2016 marks five years of Fringe in Baltimore City, won't you join us in celebrating?
Nights on the Fringe, a vaudeville-style performing arts extravaganza opens next weekend!
Posts tagged #baltimore theatre project
Nights to Meet You II
Rough 'n' Tumblers at Night II of Nights on the Fringe
See what I did there?
Nights on the Fringe was a huge success. We had a ton of fun, a great turnout, and got to see some awesome new artists. But don't take it from us alone, here it is from the artists and people who were there themselves:
"Thanks again for having us as part of your awesome event!" Bawdy Shop Burlesque
"Love it. Totally creative, totally eccentric, totally Baltimore!" Caprece J.
"A great evening - keep it up!" Herman M.
"Coming to Nights on the Fringe is the best use of your time and money anyone could make, ever." Zachary M., festival organizer
We hope you made it out, and if you didn't, check out the gallery! Explore photos from the first night, up now, and put Nights on the Fringe in your calendar for 2016. In the meantime, the full-scale festival is just around the corner!
Onward and upward, what's next?
This is going to be the biggest Fringe Fest Baltimore has ever seen. Each year we see exponential growth, and 2015 is shaping up to be just as great: 100% growth from last year, more and better preview and opening productions, and cool collaborations with area businesses, including a reunion with The Brewer's Art. The only thing stopping us now is the hunt for more venues!
BYOV applications for the November Fringe Festival are still open! But not for long, if you are an artist looking to perform at your own venue, or a venue of your choosing, but still want to be a part of the Charm City Fringe Festivities, apply now through the end of July! Remember, 100% of net ticket revenue goes back to the artist.
The 2015 Fringe Festival button, artwork by Andy Schoeb
Wrap it up
So, all in all, we did it! I stress "we," because this is all possible because of you (and you, and you too!). The artists, crew, volunteers, and yes, the audiences make it all possible. Baltimore has a vibrant world of arts and everyone who made it out, participated, or donated their time and money is a part of the progress we continue to make in building a stronger arts industry and more vibrant arts culture in Baltimore.
More on this next month. Until then, thanks for listening!
Zach Michel, Co-Founder
Volunteer or make a 100% tax-deductible contribution today through our secure account, below. Your contribution makes possible the ongoing efforts of Charm City Fringe and its year-round services to Baltimore's artists, audiences, and youth.
Nights to Meet You!
Good Tidings, Fringers. There’s no better way to celebrate a city and community than through its arts and culture! Charm City Fringe has a lot in store for our city in the coming months, check it out!
The Festival Apps
If you have an idea for a great production, the Charm City Fringe Fest is here for you. Applications for our 4th annual Charm City Fringe Fest are open now through June 28th. Heck, if you already have a production and a place to stage it, Bring Your Own Venue! Learn about both here!
The Money
More money? YES! Artists now receive 80% or more of their ticket sales, a nearly 30% increase over years’ past. What’s more, BYOV artists receive 100%.
Immerse Yourself!
A brand new event, Nights on the Fringe is a “farmers market” for the arts. Imagine a lobby full of gallery works and wandering artists there to entertain you, followed by a bill featuring an array of performing arts, multimedia, and theatre. Now stop imagining, and get excited, because it is happening live at Baltimore Theatre Project, June 26th and 27th!
Tickets go on sale soon, so stay up to date on the full lineup of artists!
The Venues
We’re also very happy to welcome some new venues into the fold this year. New to Fringe are Gallery 788 in Hampden as well as the Terrault Contemporary located in the Copy Cat building in Station North. We can’t wait to show off these new venues and welcome audiences back to the historic Church & Co., located just off the Avenue in Hampden!
The Volunteers
Charm City Fringe exists due to your continued support of the arts in Baltimore and we thank you for this. If you want to jump into the fold or learn more, we invite you to reach out to our new volunteer coordinators, Renée and Michael, at volunteer@charmcityfringe.com, or you can click the link above.
Roles in the Charm City Fringe organization come in all shapes and sizes, join in on the fun. We’re here!
