Montreal Infringement Festival 2017

The 2017 Montreal Infringement Festival went underground for Health & Safety reasons (artists expressed concern about dangerous exclusion and slander from the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals, which could trigger mental disabilities among our membership.)

We did, however, offer a one-day affair to celebrate the first-ever World Fringe Day on July 11, 2017! Marking the 70th anniversary of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, World Fringe Day was celebrated by hundreds of Fringe Festivals around the planet!

To mark the occasion, we hosted an infringement Open Mic at Bar Bifteck in Montreal, the place where the infringement movement was born!

Artists also proposed adding Fringe Festivals to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Infringement Open Mic

On Tuesday, July 11th celebrate World Fringe Day with one of the only festivals that actually follows the mandate of the original 1947 Edinburgh Fringe: the Infringement Festival! 

Party and join the open mic to pay homage to the brave artists who challenged exclusion 70 years ago by playing on the fringe of the Edinburgh International Festival after their applications were rejected! This act of resistance created the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which was originally artist-run and independent!

WHAT: Party & Open Mic! (All performers get a free beer!)

WHERE: Bar Bifteck, 2nd floor (3702 St. Laurent Boulevard)

WHEN: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 from 8 pm – 11 pm

World Fringe Day: Artists propose adding Fringe Festivals to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

UNESCO is responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. Concerning culture, UNESCO strengthens the ties between nations and societies, and mobilizes the wider public so that each child and citizen: “may grow and live in a cultural environment rich in diversity and dialogue, where heritage serves as a bridge between generations and peoples; and can enjoy full freedom of expression; the basis of democracy, development and human dignity.”

To achieve its goals, UNESCO’s is mandated is to safeguard important elements of human culture. As such, the organization places at-risk cultural practices on a List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to “help demonstrate the diversity of [cultural] heritage and raise awareness about its importance”.

To prevent co-opting by corporate interests and the resulting exclusion, artists propose that Fringe Festivals be included on the list. To preserve the integrity of the Fringe, their goals include:

1. The end of exclusion at all Fringe Festivals worldwide;
2. The cancellation of all trademarks on the word “Fringe”;
3. The inclusion of artists in key decision-making processes at all Fringe Festivals.

More details here.

Infringement founder Donovan King also spoke with Holly Payton-Lombardo and Cath Mattos via video link. This awkward conversation between Late Capitalists hoping to profit from the Fringe and an authentic Fringe artist who wants the Fringe to be authentic and activist can be seen here.

Get involved as a collaborator and/or artist and help challenge the ongoing corporate interference with grassroots culture!