The director of Chichester Fringe on what's new for 2023 and how it gives a platform to up-and-coming artists | Vicky Meets

Will you give us a bit of background to Chichester Fringe? ​Chichester Fringe was born in 2021 out of a need to give performers an accessible platform to showcase their work. The pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis have made the arts increasingly inaccessible to many due to financial barriers, and that is where we wanted to help.

​In 2021 we had three days of free live-streamed performances, broadcasting out of the Vicar's Hall at Chichester Cathedral. Last year we ran events over three weekends, with a mixture of in person events and live streaming.

This year we have grown considerably, with over 50 performers and 30+ shows packed into just 18 days! Chichester Fringe now gives a platform for up-and-coming artists, enabling them to test material and develop their craft before moving on to bigger festivals and venues around the country.

Who gets all this done? We are also run solely by volunteers, and we are such a passionate team! There are lots of new faces this year helping bring Chichester Fringe 2023 to life and the support has been incredible, from venues to local businesses and of course the performers themselves.

Are there some new venues this year? Excitingly we have four new venues to add to the 2023 fringe programme. Draper’s Yard in the Hornet will host some open-air poetry, cabaret and theatre. Chichester City Arts Centre, which is the beautiful newly renovated St Bartholomew's Church, is where you can see one of our Fringe In A Day events, jazz, theatre and our epic comedy night, featuring Paul McCaffrey (Live at the Apollo) and the winner of the Chichester Fringe New Act of the Year, which is a brand-new comedy competition for 2023.

The competition itself will be hosted by another new venue: 104 The Hornet. And last but not least, The Novium Museum is also on board with a free performance to celebrate both Chichester Fringe and Roman Week, staging a poetry and sound project called Ovid with Reverb!

Is there a real mix of performances? There’s a real mix of drama, musicals and comedy on offer, so you can get a taster of all genres! Comedy on the Canal returns after a sell-out show last year, and Annette Gregory will be singing from her new album as she stops off at Chi Fringe during her tour.

We have stand-up comedians from all over the country, all giving us a sneak preview of their Edinburgh shows. You can say you 'saw them in Chichester first!'

And what’s this about a fundraiser? We are holding a fundraising show on May 20 [Saturday] at the Chichester City Arts Centre. Tickets are available through V2tickets.co.uk; this show will raise money for all the associated costs, meaning that the fringe stays free for artists, enabling them to showcase their work. From stand-up to sea shanties, it’s going to be a great night!

How do we find out more? chichesterfringe.co.uk, or book through our partners V2 Radio at v2tickets.co.uk

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