Supplied by Arts Council of Algoma and Districts…
A successful, first time festival in Sault Ste. Marie last August are hard at work planning Year Two. Artist and volunteer registrations are now open, next summer’s festival dates have been set, and preliminary events are being announced.

The second annual Fringe North Festival returns August 9-19, 2018. Artist/performer registrations opened January 1, 2018 by submission to www.fringenorth.ca. Early submissions are encouraged since selection is based on a first submitted, first chosen basis. Information on other ways to get involved can also be found on the website, including sponsor package and volunteer registration.

As part of the Fringe North commitment to “Fringe All Year”, two pre-festival events are planned for 2018, beginning with a double-header on January 20.

“Debwewin” (Truth), an original work by Fringe ’17 alumni Sarah Gartshore, will be performed at the ‘Black Box” Studio, in the Sault Community Theatre Centre (formerly Kiwanis Community Centre). Doors open at 6:00 pm, giving audiences enough time to take in a historical installation mounted in partnership with the Shingwauk Residential School Centre. Performance starts at 7:00 pm, and audiences will be invited to share their responses after the performance. Admission is free (first come, first served), made possible by a grant from Canadian Heritage. Fringe North also gratefully acknowledges Sault MP Terry Sheehan, who has been supportive of the festival from day one. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1908825832767637/ for more details. Viewer discretion is advised.

Arts Council of Sault Ste Marie and District

Also on January 20, an art exhibition will be mounted in the foyer of White Pines to celebrate the success of the Arts Council of Algoma “Miinikaan Project”. A visual art exhibit of Indigenous, youth-driven art, this represents the cumulative collaborate effort of Miinikaan Project participants. Doors will be open from 2:00 until 8:00 pm; admission is free for this event. Russell Raven, President of the Board of Directors and Interim Executive Director of the Arts Council of Algoma & Districts said, “The Art Council of Algoma is would like to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation for their support of the Miinikaan Project which successfully engaged Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in the efforts to provide a place for artists to participate and exhibit their artwork…The Arts Council of Algoma is proud to collaborate with Fringe North to promote and produce extraordinary opportunities for local and world class performers and artists.”

“This is a really exciting time for us” said Fringe North Artistic Director and President of the Board Tova Arbus. “We already have the beginnings of a fantastic line-up for the 2018 festival, with new and returning artists ready to engage with Sault audiences. We continue to work with many amazing community partners to ensure we are meeting our goals of keeping Fringe accessible to all. Canada now enjoys more Fringe Festivals than any other country in the world, and each festival is a leader in the development of theatre artists and audiences. The arts play such a key role in supporting true community, creating vibrancy and drawing us together, a way to reach across generations, beliefs and diverse cultures, and foster a deeper sense of understanding through creative exploration and expression. Fringe North
strives to create space for exactly this type of creation.”

For all the exciting updates and details on Fringe North 2018 pre-festival events and Festival details, please continue to check our newly improved website www.fringenorth.ca . You can also like, follow and share us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (search @FringeSault).