Exeter Fringe Festival Announces October 2021 Dates Including Artist Support Programme

Exeter Fringe Festival is making a comeback this October by entertaining audiences and supporting local theatre-makers in person. From 11th to 17th October 2021, the Exeter Fringe Festival, supported by Exeter Northcott Theatre, will include live performances, running alongside a research and development programme, work in progress showings and panel events. The festival will take place in person, with Covid guidelines in place to ensure the safety of audiences and performers.

The performance programme will take place at Exeter Phoenix and Exeter Barnfield Theatre. A panel of local theatre makers alongside the venues themselves will be invited to decide which performances take place at the festival. They’ll assess applications from an open call to local companies and performers (application dates to be announced).

As the arts industry emerges into a brave new world, actors, directors, producers, creatives and venues all need ongoing support in order to sustain the cultural infrastructure that’s vital to the wider Exeter community. The festival is planning a comprehensive support programme to encompass this effort and they’ve teamed up with cultural organisations across the city to make it happen including Maketank and Exeter Library with more to be confirmed. Supported artists will be given 5 days of research and development space with mentorship, culminating in a showing at the end of the week attended by cultural leaders from across the city.

Festival Director Alex Jackson comments:

After the year we’ve all had, I am thrilled to be launching our plans for the 2021 Exeter Fringe Festival. Following our first festival in summer 2019, we really wanted to build on that success and support more work being made in and around Exeter. This year, supported by Exeter Northcott Theatre, we’re working with more partner venues, and cultural organisations from across the city who have all been really supportive of our efforts to make the festival happen.

The festival is also submitting funding applications to include the addition of work in progress ‘scratch’ performances for pieces that are in development, and further mentoring for the research and development programme.

You can find out more about Exeter Fringe Festival by visiting www.exefringe.co.uk and sign up to their newsletter to be the first to hear about performance opportunities and events going on sale.