-Michael Brush, Co-founder
Support the arts! Make a 100% tax-deductible contribution to Charm City Fringe today through our easy and secure account, above.
Thanks & Giving: Awards, Thanks, and Holiday Giving
As we find ourselves venturing into the holiday season, we at Charm City Fringe find ourselves looking back onto the festival that was. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who made Fringe Fest 2014 the massive success that it was. Actors, directors, writers, tech crews, bands, comics, venue managers, and audiences all made it possible.
As a festival, Charm City Fringe once again nearly doubled in size, with each individual artist also earning 40 percent more than last year. This is a monumental step for the artists and art in Baltimore and a testament to just how much your support matters.
This year, we built out the festival to include the Hampden neighborhood; utilizing the beautiful, eclectic Church & Company venue as well as the Great Hall Theatre at St. Mary’s and after parties at Golden West.
There was so much energy, creativity, and philanthropy on display at this year’s festival, and we here at Charm City Fringe are so thankful to everyone who made it possible. From our volunteers who put in countless hours, going above and beyond to prepare each venue, to our sponsors and partners who gave us the means to make 2014 our best yet, to the artists, who again showed that there is tons of great, fresh new work to be seen: Thank you.
This year’s Charm City Fringe Festival was a grand experience, and with your support it will continue to evolve, grow, and provide a platform for Fringe art and artists through 2015 and beyond. We’ll see you then, and perhaps sooner than you think.
Bravo, and have a wonderful, safe, and wonderfully safe holidays.
-The Charm City Fringe Family
Photo credit: Valerie Paulsgrove, Baltimore City Paper
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD
This year we launched an Audience Choice Award for the artist or company that receives the most votes. This year's recipient:
BEST OF FRINGE
Each year, we choose the artist or company that most embodies the Fringe esthetic. We had countless wonderful productions, but one in particular stood out. This year's recipient:
INTERROBANG THEATRE CO: LEVELING UP
SUPPORT FRINGE
The growth that the festival and our artists were able to achieve in 2014 is a testament to just how much your support matters.
This holiday season, we ask that you take the opportunity to give back to the artists and arts community of Baltimore. Let your friends and followers know that you participated in or support the arts scene and Charm City Fringe with the hashtag #bMoreFringe15.
We hope that you will consider Charm City Fringe in your holiday generosity.
Theatre, and Music, and Beers! Oh My!
We’ve locked down the venues, picked the artists, received more grants and support than ever before, and our educational work is taking off. Oh, and there’s going to be a Fringe Beer.
First, the artists. We’ve nearly doubled the performing companies this year. There’s a one-woman cooking show comedy and a group of clowns exploring the meaning of life. And if you’re looking for something else, there’s plenty more.
Click here to get the scoop on all of this year's performers
Now, the venues. Returning for their second engagement with the Fringe Fest is the historic Baltimore Theatre Project, a force in Baltimore’s theatre community since opening its Mt. Vernon doors in 1971. New to the Festival is the Chicken Box of Station North and Hampden’s Church & Company. They’re as interesting as their names might suggest: one is housed in a former NY Fried Chicken, the other nestled in an historic church off the Avenue.
Of course, all of this is made possible by the help of our sponsors. We are thrilled to join forces with Brewer’s Art. Not only are they hosting happy hours and late-night gatherings for the festival, but Brewer’s is crafting a special release Charm City Fringe Beer! It will be delicious, we promise, and exclusively available on draught at your favorite Fringe bars and venues, also a promise.
If you're getting as excited as we are then I suggest signing up right here to volunteer at this year's festival. We love our volunteers and, along with all of our love and respect, they will receive free festival passes and cool swag.
Before the fest hits in full this November, be sure to catch Charm City Fringe at HampdenFest on September 20th and again during Free Fest this October. We’ll have free giveaways, prizes, and discount tickets and buttons for the Festival!
That's all for now. Tune in next week for news on our new educational efforts!
With love,
Michael Brush, co-founder