Dearest Fringe Family,

Due to events now gripping our planet, we are tentatively rescheduling the 2020 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Our top concern is the safety and well-being of our community as well as our mutual responsibility to halt the spread of the virus through social distancing.

In concert with our venue partners, we have tentatively rescheduled the festival to October 1 through October 25, 2020.

We recognize that this is still a rapidly changing situation with frequent updates. To give our participants a clear decision-making deadline, these dates will be confirmed or cancelled by August 1, 2020 based on guidance from federal, state and local health authorities. We will be publishing criteria for this decision in the coming days so that you are informed of our decision-making process.

To our HFF20 participants, it is our sincerest hope that you continue with us for the 2020 festival currently scheduled for October; we also understand if reimbursement is the right choice for you at this time. To help you make an informed decision about your current registration, please read our blog post on HFF20 participation. Right now, we encourage you to contact your venues to reschedule for the October dates.

We remain committed to providing excellent resources to our stakeholders, and encourage our community to reach out with thoughts, questions, and concerns to [email protected].

PLEASE COMPLETE OUR SURVEY

With the directive to cancel or postpone in-person events and meetings, we are working to provide safe solutions to keep our community active and engaged. We know how necessary the arts are in times like these.

We are developing plans to provide:

Virtual “Office Hours” Networking

• Virtual Cabaret
• Frequent Twitter chats
• Online Workshops
• Creative prompts for artistic challenges

To provide artistic scratching posts as we approach our August 1, 2020 confirmation date, we need your input. Let us know how the Hollywood Fringe Festival can marshal its resources to help right now.

Please fill out this survey to help us serve you.

WE WANT TO HELP

We are offering complimentary registration on our website to any free online meet-up, workshop or project that relates to our mission of celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community. Look out for more information in an upcoming newsletter on this.

The history of the Hollywood Fringe community can be both inspirational and instructive in times such as these. Throughout its past, the Fringe has revealed the tremendous implications that an impromptu, grassroots force of artists can enact in its surrounding society. The groundswell of camaraderie, good will, and empathetic connections we witness in the lead-up to the annual festival mirrors the resilience this moment requires of the world’s citizenry.

In light of this announcement, we sincerely hope that all in our community will renew their commitments to one another, and project the spirit of our festival into these unprecedented  times. Stay healthy, friends.

With love and support,

The Hollywood Fringe Festival

Hello Friends,

In times of uncertainty and fear, the world needs art to raise tired spirits.

On Wednesday, we sent a message regarding our planning around the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it will have on Fringe. To allow time to methodically digest the challenges that now face us and to implement changes to keep us all healthy, we are updating our Fringe format in the following ways.

The REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS EXTENDED to May 1st, 2020. Hollywood Fringe Registration refunds will be honored until this date. For those who need more time to decide if participation is right for them this year, we are moving back our registration deadline one month. We know these decisions are not made lightly. Please use this time to learn how this pandemic will impact your family, friends and health.

Out of due caution and the need to create equal opportunities for all participants, we are canceling our in-person events in March and replacing them with Virtual Fringe experiences.

• Hiking About Fringe scheduled for Saturday March 14th has been cancelled, April & May hiking events are currently still on the schedule.
  
  
• Fringe Speed Dating will be revamped into an online chat led by Fringe veterans via Twitter. This will function similar to our Twitter chats, which will remain unchanged.
  
  
• Workshop 3: Marketing & Publicity will be moved to a live-streamed, online event. More details to come.
  
  
• Our first Office Hours scheduled for March 25 will also be revamped into an online event. In-person Office Hours is planned to resume on April 1.

By moving these events to online platforms, our intent is to foster our community in safer spaces while this public health event impacts our lives. As we all spend a little more time at home let’s continue to be present and consider:

• What can we do to ease the anxiety sweeping our community?
  
  
• What art can we safely put out into the world to lift the human spirit?
  
  
• What words can we put on paper to bring empathy or laughter to those who need it?

As we take this small break from human contact, we hope to use these guiding questions to support each other and keep the Fringe community thriving.

We will continue to monitor the situation, and follow the advice of state and local officials,  but hope to resume public events with our first official Office Hours of the season on April 1st at BLACK, Hollywood.

We look forward to an amazing 2020 festival and will continue to make changes needed to keep our community safe so that the show can go on!

Hello Fringers,

We are sure that you have all been watching the spread of COVID-19 (the disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus) in the United States through the news and social media.

We would like to assure our community that we do not have any plans to cancel the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2020. As a part of our commitment to the safety of our participants and community, we are closely monitoring the state and local governments reports and will follow their directives in regards to care.

We will be actively implementing preventative measures in line with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), such as:

• Having supplies on hand for event staff and participants including: sinks with soap, extra hand sanitizer, and tissues.
• Plans for staff absences at our events. We have encouraged our event staff to stay home when they are sick, or if a household member is exhibiting any symptoms.
• Limiting any in-person contact for staff supporting our events, by allowing you to write your own name tags and reducing contact in the space.

If you may have been exposed to COVID-19 through travel and/or large public gatherings (i.e. conferences or international events), or are feeling unwell, we encourage you to stay home, as we would with all participants recovering from a contagious illness at the Hollywood Fringe.

