The Venue-Show submission process for the annual Rochester Fringe Festival begins in two weeks. Beginning on Wednesday, February 22 at 9:00 AM (ET), artists and producers interested in performing or producing a show at the 2023 Fringe may submit their applications to various venues using one easy application which can be found at rochesterfringe.com. The submission process ends on Wednesday, March 29 at 12:00 PM (ET).
Now in its twelfth year, the festival begins on Tuesday, September 12 and runs daily through Saturday, September 23, 2023. Performances take place in more than twenty-five venues located in neighborhoods surrounding the heart of Rochester. Festival organizers will announce a complete list of this year’s participating venues when submissions open on February 22, 2023
ROCHESTER FRINGE VENUE-SHOW SUBMISSIONS DETAILS:
● The Fringe serves as a platform for artists to present their fully realized productions during the festival, whether new works or previously produced shows. Artists are encouraged to propose their production plans to as many local Fringe venues as desired for live, in-person, and online, digital shows.
● There is no cost to apply.
● Artists may propose production ideas to as many local Fringe venues as desired. Each venue selects and books their own shows directly with the artists. Bookings occur on a rolling basis throughout the submission period.
● The Rochester Fringe Festival, itself, does not book shows during this upcoming Venue-Show Submissions process.
● Each venue selects, books, and negotiates contracts for their own shows directly with the artists; bookings occur on a rolling basis throughout the Venue-Show Submissions period. Fringe venues showcase a myriad of art forms from drama to dance, comedy to children’s entertainment, music to magic, and everything in between.
● The Fringe recommends that artists interested in performing at the 2023 festival, begin gathering materials and preparing to complete the online application now. Extensive details regarding the submission process can be found on the Fringe website at rochesterfringe.com.
● Performances will take place in more than twenty-five different venues located in neighborhoods around downtown Rochester. Artists will have an opportunity to present their shows at a variety of diverse locations including: Eastman School of Music: Hatch Hall and Kilbourn Hall, The Focus Theater, Geva Theatre Center, JCC CenterStage, Joseph Avenue Arts and Cultural Alliance, MuCCC - Multi-use Community Cultural Center, the School of the Arts, the Spirit Room among others.
● A complete list of this year’s venues accepting submissions will be announced prior to February 22, 2023.
● Shows requiring non-traditional, unique spaces are encouraged to complete the application form on the website and submit it to Fringe requesting a "Site-Specific" setting. Fringe organizers will work directly with those artists during the Venue-Show Submissions period regarding their site-specific show proposals. Prior site-specific locations have included Mt. Hope Cemetery, St. Joseph’s Park, and even parked cars.
“There is no other event in Rochester quite like the Fringe Festival where the performing arts take center stage for 12 . wonderful days in September. Working together with more than 25 venues, we welcome artists, performers, and producers from all over the world to our community. The festival is a vibrant and accessible celebration of the performing arts where everything from drama to dance, comedy to children’s entertainment, and music to magic are showcased,” says Erica Fee, founding Festival Producer and CEO.
MORE ABOUT ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL:
The 12-day Rochester Fringe Festival has become the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State and one of the top three attended Fringe Festivals in the United States. More than 500,000 people have attended nearly 4,000 performances and events at the Fringe since its inception in 2012. The non-profit organization’s mission is to offer a platform for artists to share their creativity and develop their skills, while also providing unparalleled public access to the arts. It strives to be diverse and inclusive, and to stimulate downtown Rochester both culturally and economically. It showcases the work of regional, national, and international artists from emerging to superstar.
MORE ABOUT FRINGE FESTIVALS:
In 1947, eight theatre groups showed up - uninvited - to perform at the newly established Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. Although not listed in the official program, the groups performed anyway, at venues they found for themselves. The following year, a Scottish journalist coined the term “festival fringe” to describe these non-curated shows that began turning up annually. The Edinburgh Fringe is now the world’s largest arts festival and the third largest event after the Olympics and the World Cup. Today, there are more than 250 Fringe Festivals worldwide, with nearly 50 in the United States. The Rochester Fringe Festival was the first in Upstate New York.
ROCHESTER FRINGE SPONSORS INCLUDE:
New York State Council on the Arts; City of Rochester; University of Rochester; Monroe County; Ames Amzalak Memorial Trust; Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation; Rochester Area Community Foundation; Nocon & Associates; ESL Foundation; RIT; Waldron Rise; Elaine P. and Richard U. Wilson Foundation; Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation; Konar Enterprises; Mary Mulligan Trust; J.M. McDonald Foundation; Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation; VisitRochester; Nazareth College; St. John Fisher University; Monroe Community College; The Pike Company; 13WHAM TV; CITY Magazine; D&C Digital; WXXI; Fred & Floy Willmott Foundation; Wegmans; Hyatt Regency Rochester; Canandaigua National Bank; Genesee Beer; The Rubens Family Foundation; City Blue; Aspire Transformation Services; Benderson Development; Hamilton A/V; Wilkins RV; McCarthy Tents & Events; Broccolo Tree & Lawn Care; The Harley School; Boylan Code; Bond Schoeneck & King; Yelp!; and the House of Guitars.
MEDIA PLEASE NOTE: For more information, please contact: pr@rochesterfringe.com or Adele Fico, Venue PR Liaison at (585) 402-3947. Additional high-resolution photos from past years of Rochester Fringe Festival may be requested by emailing pr@rochesterfringe.com. .
- When the Souls Rise, Site Specific at Mount Hope Cemetery - Photo Credit: Erich Camping
https://www.dropbox.com/s/bx7wggvh2q93vpw/0033richcamping100S0140%20e.jpg?dl=0
- The Steele Sisters - Photo Credit: Erich Camping
https://www.dropbox.com/s/38fw77hbcpsevid/erichcamping.photographer0036IMG_2726.jpg?dl=0
- Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play - Photo Credit: Keith Bullis
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xs5deocqxh1ubdl/Josephine_Burlesque-009.jpg?dl=0
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
