Tallinn Fringe Festival heads into 4th week as venues, artists collaborate
The 10th annual Tallinn Fringe Festival into its fourth week now and is still to bring dozens of performances across the capital.
Organizers say the festival, which operates without a central selection committee, has assembled a wide range of venues this year, from theaters to bars and clubs, which are collaborating with artists under the festival's open‑access model.
According to Sam Gough, a representative of Summerhall, one of the largest venues at the world famous Edinburgh Fringe, this type of model can offer venues much more than simply an opportunity to host new performances during the course of the festival.
"A Fringe festival is not only an opportunity for artists, it can also be a real opportunity for venues. By opening their doors to Fringe artists, venues can reach new audiences, discover new work and build relationships with artists and producers from around the world," Gough said.
He added that some of these relationships can flourish long after the festival is over, creating opportunities for artists to return throughout the year. "In Edinburgh, the relationship between Fringe, artists and venues has become an important part of the city's cultural ecosystem, and I think there is no reason why Tallinn couldn't develop something similar."
The more bars, theaters or other venues see Fringe as an opportunity to collaborate rather than competition, the better, and the stronger the ecosystem can become, Gough added.
Fringe has brought together dozens of venues over the course of the month, in Tallinn, and audiences have responded in showing a growing interest. The Fringe format gives venues an opportunity to experiment with new artists and genres, reach new audiences and build connections with international and local performers, organizers say.
The festival continues across the capital until Friday, September 18, exactly a month after it began. The 10th‑anniversary program features more than 90 productions and over 200 performances, including theater, standup comedy, audience participation events, live music, circus, dance, burlesque, cabaret and magic. The full program and event info is here.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