We are actively working to provide anyone who may need to stay home this month due to a compromised immune system or illness the same opportunities to prepare for #hff20. Some of these initiatives include:

• Continuing to film and post on FringeTV all educational events including our workshops & town halls
• Provide an online place for participants to communicate and network through our twitter chats
• Post additional blog posts this month with ideas that have come from our events that participants may not be able to attend due to health reasons.

If you are planning to participate in any of our events, we encourage you to follow the CDC’s everyday preventive actions:

• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily.

We understand that this is a dynamic situation with frequent updates. As always, we will continue to communicate directly with you through our emails and hope to continue providing high quality Fringe programming in the safest environment possible.

If you would like more information on COVID-19 information, please check the CDC website and as always, your personal physician is a valuable resource for specific medical questions you may have.

If you have any further questions, please email us directly at [email protected]

Fringeships…They are what drive a Fringe Festival.

They help you find your audience, collaborators and lifelong friends. We here at HFF are committed to helping you connect with other participants as often as you can! Not only are we bringing back your favorite events and activities from previous years, we have created even more ways to get connected for HFF2020!

Fringe Speed Dating
Monday, March 16th from 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm 

This event will now take place as a virtual chat on Twitter

Looking to refine your elevator pitch? Want some tips on promoting your show? Prep for the Office Hours Season with our new Speed “Dating” Twitter chat. All you have to do to join the discussion is use the hashtag #hff20. The chat will be moderated by the @HollywoodFringe account and Fringe veterans.

Can’t make the time but still want to participate? All you have to do is schedule a tweet or two using one of the many available Twitter clients! 

Hiking With Fringe
Saturday April 11th, Saturday May 9th | 10am-12pm
The Trails Cafe: 2333 Fern Dell Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90068

No Hiking on Saturday, March 14, this series will continue in April.

Another brand new event for Fringe 2020! Want to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and head… right into the middle of the city? Join us for the first ever “Hiking with Fringe” as we trek up Mount Hollywood through the famous Ferndell/Griffith Observatory loop. Put on your active wear, strap up your boots and meet up as we explore all the beautiful nature LA has to offer. All level of hikers are welcomed to join us on the second Saturday of each month. This event is all ages. 

Coffee With Fringe
Thursday April 23rd, Thursday May 21st | 6:30 pm – 8pm
Bungalow 40: 6541 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038

Join Fringe staff and fellow participants at our monthly coffee date. This all ages event is perfect for the whole family. Coffee with Fringe is an opportunity to get together with other Fringers in a quieter, more conversational environment at one of our favorite Hot Spots: Bungalow 40! This event is all ages.

Office Hours
Every Wednesday starting April 1 from 7pm-11pm

You know ’em, you love ’em! Office Hours are back! Join Hollywood Fringe staff and participants for weekly casual meet-ups at different bars around Hollywood. If you’re wondering what the fuss is all about, check out this FringeTV video. For updates including specials and more, read your newsletters and check the #drinkingaboutfringe hashtag on Twitter and Instagram (as well as #hff20, the official festival hashtag).  

• April 1st, BLACK (6202 Santa Monica Blvd)
• April 8th, The Well (6255 Sunset Blvd)
• April 15th, Three Clubs (1123 Vine St)
• April 22nd, Pig N Whistle (6714 Hollywood Blvd)
• April 29th, St Felix (1602 N Cahuenga Blvd)
• May 6th, Three Clubs, (1123 Vine St)
• May 13th, Three Clubs, (1123 Vine St)
• May 20th, BLACK (6202 Santa Monica Blvd)
• May 27th, BLACK (6202 Santa Monica Blvd)

Office hours are 21+. Hope to see you #drinkingaboutfringe soon.

HFF20 Workshop #2: “Budgets and Funding”

Sunday, March 8th from 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm

BROADWATER MAINSTAGE

1078 Lillian Way, Los Angeles, CA 90038

You have your team, you have your show, you have your venue. Now how are you going to pay for all of this? Come let our Fringe budgeting experts help! The Budgets and Funding workshop will be led by a panel of past participants and other veteran community members who can offer you an insider perspective of putting up a show on the Fringe as well as expert advice on the best way to stretch your Fringe funds.

The workshop will consist of an extended Q&A session with the panelists with a mixer at Bungalow 40. Seating is limited so visit https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/6856 for your ticket!

HFF20 Workshop #3: “Marketing and Publicity”

Saturday, March 28th from 3:00pm – 5:00pm

This event will now take place online, more details to come

The online workshop will be led by a panel of past participants and other veteran community members who can offer you an insider perspective of putting up a show on the Fringe as well as expert advice on marketing and networking.

The workshop will feature an extended virtual Q&A session.

More info at: https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/6857.

HFF20 Town Hall #2: “Ticketing, Awards and Festival Expectations”

Saturday, April 18th from 2:30pm – 4:30pm

THE ARENA STAGE AT THEATRE OF ARTS

1625 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Our second town hall will focus primarily on making the most of your festival experience. What should you expect when you’re expecting (at the Fringe)? What’s up with all those beautiful awards? How does the online ticketing system work? There will be an informational session led by Ben Hill, followed by a Q&A talkback. Everyone is invited to join us for a mixer after the town hall too. Head to https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/6858 to reserve a seat!

Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned Fringe pro, we want to help you get the most out of the festival this season!