National Arts Fest to use vFringe Fest online platform as ongoing digital stage for artists
With more than 300 shows having been hosted and viewed since the festival launched on 25 June 2020, the site has been fully road-tested to prevent illegal downloads and ensure technical functionality. While the festival provides the platform, the onus will now be on artists to promote their own work, which is easily done by creating shareable links to their show page on the site.
Artists will continue to be the biggest beneficiaries financially with 90% of the revenue collected from ticket sales going directly to their pockets. Audiences craving a cultural fix will find an array of options for on-demand enjoyment; from music to magic, comedy to filmed performances, experimental short films, concerts and more. Tickets are individually priced and at a fraction of a regular theatre ticket.
Says National Arts Festival CEO Monica Newton:
When we decided to take the festival online, we had no idea how long Covid-19 would be with us. Much of the work that we have done to date has been in response to the enormous impact of live event cancellations and calls from artists for spaces they can work in. As long as the arts remain curtailed, and for as long as the festival is able, the platform will be shared with the artists who really need a safe, reliable space to connect with their audiences. We will continue to call it the vFringe in the spirit of the independence and creativity of the global fringe movement.During this year’s virtual festival, the National Arts Festival vFringe waived registration fees as an act of support for artists and will extend this waiver for the next phase. Anyone can put their work online as long as it complies with the regulatory requirements for work on a digital format. The platform is also open to artists outside of South Africa.
Aside from theatre recordings and film, the platform can also be used for any other pre-recorded performances such as album launches, poetry readings, artists walkabouts and more.
Artists and performers wishing to post work to the site should visit nationalartsfestival.co.za/vfringe-submission-form