Brighton Fringe needs your support

England’s largest arts festival, Brighton Fringe, aims to remain affordable for artists and audiences during the cost-of-living crisis but it needs your help to do so.

In 2022, Brighton Fringe showcased over 4,000 performances of 765 events at 124 venues in Brighton, Hove and beyond, with an estimated attendance of 370,000 people, and an economic impact of £14 million for the local economy. 

There was something for everyone with a jam-packed programme of comedy, cabaret and theatre, plus circus and dance performances, and also workshops, tours and more. Venues varied from big top circus tents to candlelit churches and pop-up performances in parks. The vast appeal of Brighton Fringe was demonstrated by its audience demographics. 

Just over half of Brighton Fringe attendees fell in the 45-64 age range (51.1 per cent), with 14.8 per cent of audience members in the 64+ range and the remaining audience ranging from 0-44 years old (34.1 per cent). Around 60 per cent of the Brighton Fringe audience possess a BN postcode but the reach of the festival was felt both nationally and internationally with audiences travelling from the USA, Japan and even Australia. 

Despite delivering a successful festival considering the economic landscape, Brighton Fringe still finds itself vulnerable. “As we have emerged from the pandemic, with the current economic uncertainty, in many ways we are all still in survival mode,” says Brighton Fringe CEO Julian Caddy. “The arts sector remains extremely vulnerable, so as a festival that provides an open-access platform for people of all backgrounds and perspectives to take part, we aim to keep costs as low as possible, whilst still improving services wherever we can, the only way to do this is through support from the wider community.”

Brighton Fringe not only runs England’s largest arts festival but also offers a free year-round education programme, ‘Fringe Academy’, which promotes artistic development, and additionally provides artists with financial support to take part in Brighton Fringe through their bursary scheme. 

Brighton Fringe is a registered charity that receives no regular public funding. Its finances are dependent on generous donations, box office commission, grant applications and partnerships with local and national businesses.

Previous partnerships have included sponsorships by major brands such as Citroën, Uber Eats, Hendricks Gin, Aperol Spritz and Alpro; travel industry giants Gatwick Airport and Govia Thameslink Railways; media partners such as The i Paper; utility company Southern Water, and financial services organisations such as Legal & General.

This year, several partnerships have already been announced. A partnership with local business Bird & Blend Tea Co. will see a number of bursaries given away, allowing those who may not otherwise be able to participate to host a Brighton Fringe event, alongside a generous donation through sales of a specially selected tea at all their stores across the country next spring. Uber Eats are also set to continue its relationship with Brighton Fringe as the headline ticket sponsor, allowing them access to Brighton Fringe’s audience and providing a platform for them to compete for customers with other delivery services in the area.

There are many different ways for you or your business to get involved with Brighton Fringe and support the arts in the Sussex community and beyond. Brighton Fringe is currently seeking an overall festival sponsor, as well as sponsorship for its Fringe Academy programme, bursaries and awards and other assets.

The small development team at Brighton Fringe work hard to tailor each partnership to your business needs through a variety of channels and strategies, whatever your requirements.

‘Why the arts?’ you may ask. Whilst there are so many worthy causes in this current climate, those involved in Brighton Fringe believe there is still space at the table for the arts. The arts allow each one of us a form of escapism and encourage us to explore our emotions, expand our imaginations and develop our understanding of the world. Brighton Fringe works with community groups such as Gig Buddies for Good Mental Health, The Ledward Centre, BARCO and others to ensure access to the arts for all, no matter the economic landscape of the day. 

This year, Brighton Fringe is also offering free registration to several young people via our partnership with Brighton Youth Centre, as well as working closely with the Pebble Trust which nurtures young creatives in their endeavours.

To do all this, alongside delivering England’s largest arts festival requires support from the local community. If your business would be interested in getting involved with Brighton Fringe through a partnership, please get in touch.

The first release of tickets for Brighton Fringe 2023 will go on sale on Thursday 1 December for Friends of Brighton Fringe, and Friday 2 December for the general public. Brighton Fringe 2023 will run from 5 May – 4 June. 

To support Brighton Fringe, contact Amy Keogh, Head of Development and Operations, at amy.keogh@brightonfringe.org

www.brightonfringe.org