Welcome Back Jimmy!
We had such a warm response to our man with the banana last year that we decided to bring him back! Created by Zuzia Juszkiewicz, our 2008 designer, the man, whom we call Jimmy, won the hearts of Fringers with his persistence to do things his own way, like talk on a banana phone and sign cheques with a rubber chicken. Zuzia was thrilled to spend time with her little friend and find more intrepid adventures for him like riding to the Fringe in his pedal plane. Along the creative journey there were many other versions where Jimmy rode hobby horses and even did yoga! Welcome back Jimmy!

Freshly Hatched: Meet our new design partner!
Question: what do you get when you cross a free-spirited designer and a clever entrepreneurial idea? No, not another reality show. The answer is Hatch Creative Group, a young but thriving design company run by the autonomous creative director and designer Jena Powell.

“Getting involved with the Fringe Fest was the only way I could work with Jimmy,” Jena says enthusiastically. Helping Jimmy, the Fringe’s cartoon mascot, look his absolute best has become Jena’s main focus. The collaboration between Hatch Creative and the Fringe came about because of a mutual interest in continually striving to create something out of the ordinary, something a little bit different. “Hatch is always evolving. [There are] no specific plans, only to do what feels right at the time,” Jena states.

Jena decided to start her own company when she realized that she enjoys working closely with her clients. “Having a boutique-sized firm allows me to do just that,” Jena explains.

The seven year old company is the Fringe Festival’s design partner this year and you can expect to see Jena’s work in this year’s program guide (available at the end of July) and in advertisements for the Fringe!

Happy Birthday to Us!
We’re having a party and you’re invited! If you’ve been around as long as we have, or almost as long, you will want to know about our 25th Anniversary party on July 16. Maybe you experienced your first night on stage in a Fringe production back in the day. Maybe you served on our Board of Directors, sat on a committee, volunteered for years, or have been a die hard fan forever. Come celebrate your Fringe history with us! We’ll be sharing Fringe stories, reminiscing over photos, and be having lots of Fringe fun!

The party will be held at Performance Works, on Granville Island on July 16. Tickets are $15.00 and include two free drinks. Start time is 8:00pm. There are a limited number of tickets available for this event. Get yours here.

Fringe Flashback
In honour of our 25th birthday, we decided to dig up some old photos to share with you. We’ll include a vintage Fringe photo in every newsletter!

Check out this doozy from the 1994 Fringe called “Pornographic Pentameter.”

BYOV 101
For the uninitiated Fringer, BYOV stands for Bring Your Own Venue. Performers who choose the BYOV option at the Fringe hearken back to the origins of all Fringe Festivals.

The Fringe Festival movement all started when eight uninvited theatre groups showed up at the Edinburgh International Festival in 1947. The next year the playwright and journalist Robert Kemp reported that, “round the fringe of the official Festival drama there seems to be a more private enterprise than before . . . I’m afraid some of us are not going to be often at home during the evenings.” The name stuck and the Festival and its successors have been called “Fringe” ever since.

Fringe performers who choose to BYOV have to find their own performance space and take care of their own technical requirements. In this way they really mirror the original Fringers!

Some BYOV shows are located on Granville Island, while others are scattered around the city. And don’t think they’re all traditional theatres either! You may find yourself watching a show in a church, someone’s basement, or in a tree!

The Vancouver Fringe Festival first instigated BYOVs in 1997, when we were located on Commercial Drive. The first BYOV was performed from a 1978 Volaré in the parking lot of the Cultch.

Having BYOVs accommodates those whose artistic vision goes beyond the scope of traditional theatre. It also helps to fill artists’ desires to be part of the Fringe as well as the audience’s need for variety.

This year we received over 60 applications for BYOVs! Although we’d love to accommodate everybody, we unfortunately have limitations based on administrative and volunteer capabilities as well as the distance from Granville Island. In the end, we will be featuring 22 BYOV shows.

Come September, keep a look out for BYOVs taking place at Arts Umbrella (their first time being part of the Fringe!), in a van, and in a hotel room at the Waldorf on East Hastings amongst many others!

The Whats and Whys of Our Silent Auction

For 25 years the Vancouver International Fringe Festival has successfully fulfilled its mandate to provide Theatre for Everyone. Since the Fringe is unique in its commitment to return 100% of the box-office revenue to the performers, you might be wondering: how do they do it? Well, we’re glad you asked! We count on major fundraising events such as our Opening Night Gala and the fabulous live and silent auctions held that evening. Because we are in the process of soliciting items for our silent auction now, you can get in on the action early. Your contribution could be a dinner out, a bed and breakfast stay, a gourmet basket, an art print, theatre tickets, spa packages, sports adventures, an eco tour, or a unique experience that only your company could provide, like backstage access for instance, or a brewery tour, or . . . well you get the idea! To donate an item, contact Pamela, our Events Coordinator, at events@vancouverfringe.com.

More new staff!
Last month we told you about our new seasonal staff who are planning and prepping for the 2009 Fringe Festival. And now we have additional employees who are taking us one step closer to Fringe Time!

