The Minnesota Fringe Festival, founded in 1993, operates under the mission to promote freedom and diversity of artistic expression by connecting adventurous artists with adventurous audiences. Its primary program is an annual 11-day performing arts festival that runs every August in Minneapolis. The unique nature of the Fringe lies in the fact that it selects all of its acts through random lottery. This means that every artist who applies to the Fringe – from seasoned pros to first-time producers with a big idea – has an equal shot at being able to produce their work on one of Fringe’s stages.
The support given to artists by the Fringe allows artists to take chances and try new things, which is an integral part of creative growth.
The Minnesota Fringe Festival has helped hundreds of artists of all backgrounds, experience levels and disciplines become stronger, more confident independent producers with its supportive production environment. Every artist in the festival receives a professional, fully-equipped venue, box office staff and professional technicians, a customizable page on Fringe’s website, liability insurance, and at least 70% of their gross box office revenue. Furthermore, every year Fringe offers producer workshops in topics like marketing, fundraising, stage technology, coping with reviews and more, while offering an online library of resources that covers everything from copyright law to graphic design to press relations.
One 2014 artist said of the Fringe, “The Minnesota Fringe Festival empowers artists to produce their own work without having to take the huge financial and personal risks usually associate with self-producing. The support given to artists by the Fringe allows artists to take chances and try new things, which is an integral part of creative growth. In this way, the Minnesota Fringe Festival has nurtured, developed, and supported a diverse range of performing artists, and is one of the biggest incubators of new work in the Twin Cities.”
