2021 Adelaide Fringe Annual Review

ANNUAL REVIEW 2021 Fre d

eriq

ue F ring

e by

Supported by

Pol in

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ymb

al

THANKS TO OUR 2021 PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

COMMUNITY PARTNER

MAJOR PARTNERS

MEDIA PARTNERS

ICT PARTNER

AUSWIDE

CORPORATE FESTIVAL & SUPPLY PARTNERS

®

ACCESSIBILITY PARTNERS

PHILANTHROPY PARTNER

THANK YOU TO OUR AWARDS PARTNERS BANKSA FRANK FORD AM JOHN CHATAWAY SVIGOS & DIMOND FAMILIES ARTS SOUTH AUSTRALIA, DEPARTMENT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET ADELAIDE CRITICS CIRCLE HOLDEN STREET THEATRES INSPIRING SA MELBOURNE FRINGE MILKE MINDSHARE NZ FRINGE FESTIVAL TOMICH WINES VISUALCOM THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT ALL IN ADVISORY ADELAIDE FILM FESTIVAL A USWIDE BARRY BURGAN CHANNEL 44 & LAUREN HILLMAN DENTONS FISHER JEFFERIES FOOD FRINGE FRINGE WORLD FESTIVAL PERTH KATALYST INTERACTIVE MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL MUSIC SA NEXTSTAGE PRINT NATION PWC AUSTRALIA RECONCILIATION AUSTRALIA RECONCILIATION SOUTH AUSTRALIA RED61

CONTENTS 2 3 4-5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

BOREALIS Thank you Fringe in a COVID World Our Story, Purpose and Team Leather Lungs Our Program Venues Celebrating Diversity Reconciliation in Fringe Adelaide Fringe Foundation Tickets and Audience Economic Impact East End Our Cultural and Social Impact Activating Vibrant Communities Honey Pot Access Sustainability Wonderland Spiegeltent Festival Hub Our Reach Membership Our Ambassadors Partnership Snapshot

Scan to view the plain text version of this document online.

http://adlfrin.ge/2021-annual-review

The data presented in this document is collated from reports completed by ERC and PwC Australia. The primary sources of evidence supporting the findings of this document have been collated from Adelaide Fringe audience, business, artist and venue surveys and FringeTIX ticketing data.

1

Ela Bartilomo. Photo: Rebekah Ryan, 2021

BOREALIS

was a runaway hit at Adelaide Fringe 2021 with over 42,000 tickets sold to the light and sound experience

2

Borealis. Photo: Chloe Elizabeth, 2021

We are so proud to announce the results of the 2021 Adelaide Fringe! The hard work of all involved was truly remarkable.

The Adelaide Fringe was put on the global stage in 2021 as the only festival of its size to be running in the world. The stories and results in this Annual Review document are a result of collaboration on a massive scale between all stakeholders.

Thank you to all of our sponsors, in particular BankSA, our Principal Partner of 16 years and also the Government of South Australia for their ongoing support.

South Australia worked hard to be able to stage such a world class event and I am thrilled to see the success of the 2021 Adelaide Fringe here in this report. I would like to say a huge thank you to the artists, venues, audiences and the Adelaide Fringe staff for following the COVID regulations and showing support for this iconic festival, bringing that Fringe magic just when we all needed it. The State and Federal Government were happy to support Adelaide Fringe through these COVID times and to make sure they didn’t miss a festival cycle!

We could not have achieved what we did without the enormous dedication from the staff, artists, venues, audiences and volunteers, the Donor Circle and the 2021 Ambassadors as well as the tireless work from the Board.

The Government of South Australia recognises the importance of this wonderful open access festival, giving artists an opportunity to present their works and we look forward to continuing our support in the future.

Kate Costello

Steven Marshall

Adelaide Fringe Chair

Premier of South Australia

Inm a

, Th

Gol e Mo a at Glutton . Photo: Jordan y

21 , 20 lan

Adelaide Fringe recognises Kaurna Yerta Meyunna First Nations People and their ancestral lands. The lands were never ceded and remain as important to the living Kaurna people today. We respect the living culture, spirit, and country of the First Peoples.

We acknowledge and embrace the significance and diversity of First Nations People’s contributions in our Fringe and in the greater arts community.

The Adelaide Fringe is truly part of the fabric of South Australia, it’s part of who we are as a city and state, and 2021 was all about getting back to growth – with amazing results!

I’m thrilled that BankSA’s longstanding partnership continues to be all about making the Fringe accessible to as many people as possible.

This year we continued with some of our great ticketing initiatives such as Support Act which encouraged people to see shows by upcoming independent artists, along with offering BankSA customers 25% off ticket prices to a huge range of shows.

BankSA Fringe Corner Box Office was made bigger than ever with a new structure showcasing upcoming shows across huge digital screens, it also created a space for people to meet and gather.

Congratulations to the Fringe Board, staff and all the artists and incredible venues on another successful year of Fringe!

