The Fringe without the Festival
There’s no Dorchester Festival this year - sadly. Although we met the criteria for funding, there just wasn’t enough cash to go round. And without money to pay for artists, equipment, technicians, staff, marketing, and all the other things that go into the Festival, it’s impossible to sustain - so no Festival in ‘09, but funding permitting, a fabulous African themed Festival in 2010.
However ... by the time the funding news came through, we had committed to help local organisations like the Community Play, Dorchester Stitchers, the Thomas Hardy Society and others put on their own events as part of a Community Fringe, extending and adding to the Festival. The result: a fringe without the Festival - a series of events supported by the Town Council, celebrating local talent. There’s lots to join in - from sewing with Dorchester Stitchers to Sing Bang Bop - a dynamic day of singing, drumming and dance workshops in the Corn Exchange as well as a Get your skates on procession through South Street - great fun!
After the success of our first visual art competition and exhibition last year we are hosting a second show - Open09 - from May 23 to June 7. The selection panel, who have just met, are thrilled with both the quality and number of entries - well up on last year.
Over the same weekend, we welcome the wonderful Julie Fowlis a singer and instrumentalist from Scotland who has taken the folk and roots music world by storm - a performance definitely not to be missed.
Later in the Summer we are hosting a return visit by one of Britain’s most acclaimed puppet companies, Puppetcraft, for two performances of their enchanting production The Tin Forest - a show without words but full of visual invention with mechanical birds, a wind-up circus and exotic animals of all shapes and sizes.
And at the start of July, we welcome back Miracle Theatre for two outdoor performances in Maumbury rings of a new adaptation of Moliere’s sharpest comedy Tartuffe - bring your picnics - this will be a real treat.
