FRINGE WORLD 2017 closes with Festival Awards
Posted in Media Releases
FRINGE WORLD 2017 had its celebratory swan song at the Festival’s Award ceremony earlier tonight where the best of the Fest were recognised and acknowledged.
Western Australia’s largest annual performance platform, FRINGE WORLD Festival played host to 700+ shows at over 150 venues and performance spaces spread across Perth and further afield in local communities and neighbourhoods.
Perth’s FRINGE WORLD Festival, the third largest Fringe in the world, sold more than 350,000 tickets and generated box office sales in excess of $10 million. Attendance at ticketed and non-ticketed events topped 750,000 and proves that Perth lapped up the opportunity to escape the everyday and go to their happy place at the Fringe.
Amber Hasler, FRINGE WORLD Festival Director said, “It’s clear that Fringe means something special to so many people and year after year, they come out and experience all the entertainment and delights the Festival has to offer. FRINGE is on everyone’s Perth Summer to-do list.”
FRINGE CENTRAL at the Perth Cultural Centre and The Pleasure Garden in Northbridge heaved with Fringe-bingers from all walks of life. For the first time, FRINGE went luxe at Cathedral Square with audiences flocking to experience shows in some of Perth’s oldest and most historic buildings, alongside The Edith Spiegeltent, new to the Festival in 2017. Suburban audiences were treated to a significant program of events presented beyond the Perth CBD including Fremantle, Scarborough, Mandurah and Geraldton.
FRINGE WORLD Festival is brought to life by the incredible local and visiting artists who descend upon Perth for the Festival’s four weeks.
“Nearly 70% of the 3,000 artists who brought their talents to Perth audiences are homegrown Westralian heroes, with the remaining 30% flocking to Perth from around the country and the world,” Ms Hasler said. “Our local artists are the ones who really make the Festival shine and it’s important to us that we recognise their enormous contribution.”
The Festival Awards round out what has been an incredible program of events. Fringe proudly presents the most generous Awards of any Fringe festival in the world.
FRINGE WORLD Awards are given to the best shows in each genre category, plus there are a bunch of special awards, with winners receiving cash, development support and direct touring opportunities.
FRINGE WORLD launched this year the Fringe Fund and encouraged the public to add microdonations to their Fringe ticket purchase. Because of the success of this program the Festival has increased the prize pool for the Awards and presented two shows with the coveted Martin Sims Award.
The Martin Sims Award is the top prize of the Festival, recognising the best new Western Australian work in the Festival that is destined to succeed on the world’s stage.
The 2017 Festival Martin Sims Award goes to My Greatest Period Ever and Bus Boy. Both shows will receive $10,000 and touring opportunities to build their career internationally at other Fringe Festivals through the World Fringe Alliance.
My Greatest Period Ever by presenter Lucy Peach is a musical that recounts how Lucy found inspiration in her own menstrual cycle to find a new way of life, unlock and amplify her creativity and produce the sophomore album that would earn her a nomination for Western Australia's 'Best Folk Artist'. Bus Boy by presenter Rorschach Beast is a heart-warming theatre piece, an exploration of how we’re all looking for connection set on Rottnest Island.
A full list of award winners for 2017 follows.
For the nominees and more information on the shows visit www.fringeworld.com.au
FRINGE WORLD gratefully recognises the support of its partners including Community Partner Lotterywest along with Woodside, the Department of Culture and the Arts and the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority.
Martin Sims Award
Presented by: FRINGE WORLD
Winner (joint):
My Greatest Period Ever
Bus Boy
Finalists:
When He Gets That Way
Rú (//) Cercle
Alone Outside
THE ONE by Jeffrey Jay Fowler
The Blaz Award
Presented to the best writing for performance by a WA writer.
The Award honours Perth playwright George Blazevich who passed away in 2016.
Winner: THE ONE by Jeffrey Jay Fowler
WA Emerging Artist Award
Presented by: Woodside
Winner: Sean Gustavino for Bus Boy
Independent Program Award
Presented by: oOh! Media
Winner: The Blue Room Summer Nights Program
Special Acknowledgement: The Flaming Locomotive
Independent Venue Award
Presented by: oOh! Media
Winner: Noodle Palace
Spirit of the Fringe Award
Presented by: Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority
Winner: Jessie Gordon
Melbourne Tour Ready Award
Presented by: Melbourne Fringe
Winner: THE ONE by Jeffrey Jay Fowler
ECU Performing Arts Award
Presented by: Edith Cowan University
Winner: Jo Morris
The West Australian Arts Editor Award
Presented by: The West Australian
Winner: Djuki Mala
WA Winner: THE ONE by Jeffrey Jay Fowler
Cabaret Award
Presented by: ABC Radio Perth
Winner: Betty Grumble: Sex Clown Saves the World
WA Winner: Major Minor Marlene
Finalist:
Shirley Gnome: Taking it up the Notch
Reuben Kaye Success Story
Mother's Ruin: A Cabaret about Gin
Children’s Event Award
Presented by: City of Perth
Winner: Fractured Fairytales
WA Winner: Crazy Hat Day - Music Fun with Libby Hammer
Finalist:
Balloonatics
Mr Snot Bottom's Stinky Silly Show Returns
Rockstar School
Circus Award
Presented by: Howling Wolves Margaret River
Winner (joint):
Sinsuality 2: Back in Bed
Pink on the Inside - David Eriksson
Finalist:
What's Next
BARBU
By a Thread
Comedy Award
Presented by: Gage Roads Brewing Co.
Winner (joint):
99 Schnitzels (Veal Ain't One)
Butt Kapinski
WA Winner: 6056
Finalist:
Stevenson Experience: Identical As Anything
Trygve Wakenshaw: NAUTILUS
¿Hablas Inglés?
Dance & Physical Theatre Award
Presented by: K&L Gates
Winner: Djuki Mala
WA Winner: Loco
Finalist:
Hummingbird
Fantasy Light Yoga
Cultural Renegades Parlour Games
Film & Multimedia Award
Presented by: Channel Nine
Winner: Next Gen Short Film Festival
Finalist:
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Quizlemania 2
Free & Community Award
Presented by: Lotterywest
Winner (joint):
Perth Chinese New Year Fair
Under the Sky Sessions
Music & Musicals Award
Presented by: Nova 93.7
Winner: So Fresh: The Fairly Average Dance Party
Finalist:
Adam Page - Chairman of the Beard
Old School RNB Dance Party
Soul Rhythm Spectacular
The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast!
My Greatest Period Ever
Theatre Award
Presented by: Cathedral Square
Winner: Bus Boy
Finalist:
Half hour hamlet
Paradise Lost
Risscht! The Little Match Girl
Salty
Visual Arts Award
Presented by: BDO
Winner: Toni Wilkinson - The Park
Finalist:
Holiday Feelings
The Paths Themselves Become Unstable
The Daedelus Project
- ENDS -