Ben Owen

State General Manager BankSA and Westpac SA&NT

THANK YOU

After a year of almost no performances, the 2021 Fringe was an important event for artists, venues, tourists, local businesses and audiences.

Thank you to everyone who got behind the Fringe this year.

We were delighted to work with so many stakeholders and create a fantastic festival just when we needed it most. I am extremely grateful to the Government of South Australia for the Arts Recovery Fund and to the Federal Government for the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) funds which allowed us to inject $3m of support into the Fringe landscape. This year, we awarded over $100,000 in grants to First Nations artists on top of the Artist Fund grants and the additional Quick Response Grants.

All this extra support made Adelaide Fringe viable in 2021.

The Fringe is always an enormous collaboration involving thousands of artists, hundreds of venues, dozens of sponsors, governments, councils, donors, services, businesses, audiences and more. This year, we felt even more united than ever.

Thank you all for making this a memorable year!

Heather Croall

Director & Chief Executive Adelaide Fringe

3

OPERATING FRINGE IN A COVID WORLD

The world watched as Adelaide Fringe presented the biggest festival on the planet during the COVID pandemic, we managed to pull it off with huge success and we did it safely!

2021 marked the year of creativity and innovation within a COVID world. Our artists, venues and audiences embraced the changes and adapted quickly to ensure a COVID Safe festival.

COVID Safe

CASHLESS

All Adelaide Fringe Box Offices were successfully made cashless

FLEXIBLE BOOKINGS

Introduction of COVID flexible bookings & refunds to increase consumer confidence

COVID MESSAGING

COVID Safe messaging & campaign rolled out. Signage & sanitiser implemented at all Adelaide Fringe sites

COVID Initiatives E-ticketing 88.3% of total tickets sold were Powered by LUMO Energy SA

purchased as e-tickets

(4.1% increase on 2020)

Watch from Home 7.2% of events offered the Watch

from Home option

4

Audiences from 24 countries engaged with Adelaide Fringe via Watch from Home The Garden of Unearthly Delights. Photo: Fumika Takagi, 2021

COVID FUNDS SUPPORTED ARTISTS & VENUES RISE Fund

Adelaide Fringe delivered a huge boost to venues and artists with the distribution of the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) fund - an Australian Government Initiative. The RISE funds were critical to Adelaide Fringe in 2021.

ARTS RECOVERY FUND

Arts Recovery Fund

Thanks to Arts Recovery Fund from the Department of the Premier and Cabinet through Arts South Australia, Adelaide Fringe delivered much needed grants to South Australian artists and venues to help them mount their 2021 Fringe season.

made it viable to host Fringe in 2021

Arts South Australia

RISE

funds allowed venues to present new and reimagined activities, spaces and site-specific works in a COVID safe way

Double Your Applause

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OA . Ph oto: Jord an

Gollan , 20 21

A Quick Response Grant round was made available thanks to the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation

Adelaide Fringe introduced a number of initiatives to support artists this year - one was the Double Your Applause ticket which allowed audiences a chance to purchase a ticket to their own seat as well as buying a ticket to cover the empty seat (the physical distancing seat) next to them. By selecting this ticket, audiences helped boost the overall box office amounts paid out to artists and venues.

5

Our Story

The Adelaide Fringe is a collaboration and co-creation between artists, venues, audiences and community.

By championing a combination of art forms and delivery platforms, Adelaide Fringe connects artists with as wide an audience as possible. Adelaide Fringe is a springboard for artists to the world.

Year on year, more new audiences attend Adelaide Fringe. We celebrate the arts and its value in our lives.

Philanthropic giving at Adelaide Fringe is growing and the funds support the cultural agenda of Adelaide Fringe.

Our people are inclusive, agile, flexible, creative and collaborative.

Adelaide Fringe is recognised as one of the most important festivals in the world: a unique experience that touches hearts and minds around the globe.

Our Purpose

To inspire creativity, engagement and learning through the joy of bringing artists, audiences, venues and communities together.

Our Team

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Esther William K

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Adelaide Fringe is made up of a dynamic group of people who pour their heart and soul into creating the festival each year.

Adelaide Fringe is recognised as one of the most important festivals in the world: a unique experience that touches hearts and minds around the globe

7 Leather Lungs. Photo: Fumika Takagi, 2021

OUR PROGRAM

5058 total participants

905

registered shows

Origin of Adelaide Fringe shows

635

169

101

South Australia

Interstate

International

% of shows by genre Genre

% of program

% of tickets sold

COMEDY

20.6

28.6

MUSIC

25.9

19.2

THEATRE

9.1

5.3

CABARET

12.2

12.8

CHILDREN’S

4.7

5.4

EVENTS

5.3

3.2

6

0.1

CIRCUS/PHYSICAL THEATRE

3.1

16.8

INTERACTIVE

2.8

1.5

DANCE

3.1

1.2

MAGIC

1.7

5.9

5

0.1

0.8

0.2

VISUAL ART

WORKSHOPS & TALKS FILM & DIGITAL 8

281 World Premieres

132 South Australian Premieres

28 Australian Premieres

Venues

Adelaide Fringe 2021 saw the addition of new events and venue spaces including large outdoor amphitheatres, immersive lighting displays, laneway activations and online events. The abundance and variety of new events, spaces and online experiences allowed audiences to enjoy Fringe their way.

