(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- FringeArts, Philadelphia’s home for contemporary performance, is putting out the call for self-producing and independent artists to register for the 2022 Philadelphia Fringe Festival.  As of April 1, 2022, artists from the Philadelphia region and around the globe are invited to submit their plans to present programming for the 26th Annual Fringe Festival, which will take place September 8 - October 2 throughout the city of Philadelphia.  The popular event, now a member of the World Fringe Congress, is a city-wide celebration of progressive, world-class art that expands the imagination and boldly defies expectations.

Each year, hundreds of self-producing artists take part in the annual Fringe Festival by presenting an assortment of live theatrical and dance performances, art installations, circus arts, and genre-bending experiences that highlights a wide variety of local and national talent.  The festival is open-access and unjuried, which means that any artist can join the festivities.  The Philadelphia Fringe Festival operates under the BYOV (bring your own venue) model, meaning artists are self-producers responsible for securing their own venue, and all artists who sign up are welcome to participate. For a one-time $20 registration fee, artists will have access to a variety of FringeArts support, including workshops, online resources, a ticketing platform, integrated marketing, and more. Independent artists are also eligible for the Festival Audience Choice Awards, aka the Fringies, which are determined by the Festival’s audience members.  

This year, independent artists are invited to present artistically daring performances via both live in-person and digital platforms.  Additionally, the popular Cannonball and Crossroads Comedy Festival hubs (concentrated hubs of festival activity with multiple performances) will return, and festival organizers are interested and encouraging ideas for additional hubs.  New for 2022, FringeArts has partnered with the PAC Center of Swarthmore, directly next to the Swarthmore Regional Rail stop, to provide independent artists with affordable Summer Rehearsal Retreats.  For a subsidized $300 per month fee, Festival independent artists have access to up to 60 hours of rehearsal time in one of four available rehearsal spaces on site.  

The call for independent and self-producing artists runs April 1 through June 1, 2022.  The sooner an individual registers as a Festival artist, the sooner the Fringe team can assist them with their Festival plans and provide access to support materials.  Artists do not need specific performance dates or venue information to register with FringeArts during the preliminary call for artists.  In July 2022, FringeArts will announce the full roster of both self-produced and FringeArts curated performances for the Festival.  

PHOTO: A scene from the 2021 FringeArts Scratch Night. Photo credit Maria Dragone