Last month's Gothenburg Fringe saw producers from Norway and Iceland visit to take part in the third and final leg of the Young Fringe Producers project.
The collaboration between the Bergen, Reykjavik and Gothenburg Fringe Festivals, supported by Nordic Culture Point and Bergen Kommune, is aimed at offering knowledge exchange opportunities, a sustainable working environment and opportunity for growth for those working behind the scenes to produce these festivals.
Producers from each of the three festivals attended each other's events, while Emilie Egebjerg from the newly-formed Oslo Fringe was part of the delegation. Producers from each of the festivals shared reflections of their experiences.
"The Young Fringe Producers project has been a growing experience which allowed me to better understand the meaning and purpose of Fringe, inspired me for the future at Bergen Fringe and made me feel part of something grand and powerful," Emilie Fanor-Fontaine (Bergen).
"The exchange project has brought me new, valuable ideas and reflections. Earlier unspoken questions as well as answers on why or how we do like we do have got revealed by visiting the other festival as well as having their external eye on ours.
"Sharing knowledge within a team of young festival managers have also left me with a feeling of empowerment and energy to further support each other and grow sustainably as individual festivals and network," Elin Hansson (Gothenburg).
"The Young Fringe Producers project gave us an invaluable insight into the structures of other Nordic Fringe festivals and a fantastic networking opportunity with other festival makers, producers, artists and audiences - providing us at the RVK Fringe with ideas and a whole lot of new connections to build upon," Nanna Gunnars (Reykjavik).
"The exchange was vital in providing me the experience of how another big festival functions. It was also very important to get a chance to interact with other festival organisers, volunteers and artists. This facilitated both learning and motivating me to create and produce more successful festivals in the future and get further invested in the world of creative arts," Sidhant Ray (Gothenburg).
"Also as a newly started festival, it was gold to get to see how the other festivals are organised! Get tips and others’ experiences to help our festival grow and take more shape. It really was invaluable!" Emilie Egebjerg (Oslo).
"The Young Fringe Producers Programme has strengthened my sense of the NFN and the Fringe community. Visiting sister festivals and being allowed behind the scenes to lend a helping hand and find innovative problem solving to the cluster of producing a fringe festival has been inspiring.
"The Bergen Fringe team was so thankful to have representatives from Reykjavik and Gothenburg Fringe here with us during our festival period. The YPF contributed to this amazing feeling of a support system in a time where everything feels slightly chaotic and stressful.
"Most importantly it has truly given young and up-and-coming festival producers a chance to gain invaluable work experience for future work in the field," Line Jensen (Bergen).
"Great opportunity to strengthen the NFN and connect artists to other growing Fringe festivals. Also gave us as organizers insight into how our festival might be experienced from the outside. It helped revitalise the Fringe spirit and remind us of the community we are helping build." Nikhil Acharya (Gothenburg).
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