The first edition of Ukraine Fringe – under the slogan Festival for the Brave – will be held in blended form, in Kyiv and online, from August 21st to September 3rd, 2023.
Ukraine Fringe grows out of the only English-language theatre festival in Ukraine PRO.ACT Fest that after its 5 years of existence changes its format.
The idea of Ukraine Fringe came out from 2 international theatre makers: Steve Gove (founder of Prague Fringe) and Alex Borovenskiy (artistic director of ProEnglish Theatre of Ukraine). Together they will bring the International Fringe culture to Ukraine and raise awareness about Ukraine in the World.
The team of the festival
The creators of the festival are sure that such format will be perfect for the country, because it is affordable for a wide audience and it supports the unique movement of independent artists. The festival functions under the absence of censorship and restrictions.
The goal of Ukraine Fringe in 2023 is to support Ukraine via the theatre festival, while objectives are to unite the world’s Fringe theaters, to bring Fringe culture to Ukraine, to create a festival with an active position and to increase the world’s awareness of Ukraine and Ukrainian culture.
With Ukraine Fringe, the organizers aim to not only support the country’s arts scene but also showcase Ukraine to the world. Since there is absence of censorship and restrictions at the festival, that allows art to reach a wider audience, as the organizers’ wish is to make art available to everyone.
Logo of the festival
The festival will run in two formats, with the Kyiv program taking place from August 31st to September 3rd, 2023. During this period, participants from USA, United Kingdom, China, France and Ukraine will bring their awe-inspiring performances to various venues across the city, providing audiences with limitless opportunities to engage with exceptional artistry.
The Kyiv program will encompass 12 performances, participants from 6 countries, different genres (from butoh to stand up comedy, from experimental to a detective story), 3 venues in historical centers of Kyiv and potentially and hopefully an audience of 600 in-person attendees in Kyiv. The festival is organized by ProEnglish Theatre of Ukraine and supported by AMO Pictures (Ukraine) and Scenesaver (UK).
The Kyiv program will not be limited to performances only. Among the events planned by the organizers there are: an educational platform with master classes and workshops, monologues night where any Ukrainian actor will have a chance to showcase their talent in front of the audience and the jury of casting directors, Stand Up Open Mic in English, parties for Fringe participants and guests, and more. Complete Kyiv program is available at the Ukraine Fringe website.
The online program, running from August 21st to September 3rd, 2023, will be accessible via the British online-platform SceneSaver.
The organizers emphasize that the festival is the perfect stage for international cultural projects seeking a fresh, receptive English-speaking audience in Ukraine.
This post was written by the author in their personal capacity.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of The Theatre Times, their staff or collaborators.
This post was written by Borisav Matić.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
