Fringe On!!!

September means spring, sunshine and getting sorted for Fringe!

That's right folks! It's time to get your registrations in for the 2009 New Zealand Fringe Festival.

Registrations have opened for Fringe along with applications for Kakano 09 funding.

Forms, info packs and fact sheets can be downloaded from the Fringe website here or pop into the office to say hi and pick some up!

The closing date for Fringe Registration and Kakano Applications is 5pm, Friday 17 October 2008.

Fringe Open Studios

Speaking of deadlines, Fringe wants YOU for Open Studios 09!

For one weekend in February 09, Wellington's visual artists will swing open the doors of their inner sanctums and invite the public in for a sneaky peek at the magic behind the scenes...

Selected participants will be featured on the Open Studios tour guide map, as well as the Fringe website.

The perks:

• Free workshops (on pricing, marketing, etc)
• Opportunities to sell your work
• A Fringe Artist Card (awesome discounts to other Fringe goodies)
• Fringe Fridays (be informed and network baby!)
• Photo listing on Open Studios marketing material
• And much, much more!

The deadline for proposals is 19 September 2008.

For more information and proposal guidelines, click here or email Mary Laine at openstudios@fringe.co.nz

Wicked!

Work for Fringe

Fringe is currently looking for a super duper Festival Coordinator!

This role is a key position for the organisation, responsibilities include office operation (the friendly face of Fringe!), volunteer coordination, providing support for sponsors/funders and venue and artist liaison.

Working hours are approximately 40 hours per week 9am - 5pm at the Fringe office. Note that additional hours will be required in the pre-Christmas and festival periods.

This is a fixed term contract for services from 22 September 2008 - 27 March 2009 (27 weeks) with a possibility of the role becoming full time.

To obtain a copy of the position description, please email welcome@fringe.co.nz

To apply for the position, send a covering letter and a copy of your current CV to Mark Westerby, Director at director@fringe.co.nz

Or post to:

Festival Coordinator position

Fringe Arts Trust

PO Box 6596

Marion Square

Wellington 6141

Applications must arrive no later than Monday 8 September 2008.

Six O'clock Swillin...

The Six O'clock Swill is back after a creative hiatus with three nights of pint sized theatre for your viewing pleasure...

The Lineup:

OH PLEASE WON'T YOU DO THE DISHES?
Directed by Steve Wrigley
Written by Lucy Edwards
Developed by Lucy Edwards and Jessica Mannis

An actor’s nightmare…two actresses find themselves cast in the play from hell.


THE MAMET WOMEN
Directed by Phil Darkins
Written by Fred Stroppel

Sally is in a bind. A good friend graciously offers to help out, but the price she demands for her services is more than Sally can bear to pay. The play is a comic power scene performed in female Mamet speak.

That's two wicked little plays to help us ring in spring! Comedian and Billy T nominee Jerome Chandrahasen will also be on hand to dish out the laughs!!

All this plus some funky little giveaways for the bargain basement price of $7 or $5 for members of the Mighty Mighty GCC (you know who you are!).

Wed 10, Thu 11 and a new showtime of Sat 13
Entry from 5:30pm, show starts at 6pm

Check out www.sixoclockswill.com for more info...

Dance Your Socks Off!!

If you happen to notice people doing pirouettes in your bus over the next few weeks, they are either really stoked about the new Snapper card system, or part of the Dance Your Socks Off Festival.

My picks for the festival are The Eiffel Tower Wedding Party (from Three Spoon Theatre - winners of Best of Fringe 08), Why I Move (a journey of the rediscovery of movement), both at BATS Theatre, the CubanFusion dance classes at Aro Valley Community Centre and the Roller Disco 08 at Kilbirnie Recreation Centre...ace!!

While we are on the subject of dance, DANZ have been facilitating a new strategy for dance in New Zealand that will be presented to parliament on Tuesday 9 September. Congrats to DANZ and all those who fed into the discussions to advance the cause of dance as a sustainable artistic practice in this country.

Carnival time...

Our office mates are currently in the throes of organising Wellington's biggest street party - The Cuba Street Carnival.

The Carnival is on 21 February 2009 (during the Fringe!), if you'd like more info or would love to get involved, check out www.cubacarnival.org.nz

That's it for now folks!

Ciao

Mark.