394

318

performance spaces

venues

84

events in open air spaces

Pirates of Penzance in The Amphitheatre. Photo: Frank Lynch, 2021

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to: Pho

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Number of Venues by location

20 21

Venues

“Some of the COVID Safe practices we implemented at Holden Street Theatres were QR codes for patrons to sign in, we also offered a manual sign in. We had separate entries and exits to our performance spaces and bar areas, checkerboard seating and we had markers on the ground to ensure lines were socially distanced.”

Mark Capurso, Holden Street Theatres Venue Manager

CBD (including North Adelaide) Metro Regional Online Total

2021

% of progam

113 159 40 6 318

35.5% 50% 12.6% 1.9%

Under guidance from SA Health and each venue’s COVID-safe plan,

2021 Fringe venues operated at reduced capacities; most were set at 50% 9

Celebrating Diversity

Our artists, participants and events are at the heart of what we do and in 2021 Adelaide Fringe celebrated a more diverse program than ever before.

33% of events included 50% or more female creatives 21% of events included creatives who identify as LGBTQIA+ 8% of events included creatives who identify as First Nations 7% of events included creatives with a lived experience of Disability Supporting Diversity in Fringe

Adelaide Fringe is committed to collaboration, unity and inclusivity and in 2021 through generous donations and government funding Adelaide Fringe was able to distribute over $750,000 worth of grants to support diverse artists and events within our program.

29%

of grants were distributed to First Nations recipients

39%

16%

of all grants were distributed to recipients who identify as Deaf or with a lived experience of Disability

33%

of grants were distributed to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse recipients

of grants were distributed to recipients who identified as LGBTQIA+

Gender

10

55% female 40% male 1.5% non-binary 2.5% undisclosed

Something in the Water. Photo: Missy Husband, 2021

First Nations Collaboration Grant Recipients

Over $100,000 in grants were available to Australian First Nations participants, made possible by the support of the South Australian Government. Adelaide Fringe Artist Fund also contributed further funds.

17 First Nations Collaboration Grants were distributed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants to help them present work at Adelaide Fringe in 2021.

Aborigi-LOL presents Fire Bucket Fun

Balya Productions CAN’T EVEN DJ!

Deadly Nannas Deadly Nannas Song Performance Karul Projects [MIS]CONCEIVE Party Passport ALL SORTS

Katie Aspel My Story

Briefs Factory International BRED

Iwiri, Electric Fields, SA First Nations Dance Collective Inma

Joshua Warrior The Boomerang Show - Just Keeps Coming Back

Kevin Kropinyeri Kevin Kropinyeri Goes Talkabout

Red Poles Living on Country

Cackling Jackal The End is High (Concept)

The Jack and Annie Show

Mala Band

MoZzi MOZZI X INKJATA

THE STORYTELLER Mi;Wi 3027 Readings

Yakkana Productions Song Revisited “Being able to provide DJ workshops and performance opportunities proved a successful way to engage Community and provide them with a foundation to explore how they can utilise their love of music in a professional sense. Overall, this opportunity has fostered capacity and confidence in our community to explore spaces and opportunities that they may have previously felt excluded from.”

Balya Productions - Can’t Even DJ (FNCG Recipient) Balya Productions. Photo: Trentino Priori. Image Supplied

Our Commitment to Reconciliation

In 2019, Adelaide Fringe commenced the journey to the creation of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The Adelaide Fringe Innovate RAP provides a framework for the organisation to deliver our ongoing commitment to reconciliation. Our RAP outlines the work we are doing to strengthen our relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through our festival and sets out details of plans to roll out into the future.

Adelaide Fringe has a long history of engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through various art forms to make an impact. Our RAP is a major part of our reconciliation journey. We are committed to creating space to listen, learn, unlearn, and relearn. We are here to pay respect to, to celebrate and to champion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, artists and cultures. Adelaide Fringe will officially launch our Innovate RAP in 2021.

Scan to view our RAP online.

11

ADELAIDE FRINGE FOUNDATION

$412,723 raised in donations (more than triple the 2020 figure)

$27,796 raised via the Invest in the Arts campaign $92,927 raised through one off micro-donations to the Adelaide Fringe Foundation $83,000 raised through the generous giving of our growing Donor Circle

THE DONOR CIRCLE

Fringe Visionaries $10,000+

Frank Ford AM and Sam Harvey • Sarah and Geoff Rohrsheim • James and Diana Ramsay Foundation • Nunn Dimos Foundation

Fringe Innovators $2,000+

Premier Steven Marshall • Maras Foundation • Sir James and Lady Joan Hardy • David and Vicki Minear • Kate and Jack Costello • Peter and Alison Hanlon • Ray and Christine Ormsby • Dr Christine Putland and Steve Grieve • Heather Croall and Nick Phillips • Geoff and Anne Day • Tracey Whiting • Dr Scott Ma • Stephen Craddock and David Subroto • Heidi Angove • Annabel Mangal and Bronte Mawson

