Sustain Fringe
We are launching a movement to sustain Fringe Theatre.
Expenses are skyrocketing; funding is dwindling; and previously dependable revenues are not keeping pace with the cost of producing the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival. This rapidly evolving challenge is threatening the very fabric of our Festival and others like it. Without your immediate support, our Festival will be very different.
We believe in the transformative power of the arts and are committed to maintaining our impact. To achieve that, we need your help now.
Founder
Fringing Since 1982
Fringing Since 1983
Did You Know?
Cancelling the 2020 Festival was a $3 million loss in revenue for our organization. While we have celebrated incredible successes in the post-pandemic regrowth of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival thanks to the ongoing support of Funders, Sponsors, and Donors, we are still recovering.
And we are not alone. Based on industry insights, what was previously believed to be a three-to-five-year recovery window in the arts is now being estimated at a 10-year post-pandemic rebuild.
- The number of Canadian performance arts companies has decreased by 25.9% and the number of promoters and festivals has decreased by 18.5% since 2019.(2)
- 80% of charities are experiencing a staggering increase in the cost to deliver services. (3)
- The pandemic triggered a demand crisis for more than 57% of charities across the country. (3)
Without immediate support, our Festival will look and feel very different.
Fringing Since 1983
Fringe Artist
Why Fringe
Fringe began as a grassroots movement where anyone can be an Artist. We make space for out-of-the-ordinary, unconventional, and boundary-pushing art. Unlike traditional presenting models, Fringe Artists receive 100% of the profit from their ticket sales.
When you buy a ticket to a Fringe show, you are supporting the Artists on the stage. When you donate to Fringe Theatre, you ensure Artists have access to all the essentials they need – the stage, the lights, the sound, the technicians, the audience – to tell their stories and propel their careers.
Fringing Since 1982
Fringing Since 1989
Our Impact
Despite growing challenges, Fringe Theatre stands as a testament to the resilience and the transformative power of the arts.
Fringe by the Numbers:
- Over the 11 days of our Festival, we ignite more than $16 Million in local economic impact annually. (6) Artists in Fringe-run Festival venues receive more than $10,000 in support per production each year.
- We returned $1.2 Million in ticket sales directly to Artists in 2023.
- We welcome more than 550,000 site visits each year. (4)
- Festival-goers attend an average of 3.4 times over the 11 days of Festival, (compared to a 1.2 average number of visits for other events similar in scope and scale). (4)
- 84% of Festival-goers rated their experience at least an 8/10, and 40% rated their experience a 10/10. (4)
- 96% of our Festival goers say their Fringe experience exceeded their expectations. (5)
- 95% of Fringers believe it is important for businesses to support major events like ours, and 71% of Fringers believe that Sponsors enhance the Fringe experience. (5)
We drive the arts ecology here at home, across Canada, and around the world. Supporting Fringe is one of the most impactful ways you can support the performing arts.
When you support Fringe Theatre you:
- Provide resources for 1,600 Festival Artists each year;
- Create more than 300 jobs for Arts Workers;
- Uplift 1,000 Volunteers;
- Subsidize accessible performance space for more than 500 year-round arts events;
- Help us grow our awards that support the creation of new work, playwrights, equity-seeking artists, and emergency artist relief funds; and
- Ensure we continue delivering exceptional community-minded programming, including: KidsFringe, Youth Empowerment, pêhonân Series, Community Care, ASL for Theatre Training Program, Fringe Grounds Cafe, Offer What You Will Ticket Program, Relaxed Performances, and so much more!
Fringe Artist
Fringing Since 1991
Why Your Support Matters
Your donation ensures Artists have the essentials: the stage, the lights, the sound, and an engaged Audience. Your support goes beyond the Festival. It’s an investment in Edmonton, the arts, and the future of Fringe Theatre. Over the past 43 years, we have created exceptional artistic experiences, built community, propelled artistic careers, and put Edmonton on the map as a destination and creative engine.
As we face the challenge of doing more with less, your support is crucial in sustaining the Festival you know and love.
Fringing Since 1995
Fringing Since 1988
Become a Monthly Donor
Monthly giving ensures the lights stay on, the doors stay open to the community, and Artists’ stories continue to captivate hearts. Monthly gifts provide a predictable foundation, empowering Fringe Theatre to focus on what we do best – uplifting Artists’ stories and creating transformative experiences for our audience. If every Fringe fan gave as little as $5 a month, Fringe Theatre would become immediately sustainable.
Fringing Since 1998
Fringing Since 1990
Make a Gift
When you give to Fringe Theatre, you empower Artists. Creativity thrives, voices are amplified, and stories are celebrated. Gifts of $20 or more will receive a charitable tax receipt.
Fringe Artist
Fringe Artist
Sponsor Our Fringe
We have exciting properties for you to sponsor. We build win-win partnerships. We offer outstanding visibility. We are the best place to showcase your brand. Every sponsorship is custom, and your tailored benefits may include naming rights, on–site activation and signage, online advertising, exclusive event and ticket opportunities, website and social media promotion, and more.
Fringe Artist
If you wish to make a gift by phone, please call 780-448-9000.
To make a gift by mail, please send your donation to:
Fringe Theatre
Fringe Theatre Arts Barns
10330 84 Ave NW
Edmonton AB T6E 2G9
Fringe Theatre Adventures Society is a registered charity. Charitable Registration No: 11885 3506 RR0001
Thank you for helping sustain Fringe
Sources
1 “Stone-Olafson and Rosza Foundation Spotlight on Arts Audiences Wave 1: Edmonton Report.” Stone-Olafson & The Rosza Foundation, 2024.
2 “COVID Impact Statistics – Canadian Association for the Performing Arts.” Canadian Association for the Performing Arts, 17 Jan. 2024, capacoa.ca/en/research/covid-impact-statistics.
3 “The Giving Report 2023 | CanadaHelps – Donate to Any Charity in Canada.” CanadaHelps – Donate to Any Charity in Canada, 10 Apr. 2023, www.canadahelps.org/en/the-giving-report.
4 “Fringe Festival Audience Experience Research.” Stone-Olafson, 2022.
5 “Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Audience Experience Survey.” Fringe Theatre Adventures, 2023.
6 “Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Tourism Growth Report.” Enigma Research, 2014.