It is with heavy hearts that we announce the cancellation of the 2020 Fringe North International Theatre Festival. We are looking forward to returning with our live international theatre festival August 12-22, 2021.
We are currently unable to provide a safe festival for our artists, staff, patrons, and volunteers. We are not able to predict when social distancing practices, physical isolation measures, and restrictions on public gatherings will be lifted. We are no longer equipped to plan the festival that we all love.
This decision was not made lightly. We understand the impact this will have on the artistic community here in Sault Ste Marie. Any artist that has already registered will be reimbursed for fees paid. While we are unable to produce a Fringe North festival in 2020, we will use the financial and human resources to support local theatre creators. We will have more details on these initiatives in the coming weeks.
The Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals and the 250-member fringe festivals world-wide are also cancelling many of their festivals.
We thank you for your understanding, and we hope to see you all soon. Stay safe!
Black Lives Matter
As many of you know, Fringe North 2020 has been cancelled. We are currently regrouping to strengthen our leadership and our board of directors so that when we come back in 2021, we are better able to serve our community and the diversity therein.
Though part of that capacity building will mean being better able to manage social media, there are a few things that we need to acknowledge. The past few months have been a time of seismic change and it didn’t feel right to let this period pass without acknowledging the Black Lives Matter movement. Make no mistake, Fringe North wholeheartedly supports the Black community in the fight for systemic change and for dismantling institutionalized anti-Black racism.
June was Pride month and National Indigenous Education month. Our relationship with the local BIPOC communities, as well as our LGBT+ community, is central to what we do at Fringe North. We acknowledge that we have not done enough in the past and this is our public commitment to doing better in the future. We will use this regrouping time to reach out, and to listen — to ensure that in future, our festival is not just accessible, but overwhelmingly welcoming.
Please keep up to date with us via our website at www.FringeNorth.ca. We are excited to grow, and improve. We know that theatre is a space of resistance and reclamation, as well as a balm to help us on our healing journeys. We truly believe that, when we are able to be together again, Fringe North can be a humble part of this shared journey.
