Hey PortFringers and friends of Fringe,
We are so excited to announce that applications for PORTFRINGE 2025 are finally open! It’s our thirteenth festival; we’re finally entering our teenage years, which marks a time of new realities, change, and self-discovery.
The PortFringe Planning Committee has been reflecting on how we can renew our little festival and bring back some of that PortFringe je ne sais quoi, how we can grow our fantastic community moving forward, and how to amplify Fringe stories in a world that can feel isolating and limiting.
At the heart of Fringe, we believe that the artists’ stories we platform take us to worlds we never had the opportunity to experience. We believe that exposing our audiences and artists to a diverse group of performers means that we can celebrate every aspect of our community. We believe that by making artists’ stories accessible, our communities can grow larger and stronger.
What does that mean?
That means this year, first and foremost, PORTFRINGE 2025 will be a larger festival than in the last few years. We also decided this year that we not only wanted more shows but also missed long-form shows. We are excited to welcome the long-form back to this year’s festival!
In addition, we’re re-opening PortFringe to touring domestic and international artists. Our local artists will always be our heart and soul, but the Fringe Movement is much larger than PortFringe. We want to connect our local Fringers with artists worldwide, so they know they will always have a space to tell their stories wherever they go.
What else is changing?
In reflecting on recent festivals, we also recognize there are storytellers and stories in our community that are missing or underrepresented.
To that end, we will allocate up to 50% of our lottery-drawn festival spots to artists who self-identify as one or more of the following: BiPoC, trans, or physically disabled.
Given our cultural climate, we will be focusing on providing space and amplifying these particular voices in the coming year.
By focusing on these voices, we are not excluding others. Instead, we seek to ensure that our festival grows in diversity and equity. PortFringe remains a space for all stories, and every applicant, regardless of identity, will have an opportunity to be a part of the festival. Our goal is to create a balance that celebrates the depth and richness of our shared humanity while actively addressing systemic barriers in the arts.
How can I support?
We invite everyone—artists, volunteers, and audiences alike—to join us in creating a festival that reflects the world we want to live in and celebrates unabashedly with all those who share those dreams. We are here to provide you with a space to be brave, to be weird if you want to, to be loud, and to be YOU.
With love,
The PortFringe Planning Committee
