Fringe of Colour

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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.

Contents

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]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Fringe of Colour Films: 'the diversity checklist is discarded first in a crisis'". the Guardian. 14 August 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  2. ↑ "Grassroots project addresses Edinburgh fringe's 'overwhelming whiteness'". the Guardian. 29 July 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  3. ↑ "Editorial – An Introduction to Fringe of Colour Films". Fringe of Colour Films. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  4. 1 2 "30 Under 30: Jessica Brough - YWCA Scotland | The Young Women's Movement". www.ywcascotland.org. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  5. ↑ Shury-Smith, Hannah. "TBB Talks To… Founder of Fringe of Colour Jess Brough | The British Blacklist" . Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  6. ↑ "Fringe of Colour's Online Film Festival - The Skinny". www.theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  7. ↑ "Festival review: Fringe of Colour". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 "Fringe of Colour reveal 2021 film programme - The Skinny". www.theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
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