2023 Hollywood Fringe Scholarship Program

Created in 2016, the Fringe Scholarship Program exists to expand and diversify the pool of artists producing work at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. The inaugural program offered free registration to five Hollywood Fringe productions, and expanded with grant support from the National Endowment of the Arts. Since then, the program has continued to grow, this year to 13 fully-funded performances!

Fringe Scholarships are awarded to first-time Hollywood Fringe producers who contribute to the ethnic, cultural, racial, disability, D/deaf, and intersectional LGBTQIA+ diversity of the Fringe community. BIPOC and Spanish productions are encouraged to apply, as well as low income and/or formerly incarcerated people who fit the criteria above.

Our Scholarship winners have gone on to win awards such as: Best Solo Performance 2019: Mr. Yunioshi, Short & Sweet Award 2017: Chatter, O-Face Award for Orgasmic Achievement (Most Orgasmic Performance): Yozmit Walker - Do You: Migration of the Monarchs). They’ve gone on to extended runs at various Fringe venues, a run Off-Broadway at the SOHO Playhouse, Second City, and the steps of the California State Capitol Building.

"The program helped my artistic vision blossom. I have grown as an artist and a leader."

"[The scholarship program] tested my limits as an artist and really showed me what I was capable of. Without the support of the scholarship program I wouldn't have had this amazing experience. It makes me want to continue making work and explore other Fringe Festivals all over the world."

"This scholarship allowed us to produce the show for a Los Angeles audience, where we were scouted for the Fringe Encore series at the Soho Playhouse in NYC. Without this scholarship, we would not be going Off-Broadway!"

How to Apply

Each scholarship includes:

• Free registration for one Hollywood Fringe production
• A black box theatre rental for 3 performances between June 1 - June 24, 2023
• 1.5 tech time the weekend of May 26-28th. This includes the use of one theatre technician. If the producer wishes, they may reserve additional tech and rehearsal rental time at a discounted rate.
• A Fringe mentor—an experienced Hollywood Fringe participant who can help guide you through the Fringe process, attend events with you and more!
• Marketing and networking opportunities as a member of the Fringe community

Fringe Scholarships are available to first-time Hollywood Fringe producers who contribute to the ethnic, cultural, racial, disability, D/deaf, and intersectional LGBTQIIA+ diversity of the Fringe community. BIPOC and Spanish productions are encouraged to apply, as well as low income and/or formerly incarcerated people who fit the criteria above.

For application best practices, please attend our our 2023 committee informational panel.

An external committee (no Fringe staff opinions) will review applications and make selections considering the following criteria:

• Does the applicant meet the scholarship guidelines?
• How will the scholarship award benefit this producer/production?
• Does this producer/production bring unique artistic experience and/or underrepresented thematic or visual content to the Hollywood Fringe Festival?

This year's committee is made up of former scholarship winners, BIPOC and artists with disabilities who have participated in past Fringes, and representatives from outside arts organizations whose missions align with the program's goal of expanding and diversifying the body of work being presented at Fringe.