Friends of Fringe Artists $1,000 +

Marjorie Fitz-Gerald • Andrew and Melissa Mailler • Nick Linke • Annie Steven • Belinda Redman and Andrew Coombe • Gosia Schild • Eli Zaikos Ridley • Adam Lucey • Conrad and Raymond Henley-Calvert • Ruth Croall and Fiona Croall • The Real Thiel • Walter Brooke Architects • Catherine Alcock • John Koerber and Melody Howlett • Rob Phillips and Ella Huisman • Danielle Hoban and Tim Whitt • Debra and Rick Sarre • Paul Martinovich and Michelaine Barker • East End Cellars, Michael and Margie Andrewartha • David and Alison Smallacombe • Simone McDonnell • Helen Rule • Baukulture Architects • Councillor Greg Mackie • Anna Baillie-Karas • Carolyn Mitchell • Vicki Niehaus and Dion Stanbury • Lucy Forwood • Jamie and Eloise Skella • David Hyland • Jaimie Halliday Bird and Michael Newland

ot Ph ey. arv H K ing Sam of DIR d by sente T w i n Th e Frank Ford Award pre

i, 2 or No d a arh o: F

412,723

02 1

DONATIONS RAISED PER YEAR

$

$400k $350k $300k

$50k $0

$

$

Wil

ese y&

$

L iv

130,100

86,755

$

$

Pa tric k

5,000

$100k

15,000

$150k

74,303

$200k

127,744

$250k

THE FRANK FORD FUND

$ 1

202

0

202

9

201

8

201

7

201

6

201

5 201

*includes COVID Invest in the Arts campaign ($27,796)

12

Thanks to a generous bequest from the Father of Fringe, Frank Ford AM, a South Australian Fringe artist is awarded $20,000 annually to tour their work nationally or internationally.

The Frank Ford Award was granted at the 2021 Adelaide Fringe Awards Ceremony to Patrick Livesey and Wil King for their show, DIRT.

FUNDS DISTRIBUTED: A total of $388,743 was distributed in 2021

(through the Adelaide Fringe Artist Fund Grants, the COVID Invest in the Arts Campaign, Quick Response Grants, The Frank Ford Award and the Community Fund). This is almost triple the 2020 figure.

$400k

$

$350k

$0

$

$

40,000

$50k

30,000

$100k

20,000

$150k

$

70,500

$200k

130,000

$250k

$

145,000

$300k

2021 Artist Fund Grant Recipients Our artists, venues and producers are the very backbone of Adelaide Fringe, without them we wouldn’t have a festival! We believe in supporting artists to present new works and encouraging individuals to take bold risks. Adelaide Fringe distributed artist grants supporting 24 projects for the 2021 season.

$ Scan the QR to view the full list of 2021 Artist Fund Grant Recipients.

$

1

0

202

9

202

201

8

201

7

6

201

201

5

201

“We were thrilled by the positive response from audience members, reviewers and arts delegates about the show. The season sold out completely after the first show. We had varied audience groups, including many members of the African Australian community, many of whom had never been to a Fringe show before. We are now in conversation about a potential regional tour based upon these viewings and opportunities.”

The Deep North. Photo: John Newton, 2021

388,743

DONATIONS DISTRIBUTED PER YEAR

Lucy Combe, The Deep North. 2021 Artist Grant Recipient

COMMUNITY FUND $30,674 of tickets were purchased for disadvantaged groups who would not

otherwise have the means to access Fringe. We were able to do this through the generous support from the James and Diana Ramsay Foundation.

21 Community groups

23 Schools

43 Shows attended

1,678 Tickets purchased

Community Groups supported by the Community Fund

•

•

Circus Wonderland - A Mermaid’s Tale. Photo: Farhad Noori, 2021

•

Adelaide Community Healthcare Alliance Inc - Volunteers Bedford Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation Catherine House Centacare Foster Care Connecting Foster and Kinship Carers SA Cure4CF Foundation Feast Festival - Queer Youth Drop In Headspace Youth Mental Health Services and Volunteer Group Hutt Street Centre Junction Australia Kick Start For Kids Multiple Sclerosis Society of NT and SA Novita - Disability Support Services Operation Flinders Royal Society for the Blind Safe Pets Safe Families SASY - Specialist Assistance School for Youth White Lion Women’s and Children’s Foundation Zahra Foundation

•

• • • •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

• •

•

“The James and Diana Ramsay Foundation is proud to support the Adelaide Fringe Community Fund, which is increasing accessibility to the arts by providing tickets to groups and individuals in South Australia who may otherwise not be able to experience the magic of Adelaide Fringe.

Importantly, the fund also provides vital support to artists.”

