Two of the worlds festival heavy weights, from the opposite sides of the world are set to collaborate. I am of course talking about South Australia’s Fringe festival and Edinburgh International festival. How exciting for both this beautiful cities, I have been privileged to attend Adelaide’s Fringe Festival many, many years ago (2002 ish) and it was my first arts festival and it was such a great experience back then, so I could only imagine how awesome it has become come and whats more how, awesome it will be in the future with the collaboration.
The representatives from the Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe and Festivals Adelaide each have signed official agreements with their Edinburgh counterparts to set joint goals for artistic, business and community collaboration over the next three years. Rachel Healy, Co-Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival, said the agreement between the Adelaide Festival and the Edinburgh International Festival watershed for both organisations.
“It is thrilling to contemplate a shared future which involves creative collaborations, commissions, and artistic exchange; opportunities to share market insights and new audience and business initiatives; and celebrating the commitment of audiences in both cities to a rich and diverse cultural life,” Healy said.
Adelaide will see an immediate result of the agreement as the United Kingdom’s largest ticketing company, Red61 will be opening in Adelaide.
According to South Australian Arts Minister Jack Snelling, the new $350,000 digital platform will be South Australian owned and will put Adelaide Fringe at the forefront of digital technology in the international festivals industry by streamlining and integrating the way all groups connect with the Fringe, Snelling added that,
“This platform will also provide a sophisticated matchmaking for interstate and international buyers looking to purchase new work and improve media and PR interaction with the artists and events and increase access to the Fringe by educators and students of all ages”.
The industry alliance that represents the top 10 arts festivals in South Australia, Festival Adelaide announced that Adelaide will host a meeting of the International Festival Cities Network in March 2017, where representatives from Edinburgh, Barcelona, Krakow, Montreal and Berlin will gather in Adelaide to share their knowledge, Ideas and experience.
Big things are set for Adelaide and Edinburgh in the near future, so watch this space!!
links:
Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh Festival Facebook Page
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