Free Fringe

Expressions of interest from performers for 2010 are now being taken. If you know PBH's email address, email him; if you don't, send a brief myspace message with your email address. Thank you.

If you are a band or some disc jocky chap, please don't send friend requests unless you actually know us. We do not want to be on your mailing list and we won't go to your gigs, especially in America. We have no gigs available for electric bands in 2010. We do Comedy, Theatre and the Spoken Word.

I am the Free Fringe.

I was invented by Peter Buckley Hill in 1996. I tried to give that as my birthday in my profile, but myspace said I was too young. I'm female in my profile, because I'm capable of giving birth to lots of nice and positive things.

I stand for giving performers and public a good deal. By working with venue managers who don't charge for the space and are content to take the bar profits, I offer free performance space to comedians and others at the Edinburgh Fringe. These comedians mustn't charge for their shows, but they can have collections at the end and the intervals.

These are my core principles:

• No charges to the public, and no excessive or one-to-one bottling
• No charges to the artists, even voluntary ones
• To facilitate the above, there shall be minimal central expenditure
• There shall be co-operation by all the artists involved; everybody shall contribute according to his/her abilities, rather than relying on a central organisation to do things for them. For example, those who have specific organisational talents, or possess useful equipment, are expected to contribute them. Artists shall help each other with their shows by mutual negotiation.
• No charges to venue managers. Venue managers shall be satisfied with bar takings.
• No collaboration with known exploiters of artists.
• Facilities shall be basic but shall always be in space dedicated to the shows.
• No behaving like the large organisations whose existence has contributed to the low status of the artists in the first place.

I had 69 shows in 2006, and 115 in 2008. I was fun.

If you believe in what I do, be my friend.

Website at www.freefringe.org.uk

The Free Fringe has received:
Tap Water Spirit of the Fringe Award 2006
Chortle Award for Innovation 2007
Chortle Award for Best Off-Stage Contribution 2007