James and Diana Ramsay Foundation 13

TICKETS & AUDIENCE

632,667 $29.31 $16.4 Million Tickets sold

Average ticket price

An average of

20,000

tickets sold each day over the month of Fringe

Box Office This income is paid to artists & venues

14

Rundle Mall Adelaide Fringe Box Office. Photo: Topbunk, 2021

4.5

Average number of tickets purchased per customer

Inma, The Moa at Gluttony. Photo: Jordan Gollan, 2021

2.8 Million attendances, inc. free events.

An average of 87,000 attendances each day/night across the month of Fringe.

Fringe audience by age Under 18 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

3.4% 14% 27.1% 21.7% 16.4% 11.2% 6.2%

Sales by ticket price type Full Price 63.3% Concession 8.1% Child and Family 7.6% Group6+ 4.3% BankSA Ticket Type 4.8% Fringe Member 3.1% Midweek Treat 2.1% Double Your Applause 0.2% Watch From Home 0.3% Other 6.1% 15

OUR IMPACT

$56.39 Million gross economic impact

$33 Million total social benefit

$31.6 Million 4,431 46% net new expenditure in SA

peak direct and indirect jobs created

16

of tourists extended their stay in SA as a direct consequence of Adelaide Fringe

$1,667

average spend of tourists

26,649

total tourists attracted to Adelaide Fringe 82.5%

of businesses surveyed said that Adelaide Fringe was important or very important to the sustainability of their business

46.46%

of bricks and mortar businesses increased the hours of existing employees or hired additional staff during the month of Fringe (70% of these hours were filled by new hires)

17

East End. Photo: Chloe Elizabeth, 2021

Year on year, more new audiences attend Adelaide Fringe.

We celebrate the arts and its value in our lives

18

East End. Photo: Chloe Elizabeth, 2021

OUR CULTURAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT

20

21

In addition to its enormous economic impact, Adelaide Fringe provides strong social, wellbeing and cultural impacts to artists, audiences and the wider South Australian community.

ya

n, s of Ladie

Re to: ho P . l Sou

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96.5%

of SA based respondents agreed that Adelaide Fringe is a core avenue by which they get to enjoy the arts and cultural experiences they desire (42.1% strongly agreed)

83%

agreed or strongly agreed that Adelaide Fringe is extremely culturally important to the state, and 10% very culturally important to the State

97%

of attendees felt Adelaide Fringe positively impacted their mental health

96%

of attendees felt Adelaide Fringe had a positive impact on their social connectivity

96%

of artists felt they were connected with the local community

98%

of artists felt a sense of fun and enjoyment from Adelaide Fringe

(38% highly achieved this)

Volunteering with Fringe

Results obtained through the 2021 Adelaide Fringe audience survey

Volunteers are crucial to the success of Adelaide Fringe, with our program consisting of Core Volunteers, Access Support Volunteers (who support patrons with access requirements) and Volunteer Photographers. Inductions and training (where relevant to their specific role) take place pre-season, and social events are held throughout the festival to foster the strong community. Every year, we are overwhelmed with the enthusiastic contributions these volunteers make to our festival.

117 1,841 629 17.05

Fringe volunteers total volunteer hours contributed volunteer shifts completed average hours contributed per volunteer Sa

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Frin g

e Vo

lunte e

021 r. Photo: Fumika Takagi, 2

19

ACTIVATING VIBRANT COMMUNITIES

Adelaide Fringe engages with local councils, regions and communities across South Australia through the Schools Program, Fringe in your Hood and Fringe on Tour initiatives giving people of all ages and demographics the opportunity to engage with the arts.

Fringe on Tour

We’d like to thank the regions which returned to the Fringe on Tour program; City of Port Adelaide Enfield, The Rural City of Murray Bridge and Whyalla City Council and acknowledge the new regions and partners which joined our program in 2021; City of Victor Harbour, Naracoorte Lucindale Council and Keolis Downer.

“Feedback about the event has been overwhelmingly positive! The inclusiveness of the event has been a highlight – that there was something for every age group and that we had everyone there, ranging from small children and their families, teenagers and elderly.”

Supported by

Jessie Lumb, Arts and Cultural Facilitator with the Naracoorte Lucindale Council

Fringe in your Hood

Offering support to local councils, Adelaide Fringe assists regions to introduce, establish and grow the presence of the festival within communities. Venues and shows across South Australia were supported by a robust marketing campaign promoting local Fringe programming.

6% increase in metro registered venues (outside CBD) 41% of shows performed outside the CBD 3,310 tickets sold to regional SA performances The Schools Program provides a bespoke booking service for teachers; facilitating class excursions and allowing students access to behind the scenes experiences, workshops and tours to classes from across South Australia. In its second year, the Community Fund Equity program enabled classes from category 1-4 schools to attend Adelaide Fringe.

While the impact of COVID created a shift in booking patterns, the engagement with schools remained high. Our Schools poster competition now in its third year saw hundreds of entries from across the state, the winning design was won by Isabella, Yr 2, St Mary’s College.

