World Fringe Day Celebrates Inclusion, Boldness, and Freedom

Today, July 11, is the World Fringe Day, which celebrates fringe festivals, artists, creators, innovators, and partners worldwide who create and sustain the Fringe culture.

The Tallinn Fringe Festival is also part of the world fringe movement, alongside 350 festivals, aiming to foster dialogue between people through various forms of art to overcome cultural barriers set by society. Today, Fringe festivals, like all cultural events and organizations, face challenges such as inflation, reduced public funding, and the cartelization of culture. In response, the Tallinn Fringe aims to offer an alternative cultural experience where audiences can experience inclusion in novel ways. Fringe focuses on artists and audiences, encouraging interaction, teaching independence and sustainability, providing confidence, and enabling the emergence of completely new genres due to this extreme freedom.

Tallinn Fringe Festival spokesperson Kaisa Ling states that Fringe provides an opportunity for everyone to participate in the programme, both as artists and audiences. "Despite global crises, economic uncertainty, and criticism, artists bravely take the stage, convinced that art can move audiences and perhaps even change the world."

The Tallinn Fringe Festival program is not curated by the festival team or a committee but emerges through collaboration between artists and venues, making it one of Estonia's largest inclusion events, offering the opportunity to perform regardless of background or experience. Many performances are also budget-friendly, are held pay-what-you-want payment system, and with a limited number of very cheap tickets available.

Fringe originates from Scotland when, in 1947, organizers of the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival refused to allow local theater troupes to participate. The actors decided to create their own festival, the Edinburgh Fringe, with an uncurated program open to anyone. Edinburgh Fringe has since become the world's largest arts festival, selling over several million tickets annually.

The eighth Tallinn Fringe Festival will take place from August 18 to September 18. The festival programme includes the most innovative short performances, covering absolutely all art forms, from circus, burlesque, cabaret, and comedy to music, dance, theatre, and all possible combinations of these genres. Check out the 2024 program at www.fringe.ee.