Victoria Haynes – Volunteer Coordinator – Victoria took a year off from school and suddenly volunteers were her life, for the Fringe and a few other local non-profits. If there was more time in the day, she would be off on spontaneous camping adventures with her cat, Nori. Until that happens, barbecuing on the patio will suffice.

Teresa Weir – Volunteer Coordinator – Teresa is an actor, writer, and arts administrator. You may have spotted her working at a number of different festivals here in town. Having performed, written and produced for Fringe tours across Western Canada, she is thrilled to be a part of the Vancouver Fringe team!

Gosia Juszkiewicz – Box Office Manager – Gosia has been a big fan of the Fringe since she first started attending in 2003. She is excited to work with the Fringe team for the second year in a row, to see all of the fantastic theatre, and most of all, to busting moves at the Fringe Bar.

Luc Corbeil – Technical Director – Luc is one of the founding members of the First Vancouver Theatrespace Society and has been the Fringe Festival’s Technical Director for many years. He returns again and again but hopes to be all better soon.

Seasonal Staff Get Geared Up For 2009 Fringe

Executive Director David Jordan and Festival Manager Isabella Kessel have been busy planning this years’ Fringe since 2008, processing artists’ applications, writing grant applications and setting up a new website, among other jobs, and are proud to introduce their new staff. This year is extra special since it marks the Vancouver International Fringe Festival’s 25th Anniversary, making the seasonal staff especially delighted to start planning, organizing and doing everything it takes to put 11 days of un-juried, unhindered performances together.

Eduardo Ottoni – Production Manager – Eduardo is a musician who likes to garden, BBQ and have a few drinks with friends. He’s the Production Manager for more than a few festivals around town and is turning into a veritable festival slut.

Andrea Fraser-Winsby – Artist Coordinator – Andrea has been having a passionate on-again-off-again affair with the Fringe since she moved to Vancouver in 2002. She’s incredibly excited to settle down with the Fringe and get serious about their relationship. In her spare time, she plays roller derby with the Terminal City Rollergirls and spends as much time as possible with her dreamy new husband.

Pamela Casserly Reynolds – Events Coordinator – Pamela is a music maker and arts community supporter who is happily sharing her love of “wild and wonderful” with this year’s Fringe.

Gareth Duncan – Fundraising Coordinator – Gareth’s early experiences with theatre left him awed and have inspired him on every level. He currently serves on the board of Theatre Conspiracy, a local theatre production company. He’s excited to help the Fringe, its artists, and above all, its fantastic audience to explore breathtaking new heights and plumb intriguing new depths.

Debby Reis – Communications Coordinator – Debby likes to keep her fingers in multiple pies. She blogs for Geist Magazine, is the Production Manager at Discorder Magazine and freelances for other Vancouver publications. She’s looking forward to making sure everyone knows about the fun they can have at the Fringe this September.

Callan Davey – Marketing and Sponsorship Assistant – Callan’s a wide-eyed Prairie girl who moved to Vancouver in search of inspiring West Coast nature adventures. What she gained was an unfounded fear of the Skytrain and a serious addiction to crunchy peanut butter. It’s her love of the Fringe though that keeps her head above water and her feet off moving trains.

The Fringe’s First 25 Years

The Vancouver Fringe Festival’s founder, Joanna Maratta, had never even heard of “Fringe” before an application for the Edmonton Fringe Festival arrived at the First Vancouver TheatreSpace Society’s (FVTS) office.

After starting in 1983, the FVTS quickly established itself as a centre for Vancouver’s theatre community. But they felt they could do more and the application for the Edmonton Fringe inspired Joanna to start a Fringe Festival here. Soon after, the incredibly supportive Brian Paisley, founder of the Edmonton Fringe Festival, came out to Vancouver and walked through the proposed festival grounds.

In 1985, the first annual Vancouver Fringe Festival was held in the Mount Pleasant community. The 220 performances were held in seven venues with 4,000 people in attendance—and only 25 volunteers helping out!

“Main Street really did represent all of our learning and growth. And it was a neighbourhood festival,” Joanna remarks. Despite it’s strong beginning, having two main roads (Main Street and Kingsway) running through the centre of the Festival put a damper on things. So in 1995 the Festival moved to Commercial Drive.

The years on Commercial Drive introduced the Fringe to new features like Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV). There were also parades, children’s activities, pay by “pass the hat” shows, a craft tent and Drag Bingo!

Then in 2000, the Fringe started the move to Granville Island. But that year the Festival was spread over the whole city. Besides having venues on the Island and back on the Drive, there were also venues in Yaletown, which is where the Fringe Bar ended up.

By 2001, the Fringe had solidified its relationship with the Granville Island community. Its opening ceremony that year included a courageous parade around the Island–one that went against the flow of one way traffic!

All throughout these 25 years though, the main aspects of the festival have remained the same. The Fringe is a place to find unjuried, uncensored theatre for everyone! Today we’ve grown to include over 450 performances, six mainstage venues, 10 BYOVs and up to 30,000 people in attendance—with 400 volunteers helping to pull it all together.