Schools Program highlights include…

300 3,000 133 $3,120 2,382 $41,238

20

poster competition entries came in from across the state Schools booking guides distributed around SA shows offered student discount ticket prices in Equity Discounts given through the Community Fund tickets were booked by schools in tickets for artists and venues

Designed by Isabella, St Mary’s College.

Schools Program

Supported by

250

102 Virtual

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Number of I

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94

te s

Honey Pot would not be possible without the support of the Department of Premier and Cabinet through Arts South Australia. Special thanks to Crowne Plaza Adelaide.

63

74

300

Ad fS

The Adelaide Fringe Honey Pot program pivoted in 2021 to enable the continued participation of both interstate and overseas artists and delegates via introduction of the Virtual Honey Pot program.

GROWTH IN DELEGATES

Num be ro

ates leg e ed

leg de er of In rnational te

a

150

Canada United States

Sweden

England

Czech Republic Austria

Latvia

100

Italy

China United Arab Emirates

Mexico

India

Costa Rica

Japan

Malaysia

Hong Kong

South Korea

Australia

1 202 0 202 9

Average number of shows seen by an in-person Honey Pot delegate

201

Number of shows engaged with the Honey Pot program

8 201 7 201

Total number of delegates

6 201

Number of virtual delegates

5

Number of in-person delegates

201

Number of countries where delegates come from

4

New Zealand

0 201

Argentina

50

78 87 136 178 192 256 298 230 128 In-person

Norway Scotland

22 128 102 230 250 3

“A big thank you from me and my team - my first Adelaide Fringe went so much better than I ever could’ve expected.Thank you for organizing such a wonderful FringeWORKS & Honey Pot event season - very much looking forward to next year.”

“Honey Pot is the best arts networking event I have been a part of. The team makes it easy to find artists and shows that are suited to you and the amazing schedule of talks, panels, events and networking opportunities are invaluable. I have made so many great connections with artists, organisations and producers through Honey Pot that I never would have made on my own.”

S.E. Grummett, ‘Something in the Water’ (Artist)

Gemma Winter, Gluttony (Delegate) 21

Honey Pot Day Out. Photo: Chloe Elizabeth, 2021

ACCESSIBILITY AT FRINGE Adelaide Fringe is committed to continually addressing systemic barriers that people with a lived experience of Disability and their support networks face. We continued our access partnership with Deaf Can:Do, and excitingly partnered for the first time with Guide Dogs SA/NT. This year, we implemented a Companion Card function allowing cardholders to process their bookings online.

All Adelaide Fringe produced public events were Auslan interpreted or audio described, while all Fringe Box Offices contained non-verbal communication boards.

Adelaide Fringe is dedicated to continually evolving and improving the festival’s Accessibility features to provide positive and enjoyable experiences for access patrons.

abc

16 Access Support

Implementation of access Volunteers widget on the website Provided with Auslan and Human Guide training

614

223

Access Guide in large text, plain text and audio described formats

1,482

ticket bookings with access notes

Wheelchair tickets sold

Companion Card tickets sold

52

18

4

(exc. Wheelchair tickets)

Relaxed performances

22

Auslan interpreted events

Audio described events

SUSTAINABILITY AT ADELAIDE FRINGE

In May 2021, Adelaide Fringe committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as an ongoing pledge to generate positive social and environmental change.

Our Sustainability Committee has identified 8 of the 17 goals that Adelaide Fringe will work to implement whilst creating awareness on all 17 goals. A to-do list for the world, the ‘Global Goals’ are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.

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The Adelaide Fringe is a collaboration and co-creation between artists, venues, audiences and community

24

Wonderland Spiegeltent Festival Hub. Photo: Fumika Takagi, 2021

OUR REACH 106,713 301 65,318 accredited media personnel attended Adelaide Fringe

9,449

followers

42,095 followers 148,376 email database 2.7 million website sessions 7,265 total Members 21,619 What’s On EDM Subscribers (10.2% increase on 2020)

(4.3% increase on 2020)

(70.4% increase on 2020)

Fringe-related media results

$25.8

followers (5.9% increase on 2020)

(13.5% increase on 2020)

million worth of media coverage reaching an audience of 131.7 million worldwide

Fringe Feed

This year, we introduced Fringe Feed which allowed Fringe Members to leave emoji-inspired “Member Reacts” for shows paired with their personal feedback, that all website visitors could read. The platform also provided an easy-to-use channel for locating media reviews of shows, blog articles and exciting Fringe news.

GREATEST OF ALL TIME

RECYCLE THAT, WOULD SEE AGAIN

Fringe Feed Reviews

NO IDEA WHAT I JUST SAW

NOT MY CUP OF TEA

SEXY FRINGE SHOW

EMOTIONAL ROLLER-COASTER

LAUGHED SO HARD I CRIED

717 media reviews 314 member reacts

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BankSA Fringe Corner Media Call. Photo: Chloe Elizabeth, 2021

MEMBERSHIP

Fringe Membership boasts over 7,000 art and entertainment lovers who unlock secret events, free movie screenings and exclusive discounts all year round.

