MISSION
The mission of the Elgin Fringe Festival is to encourage bold artistic experimentation and innovation by providing an accessible, affordable experience for both artists and audiences alike.
WHAT IS FRINGE?
PERFORMANCE
Elgin Fringe Festival is best known for its performance art. Dance, theater, comedy, music, and undefined art forms delight audiences in intimate settings across downtown Elgin. Fringe celebrates bold artistic experimentation, showcasing artists' work across a spectrum of forms and genres. The festival is uncurated, with artists selected via lottery.
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VISUAL ART
Visual art is a key element of the Elgin Fringe Festival. Fringe celebrates bold artistic experimentation, showcasing artists' work across a spectrum of forms and genres. Artists are selected via lottery, and the exhibition is not curated. Artwork is on display at Side Street Studio's Gallery during the festival week.
ELEVATING ARTISTS
Did you know that 100% of ticket proceeds go directly to the artists participating in Elgin Fringe? The festival is uncurated, with artists selected via lottery. WE LOVE ARTISTS and want to give them a voice and platform for expression. A modest entrance fee admits you to the festival and gives you access to purchase tickets (and you receive a nifty button)! This fee helps cover some festival expenses; most support comes from sponsors, donations, and volunteers.
LOCAL AND WALKABLE
Elgin Fringe is proud to host our festival in historic downtown Elgin. Downtown Elgin is a prime location for a fringe festival due to its ever-evolving art scene, urban feel, and proximity to Chicago. Performance spaces are all within walking distance of one another. Each venue is unique, hosted in pubs, cafes, lounges, galleries, performance venues, and storefronts, each with its own charm and character, adding to the experience!
BOLDLY UNPREDICTABLE
As an uncurated, lottery-based festival, Elgin Fringe's art and performances are unconventional and unpredictable. Each artist offers something unique, from the whimsical to the sensual, from the offbeat to the macabre. Bold artistic experimentation is encouraged and celebrated. We invite you to join us on this creative edge, embracing the notion, "Whatever happens, happens!"
DIVERSE VOICES
At its core, Elgin Fringe is about elevating the voice of the artist. We do this with a spirit of inclusivity and welcoming, seeking to give a platform to diverse voices of every culture, skin color, ability, and orientation.
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A MOVEMENT
The first Fringe Festival started in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, as an alternative festival that played concurrently with the Edinburgh International Festival. Now, there are more than 20 fringe festivals throughout the United States, with more in Canada and Europe. Elgin Fringe is a part of an expanding Fringe movement as active members of World Fringe, the United States Association of Fringe Festivals (USAFF) and the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF).