For a more in-depth history of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival, be sure to pick up our program guide (available at the end of July).

Aquabus: Jumping aboard the Fringe again!

The friendly fleet of vessels that putter around False Creek toting tourists and carrying commuters has become a staple in Vancouver’s unique water transportation industry. A refreshing and scenic alternative to hopping a bus across one of the city’s busy bridges, Aquabus has been growing alongside the False Creek community for 26 years. Here at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival, we have a particular soft spot for this dainty company. Just this past year they won the Fringe award for longest running festival sponsor. Feel the love, it runs deep!

Aquabus, like the rest of the city, is gearing up for a busy 2010. With numerous exciting projects on the go, including converting a traditional fuel ferry to a completely Electric Propulsion System, the construction of two new 30 passenger vessels, and almost tripling their dock space around the Creek, Aquabus is showing no signs of slowing down. One project in particular they’re excited about is a partnership with local artist Fiona Bowie to use high-tech subversive cameras and special LED screens to bring the mysterious and calming underwater world of False Creek to the surface. As manager Jody Collins states, “The latest technology enables filtering of the imagery for sharpness and clarity regardless of the water conditions. This project, set to coincide with the 2010 Olympics, will offer a rare glimpse of not only the marine life but everything else that is underneath what literally millions of people float over and look upon every year.” Stimulating indeed!

Look out for Aquabuses operating daily from the Granville Island, Hornby Street, Stamp’s Landing, Spyglass Place, Yaletown, Plaza of Nations and Science World docks, with departures scheduled every five to 30 minutes. Visit their website www.theaquabus.com for more info on their fleets, schedules, fares and for virtual tours of their False Creek docks.

In The Works

- Our Artist Coordinator, Andrea, is busy scheduling shows for our 2009 Fringe. Lots has to be considered, including the length of a performance and technical requirements. “It’s like Tetris: fitting everyone in where they fit the best,” she says. Keep an eye out for that schedule, which will start circulating at the end of July in Blenz locations, libraries and Fringe friendly businesses across the lower mainland.

- Pamela, our Events Coordinator, has been working on bringing Fringers from the past together for our 25th Anniversary Party. Hopefully some of these alumni will share their stories on our upcoming blog. Don’t worry, we’ll update you when it launches.

- With the help of our friends at Cocoa Camino we’ll create chocolate hysteria! Gareth, our Fundraising Coordinator, is putting all the elements together of the return of our Sweet on the Fringe fundraising campaign.

- Callan and Debby, the Marketing/Communications team, have been twittering and Facebooking, among other things (like writing this newsletter!). Follow us on twitter at vancouverfringe, and become a fan of our Facebook fan page by searching for the Vancouver International Fringe Festival.

- Although our Volunteer Coordinator hasn’t started yet, we know you are all eager to volunteer with us again! Applications will be available in July so keep your eyes out for that.

Stay tuned for more details coming your way soon. Be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter list (above) to get the latest news, and visit us on Facebook and Twitter to get insider Fringe updates.

AGM Reminder and update!

Great news! Our guest speaker for the Annual General Meeting, Kahlil Ashanti has just been honoured with a Drama League Nomination for his recent Off-Broadway run of Basic Training (formerly known as Father’s Day, 2004 Fringe). Other nominees include James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon and Rupert Everett! Way to go Kahlil! For more about Kahlil click here.

Tony Award winners Jeremy Irons, and Cynthia Nixon, will co-host the 75th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony May 15. See here for more info.

As you may well know our festival is fuelled by hundreds of dedicated volunteers. Each year we celebrate their contributions at our Volunteer Appreciation Night after the festival. This year we are expanding our volunteer recognition to our AGM, to show them how important they are. While it is impossible to properly acknowledge all volunteers, these ones are near and dear to our hearts. John Mason, Regina Ogmundson and Robyn Dann will be honoured as Repeat Offenders as well as Amir Ofek and John Inthavixay as Rookies of the Year. Please join us to celebrate their outstanding contribution to the First Vancouver Theatrespace Society (your humble producers of the Fringe) at our AGM this coming Tuesday.

Below are further details for the AGM.
If you attended the Fringe last year and filled out a membership card or volunteered, you are a member.
Tuesday, April 28th, 7:30 pm-9:00 pm
At the Tyee Hall at the False Creek Community Centre
on Granville Island, 1318 Cartwright St.
All members welcome. $5 memberships can also be purchased at the door.

New Website
The Fringe has a new website. Come check it out! As Spring turns into Summer, this site will blossom with information about September’s shows and all the exciting details of the festival. There’s a “leave a comment” function so let us know what you think! As you can see, we grew quite fond of our mascot from last year and decided to keep him around for at least one more year. Stay tuned for our 25th Anniversary poster art launch later in the Spring.

Oh yes, and we’ve begun tweeting on twitter…

Don’t forget to vote in The May 12th Provincial Election. Please inform yourself about the arts before casting your ballot.