Fringe Membership has increased by

70%

Member Total 7,265

Number of Fringe Members (5,082) Number of Fringe Fanatics (2,184)

In 2021, Fringe Members spent $1.9m on tickets

Subscribers

On average members purchased 10 Fringe tickets Members donated over $12,500 to the Adelaide Fringe Foundation Members continue to be our highest engaged database with an average eDM open rate of 56.97% “Fringe Membership gives me a better chance to see more shows. Being a pensioner is a big thing for me. I have to pick and choose what I see and miss out on. Now that I’m a member I can see so much more. It’s my absolute fave time of year! The additional shows and extra time in the atmosphere is sensational, amazing, electric!”

What's On Subscribers (21,620) Total Members & Subscribers (28,885)

Members by Age

Yvonne, Fringe Member U18 (5) 18-24 (516) 25-34 (1,882) 35-50 (2,460) 50+ (2,123) Undisclosed (279)

Members by Location

Paint & Sip. Photo: Matt Furina, 2021 Program Partners

26

Adelaide Metro (6,395) Adelaide Regional (401) Interstate (394) International (6) Undisclosed (69)

THANKS TO OUR 2021 AMBASSADORS Brooke Boney : Ni Photo

This was my first Adelaide Fringe, and wow - what an incredible experience it was!

You couldn’t turn a corner or wander down a street without the energy of Adelaide Fringe filling your body. The diverse array of shows and events was inspiring, including a number of fantastic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander shows. I am so proud to have been a Fringe Ambassador this year and look forward to more years of Fringe experiences and memories.

t En ne

er

tai n

me nt

ph gra ays Nharla Photo ang w

S tr

e lle Co

n

It was wonderful to have not only performed this Fringe, but to have also proudly taken on the role of Ambassadors. This year’s festival was more important than ever, as it meant that many members of Adelaide’s arts community, including ourselves, could get back on stage and do what they love! Despite all of the trickiness of putting on a festival within a global pandemic, there were plenty of dazzling shows to see, memorable experiences to be had, and the satisfaction of experiencing such exuberant audiences enjoying the Fringe.

y

Electric Fields

to: Pho

Ross Noble

Ima

After having the life ripped out of live comedy over the last year due to COVID, this year’s Fringe provided a much needed dose of live humour for both audiences and performers. With enthusiastic Adelaide crowds, COVID-safe venues and the lively atmosphere of Fringe filling the beautiful city of churches, this year’s festival was a great time and I’m thankful to have experienced it as an Ambassador.

ge

su

p

pli ed

Tilda Cobham-Hervey

Os ter

It feels great to say that I have come full circle, having been a teenager performing in the Fringe, to now having been a festival Ambassador! This year was a huge success and I’m overwhelmed, not only with the positive feedback I received about my show, but with the determination and dedication of the Fringe and Fringe-goers to make this year’s festival safe, while still being thoroughly enjoyable. Bring on Fringe 2022! to: Pho

Sa

m

Thank you to the South Australian Tourism Commission for supporting our Ambassador program.

Interstate & International Campaign

Adelaide Fringe promotes South Australia to Australia and beyond. The impacts of COVID resulted in an agile interstate campaign based around government restrictions and border closures. Our campaign focused on interstate visitation where borders allowed an education of Adelaide Fringe globally.

INTERSTATE CAMPAIGN TVC Reach 2.3m

Interstate Web Sessions 313k

46.2% increase Interstate media results

Most engaged states (exc SA): VIC, NSW & QLD

INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN (Watch from Home) International digital reach 127K International Web Sessions 101k Audiences from 23 countries engaged with digital events Most engaged countries (exc. Aus): US, UK, Canada, Singapore & NZ *Activity based on 1 July 2020 - 30 April 2021

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PARTNERSHIP SNAPSHOT

In 2021 we were thrilled to welcome 24 partners back to the Adelaide Fringe family and 14 new partners. After a year that was challenging for the business community the growth in our partnership program is testament to the strength of the Adelaide Fringe brand and the importance of our festival as a vehicle to drive business outcomes and connection with communities.

Continuing our relationship for the 16th year, BankSA once again partnered with Adelaide Fringe as our Principal Partner. With continued support for initiatives such as Support Act and BankSA Fringe Awards, BankSA also invested in new infrastructure for the BankSA Fringe Corner, that allowed for greater social distancing and COVID Safe queuing for ticket buyers as well as providing digital information screens to make ticket buying easier.

BankSA Fringe Corner. Photo: Chloe Elizabeth, 2021

MO LU ti e-

ck et

sc a

nn ing . Ph o to

: Fumika

Takagi, 2021

Other new partners included Pirate Life and Alpha Box & Dice as beverage partners, Solstice Media, Crowne Plaza, Lane Communications, Adelaide Town Hall, Porters Paints, Guide Dogs SA/NT and Keolis Downer. James and Diana Ramsay Foundation also supported Adelaide Fringe as a Philanthropic Partner.

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Adelaide Fringe isn’t possible without the support of our partners. We thank each and every one and look forward to continuing our relationships into the future.

