Fringe of Colour is an initiative dedicated to supporting people of colour at the Edinburgh festivals, in particular the Edinburgh Fringe.[1] In 2020 and 2021, due to the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the creative industries, the festival went online with Fringe of Colour Films.[1] The director of Fringe of Colour is Jess Brough.
History
Fringe of Colour was founded by Jess Brough in 2018 as a way to combat what they termed the "overwhelming whiteness" of the Edinburgh Festivals.[2] When Brough first attended the festivals they noted that “I was looking for work by black performers and finding it really difficult.”[1] Fringe of Colour began as a publicly accessible database of Edinburgh festival shows by "Black and Brown Artists/Artists of Colour" (as Brough termed it), alongside a free ticket scheme aiming to make these shows accessible to young people of colour.[3][4] This scheme has been compared to Tobi Kyeremateng’s Black Ticket Project, based in London.[5]
In 2019, Brough received the Total Theatre Award for Significant Contribution, Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Panel Prize Award and the Creative Edinburgh Independent Award for the work of Fringe of Colour.[4]
In 2019 the scheme distributed over 500 tickets to young people of colour.[6]
The Covid-19 pandemic affected the delivery of Fringe of Colour, which as a result went online. Fringe of Colour Films streamed over 40 films by people of colour during August 2020, and 23 films during August 2021.[7] Both years, Fringe of Colour Films invited writers to respond to the films screened as part of their Responses programme.[8]
Programme
In 2020, the film programme included, among others, Athena Kugblenu, Mandla Rae, Selina Thompson and Hannah Lavery.[1]
In 2021, the film programme was curated around four themes: Protest, Flight, Rituals and Self.[8] It included, among others, Thulani Rachia, Sekai Machache, and Mae Diansangu.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d "Fringe of Colour Films: 'the diversity checklist is discarded first in a crisis'". the Guardian. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Grassroots project addresses Edinburgh fringe's 'overwhelming whiteness'". the Guardian. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Editorial – An Introduction to Fringe of Colour Films". Fringe of Colour Films. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ a b "30 Under 30: Jessica Brough - YWCA Scotland | The Young Women's Movement". www.ywcascotland.org. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ Shury-Smith, Hannah. "TBB Talks To… Founder of Fringe of Colour Jess Brough | The British Blacklist". Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Fringe of Colour's Online Film Festival - The Skinny". www.theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Festival review: Fringe of Colour". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "Fringe of Colour reveal 2021 film programme - The Skinny". www.theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2021.