Lead Pic: Ben Hodge, It’s A Boy?
Brighton Fringe has announced their “largest bursary offering to date”, with a total of 43 bursary winners across 16 bursary schemes. These bursaries cover a wide range of genres from dance to art exhibitions, and support various performers such as members of the LGBTQ+ community and women experiencing homelessness. Brighton Fringe’s bursary programme ensures access to the arts for those who ordinarily may not have been able to take part and each bursary has its own set of criteria and prizes ranging from financial support to mentoring and rehearsal space.
Supporting LGBTQ+ performers, with aims to enrich, entertain and educate audiences, Brighton & Hove Pride offered five bursaries. Ranging from comedy events about gender expression and trans masculinity such as It’s A Boy? at Laughing Horse, to murderous theatre events from award-winning performers such as Blue Blood at Ironworks Studios.
Luke Rollason, star of Disney+ show Extraordinary and long-term Brighton Fringe performer, contributed to this bursary programme by supporting four events. Seeking event from comedians that are underrepresented in the genre and creating alternative comedy, Luke supported events such as Su Mi: Banana Beard at The Actors and Clementine at The Rotunda Theatre.
Bird & Blend Tea Co, an independent tea company on a mission to spread happiness and reimagine tea, supported four events across two bursary schemes. Their SustainabiliTEA Bursary sought events which included sustainability in the event, through educational themes or sustainable event operations. They also offered a CommuniTEA Bursary, which sought events engaging with the local community or focussing on community themes, such as Can I Be Bored Now? at Latest Music Bar and The A Word which has already been rehearsing at a Bird & Blend Tea Co. shop as part of their award.
The Pebble Trust once again aided performers through multiple bursary programmes. Their Young People Bursary supported four under 25 participants from Brighton & Hove, offering mentoring sessions and covering production costs. This included events such as Stimmicanto at Presuming Ed’s, which explores hope, new beginnings, and neurodivergence. Pebble Trust also offered an International Touring Bursary, helping Esther’s Revenge to perform at Brighton Fringe 2023 all the way from Nigeria.
Brighton Fringe 2023 bursaries were awarded by Encore Insure, South East Dance, UrbanFlo Creative, Bird & Blend Tea Co, Pebble Trust, Luke Rollason, Brighton & Hove Pride, Robert Batson, Brighton Lion’s, Ironclad Creative, Legal & General and the Brighton Fringe team.
Brighton Fringe will this year run from May 5 – June 4.
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