New in 2021 was our partnership with Lumo Energy SA. Joining us as our Community Partner, Lumo Energy SA supported two key campaigns – Double your Donation Day bringing an additional $10,000 into our Invest in the Arts campaign, and our Flash Sale FringeTIX campaign. Lumo Energy SA also supported Adelaide Fringe in taking our e-ticketing to the next level ensuring an even more ecofriendly and COVID Safe festival.

Drakes Supermarket also joined Adelaide Fringe as Major Partner. This partnership saw tens of thousands of Official Fringe Guides distributed across Adelaide through Drakes retail network and enabled hundreds of Drakes shoppers to become more connected with Fringe through Fringe Membership.

Erin Fowler & John-Paul Drake. Photo: Fumika Takagi, 2021

2021 AWARD WINNERS Edinburgh Fringe Award presented by Arts South Australia Still Alive (and kicking)

BankSA Best Children’s Don’t Mess With The Dummies

BankSA Pick of the Fringe INMA

BankSA Best Circus & Physical Theatre Barbaroi

John Chataway Innovation Award Mountain by Stalker

BankSA Best Comedy The Umbilical Brothers - The Distraction

#BlackBoxLive

BankSA Best Dance HÜMAN

Presenter: Gill Hicks Venue: Black Box Theatres

Presenter: Iwiri, Electric Fields and SA First Nations Dance Collective Venue: Gluttony

Presenter: RCC Venue: RCC

Presenter: Hartstone-Kitney Productions Venue: Watch From Home

The Frank Ford Award Patrick Livesey and Wil King - DIRT Presenter: Patrick Livesey Venue: Holden Street Theatres

The Eran Svigos Award for Best Visual Art The Guildhouse Collections Project: Ritual Nature by Ray Harris Presenter: Flinders University Museum of Art Venue: Flinders University Museum of Art

Presenter: Dummies Corp Venue: Gluttony

Presenter: AfterDark Theatre Venue: Wonderland Spiegeltent Festival Hub

Presenter: A-List Entertainment Venue: The Garden of Unearthly Delights

Presenter: Delinquent Creatives Venue: Nexus Arts

BankSA Best Event, Workshop & Talks BOREALIS Presenter: Gluttony Venue: Gluttony

BankSA Best Film & Digital and Interactive Award 7 Day Notice Presenter: Nathan March Venue: Fly Bird Fly Studio

Adelaide Critics’ Circle Award DIRT

BankSA Best Magic Nick Nickolas: Gobsmacked

Holden Street Theatres Adelaide Fringe Award Does It Please You?

BankSA Best Music 27 Club

Best Emerging Producer presented by MILKE Britt Plummer - The Baroque NZ Fringe Festival Wellington Tour Ready Award The Jack and Annie Show

First Nation Voices

The Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award, presented by Melbourne Fringe Janet’s Vagrant Love

Presenter: Scantily Glad Theatre Venue: Black Box Theatres @ Adelaide Botanic Garden | Watch From Home

Presenter: Patrick Livesey Venue: Holden Street Theatres

Presenter: Taylor Nobes Venue: RUMPUS

Presenter: The Jack and Annie Show Venue: Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute

Presenter: Elaine Crombie Venue: Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute

Sustainability Award presented by Visualcom Eating Tomorrow Presenter: Post Dining Venue: WEA Learning Centre

South Australian Emerging Artist Award presented by Tomich Wines Nella Presenter: Julia Mayer Venue: Payinthi

Adelaide Fringe Emerging Artist Award White Rhino Presenter: Motus Collective Venue: Black Box Theatres

BankSA Best Cabaret Reuben Kaye

Presenter: Wonderland Spiegeltent Venue: Wonderland Spiegeltent

Presenter: Foolhardy Comedy Productions Venue: The Howling Owl

Presenter: Andrew Kay and Release Creative Venue: Gluttony Presenter: Glenn Skuthorpe, Russell Smith & Special Guests Venue: The Garage International | Payinthi | Murray Bridge Town Hall | Nexus Arts | Southern Districts Workingmen’s Club

BankSA Best Theatre Something in the Water

BankSA Best Visual Art & Design CONTACT

Presenter: The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, UniSA Venue: The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre

Many Fringe shows were recipients of the Weekly Awards and Adelaide Fringe extends congratulations to all.

The full list of our Weekly Award winners can be found online.

Scan the QR code to view.

Adelaide Fringe would like to extend our gratitude to our Judges & Awards Partners for their generous donations of time and money towards making the Adelaide Fringe Awards possible.

With thanks to BankSA, Frank Ford AM, John Chataway, Svigos and Dimond Families, Arts South Australia, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Adelaide Critics Circle, Holden Street Theatres, Inspiring SA, Melbourne Fringe, MILKE, mindshare, NZ Fringe Festival, Tomich Wines, Visualcom.

Inma. Photo: Jordan Gollan, 2021

adelaidefringe.com.au buzz@adelaidefringe.com.au Phone: +61 8 8100 2000