Dunedin Fringe Festival Launches with a Bang

Media Release

25 March 2009

Dunedin Fringe Festival Launches with a Bang

The Dunedin Fringe festival kicks of with a very loud ‘bang clang’ in the Octagon midday Thursday 26th March.

The Big Bang Clang will signal the start of the Festival. The lunchtime event will include ‘Robbie’ the Dunedin City Council’s canon and a host of performers hell bent on creating a joyous clatter. Joining the festivities is renowned local improvisational band EYE, Dunedin cult figure Dr Glam on his incredible Hang drum and our deputy mayor Syd Brown.

Director, Paul Smith, says that The Big Bang Clang will be an opportunity for the public to get a small but very tasty slice of the Festival to come. “we wanted to highlight experimental music and its important place in Dunedin’s arts community and within the Festival. The Fringe is all about innovation and pushing the boundaries and these artists are a good example of that.”

This year’s Festival will run over 11 days from March 26 to April 5 and features over 45 events. The artists are a mix of the established and emerging, all with a passion for their work and piles of talent. The Dunedin Fringe Festival is a celebration of contemporary, experimental art and performance by local, national and international artists. Performers range from comedians, dancers and actors to musicians and performance artists.

New to the Festival this year is the inclusion of Fringe Inventions, an exhibition of Chindogu at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Chindogu are everyday inventions designed to make life a little easier but which are also completely impractical. The event will be launched at 2pm on Sunday 29 March and will run until 5th April.

This weekend sees the Festival’s major public event – The Busking Blitz which includes a non-stop busking pitch featuring Canadian magician extraordinaire James Jordan, Melbourne based sword swallower Slim Pickens, the incredible Twisty Twinz from Christchurch, roving robots and more. Starting at 12 noon the event is free fringe fun.

The Festival includes a mix of free and ticketed events. The Octagon will be the hub of Fringe activities, however events will take place all over town including The Fortune Theatre, XII Below, the Globe Theatre, Allen Hall Theatre, Refuel, Arc Café, Sammy’s and Chicks Hotel in Port Chalmers.

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