Artists

Through a variety of programs, Minnesota Fringe works with 1,000+ artists each year to create adventurous performing arts experiences featuring an array of genres, and supporting the development of new, adventurous work.

Fringe Festival   

• The 2021 Minnesota Fringe Festival features virtual pre-recorded and live shows and in-person independently produced live shows.  Producers in the 2021 Fringe Festival are paid 75% of box office receipts based on tickets sold for online or live performances. More information can be found on our Fringe Festival Participation page.
• Normally in our cornerstone program, the Fringe Festival anyone can apply to be an artist and, if selected via lottery, are guaranteed a spot. Shows whose lottery number is not selected are placed on a waiting list in case selected performers drop out. To ensure a wide range of artists can participate, we offer three producer funding opportunities to help tackle costs of normal festival participation: our Fee Deferment Program, allowing artists to deduct their producer fee from their final box office payout (meaning $0 paid in advance); Festival Artist Grants and a Solo Festival Artist Grant, which cover up to $500 of producer fees in full, creating an opportunity for a limited number of artists to produce their show for a $0 fee. All initiatives are managed and selected by Fringe's Artist Committee, a volunteer group of artists who have participated in past Fringe programming.

Beyond the Box

• Beyond the Box is a collaborative project with the Downtown Improvement District that incubates artists in a peer-learning format to craft their own 10-20 minute performances which take place on Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis. All productions are free to the public and performed in public spaces. 

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Additional Minnesota Fringe programs will be placed on a temporary hold as the organization reorganizes its staff to focus on the festival sustainability throughout the global pandemic.

Virtual Festival       

• In 2020, we pivoted our flagship festival to become an online offering during a global pandemic. Artists participated in the Virtual Festival in one of two ways: By submitting to be selected for a one-time live performance during the Nightly Fringe -OR- featuring their show on our Digital Hub where audience members who purchased a Fringe Button could view content. 

Drafts & Draughts

• Drafts & Draughts is Fringe's multidisciplinary scratch night, featuring 4-6 snippets of staged new work. Presenting works-in-progress in a casual atmosphere provides artists with a supportive audience. Artists work with Fringe staff to design and receive feedback on the specific questions needed to push their work further. Drafts & Draughts runs the gamut, featuring theatre, dance, improv, storytelling, spoken word, magic, and more. 
  

• Fringe Presents is Fringe's annual curated offering around a unifying theme or concept. There is no application process, but artist are welcome to submit their work samples or proposals via info@fringefestival.org from September to May annually.