide, showcasing the most poignant, inspirational and groundbreaking works in Victoria’s utterly diverse contemporary arts scene. “There’s definitely a celebratory aspect to the program,” shares Harvey proudly. “In the works that we’re producing and the nights that are on in the club that we curate. There’s definitely an air of celebration and an opportunity to look back on what the festival has been as well as what it’s going to be in looking towards the future. I feel there’s definitely a landmark quality to the type of programming that’s going on. We’re doing a few new things as we do every year, but there’s also some call-backs to some old favourites and alumni artists. I think that once people start to delve into [the program] and make sense of it then it will feel like an anniversary and a birthday. “

“In the club we’re welcoming back The Last Tuesday Society, Die Roten Punkte will be hosting another circus and sideshow mash-up, Shut Up And Dance! comes back hosted by The Town Bikes. They’re perhaps not synonymous names but people really look forward to them. To be hosting these events again, even whilst there’s still so much going on out there, it’s important and we want to say ‘this has been everyone’s favourite so let’s try and do it again but bigger and better.’

“We’re doing a few new things as well which is exciting,” he continues. “On the first Saturday of the club, which is also the last Saturday of September, we’re hosting the first ever Melbourne Fringe call of the AFL Grand Final. Kate McLennan, Geraldine Hickey, Anne Edmonds and Declan Faye, who also share a podcast called The Downlow will call the game in the club. That afternoon is such a great tradition and I love that it falls during Fringe. I think it’s great that these two things are coming together.

“In terms of the creative program and the big stuff that we’re producing, the very big one is Double Take that is very much an anniversary and celebratory type project. We’ve created some photo albums of iconic Melbourne images from the past 100 years and we’re inviting people in the community to come and recreate these images with us. People can come down and select an image from the album and then go and work with our designers and photographers and go and pose in the exact same position in the exact same location and retake that photo and then we’ll print out all of the recreations and hold an exhibition. There’s definitely an element of looking to the past and then contextualising it. As difficult as it is to have a ‘theme’ to an open access festival there’s a lot in there that will give people the impression that it’s a significant year and milestone festival.”

Looking towards the future of the Fringe, Harvey details its past, and the incredibly diligent and diverse range of artists that have made the festival their creative home and the role it’s played in the progression of their careers and artistic development. “The number of artists and arts workers that have moved through this festival and either presented or assisted in the staging of work pretty much covers the gamut of who’s who in Australian arts practices here and overseas,” he details gleefully. “It’s pretty much a roll call of anyone who you could name. If they’re from Victoria and they’re artists then they’ve probably presented a show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. It’s traditionally not a festival about infamy or recognition. That’s part of its role, and why artists choose to drop in and out at different stages of their career. There’s a very rich alumni and tradition of people who have a great deal of affection for this festival.”

BY TYSON WRAY