Fringe Festival Wellington

An annual event on the Wellington calendar since 1990, the New Zealand Fringe Festival is the oldest and largest Fringe Festival in New Zealand!

For three weeks during February and early March, this annual festival features over 1, 100 artists from around New Zealand and the world, featuring world premieres, new artists and established companies creating new, cutting edge art. Over 700 events are staged all over the city – in established venues, houses, galleries, cafes, bars, street corners and parks.

Our festival is open access and includes contemporary work in art forms including (but never limited to) audio, busking, cabaret, clowning, comedy, circus, dance, film, fashion, improvisation, music, online, physical theatre, podcast, poetry, puppetry, spoken word / storytelling, theatre, visual & digital art.

In January 2014 National Geographic named NZ Fringe Festival one of 10 international ‘Must Do in February Festivals’ and in November 2014 NZ Fringe Festival won the Wellington Airport Regional Community Award for Arts and Culture.

FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Hannah is a boss, not THE boss, but a bit of a boss. A Wellington theatre stalwart since departing the world of UK-based advertising on New Year’s Eve 2002, Hannah been in the office for Fringe since 2011 and could be found in the programme as an artist for eight years leading up to the switch to the desk. Fringe is ingrained in the bits of her very being. Actor, Manager, Producer, Director, Production Manager, Radio Broadcaster, Roller Derby player, Mum… she is a woman of many talents with a handle on many bits, and only one height, trust her, let her lead you in the way of all the bits of Fringe.

GENERAL MANAGER of Creative Capital Arts Trust

Emma has been converted to Fringe having previously spent her time working on bits and bobs in the community development and environmental sectors – either travelling and working in countries near the equator, or in the deep west of Auckland. Organiser, fundraiser, bookworm, lover of all bits tropical and celebratory, wife, and mother of two intensely gorgeous boys.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

Bri thrives on working in grassroots theatre and set up her own freelance arts publicity business in 2004. Bri is an actor, theatre enthusiast, proud aunty and caffeine addict.

This is her 15th NZ Fringe, that’s more than half of ALL THE NZ FRINGES and she hopes you and your bits have a fantastic and fun Fringe experience.

ONLINE CONTENT MANAGER

Josh has been in Wellington for seven years now and in that time has tried bits of different careers, ranging from zoo keeping to wedding planning. The only constants have been theatre, Fringe, and his love for Skyrim. Josh has been involved in various Fringe shows over the years including a James Bond-themed cabaret, an immersive theatre maze, and a musical about alien abductions and herbal drug addiction. Josh was born the same year as the NZ Fringe (1990, baby!) but thinks the festival is more mature than he is. When not Fringing, Josh is writing music, binge watching South Park, and being a level 80 wood elf thief archer.

TICKETING MANAGER

Sasha is the fashion queen of ticketing bits and has been part of the Fringe whanau since 2014. She’s got a pretty good handle on all the box office bits in this city, if you need tickets, she can hook you up. As well as ticketing, Sasha does all the bits, performing, producing, designing. A woman of many hats and pants and shoes, Sasha is passionate about the true meaning of Fringe (or is that Christmas?)

CREATIVE CAPITAL ARTS TRUST

Fringe is overseen by Creative Capital Arts Trust (CCAT), an umbrella organisation established in 2011 to facilitate the delivery of key arts events in Wellington, including the new CubaDupa and create a reliable resource for the emerging arts in Wellington, New Zealand.

The CCAT Board is comprised of a mix of skilled professionals with expertise in finance, recruitment, legal, public relations, advocacy, and fundraising. They are:

TIM BROWN (chair)

Tim is an executive with Morrison & Co which manages Infratil. He is also a director of NZ Bus and Wellington Airport. His other voluntary sector experiences include as Chair of Wellington Hockey.

MIRANDA CLAYTON

Miranda became a board member for the Fringe Arts Trust in 2001, and was Chair of that board from 2004-2011. Miranda has a background in both science and arts. Miranda was the manager of the Palmerston North Community Arts Council, responsible for project management, sponsorship, promotion, public relations, media management and marketing activities. At this time she was also a trustee on the Square Edgy Creative Centre Trust Board. Currently, Miranda is a consultant for Busby Ramshaw Grice, a public affairs and communications company.

NICK SIMCOCK

Nick was the Chair of the Cuba Street Carnival Collective Trust from 2008 until 2011. He is the Managing Director of an international HR management consulting firm Korn/Ferry Futurestep. Nick is a passionate Wellington and emerging arts supporter, and over seven years working with the Cuba St Carnival Collective Trust he played a key role in building this iconic Wellington event.

PHILIPPA BOWRON

Philippa was a trustee for the Fringe Arts Trust from 2009 until 2011. She is Head of Innovation at Wellington City Council and has a strong background in government and corporate relationships and communications. She has worked in both corporate and public sectors and has particular expertise in the IT and broadcasting sectors.

NIGEL MOODY

Nigel was a trustee with the Cuba Street Carnival Collective Trust from 2009-2011 and is a long-standing supporter of the arts in Wellington. He is a Commercial Lawyer/Partner with law firm Gibson Sheat.