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Fringe Fund
The Fringe Fund helps our very best emerging and independent artistic talent achieve incredible things, supporting artists to find the money they need to make ground-breaking, innovative and brilliant art. The Fringe Fund provides commissioning opportunities, concessions on fees, and even cold hard cash to ease financial pressure on artists so they can do what they do best.
If you are an artist, under Opportunities for Artists you’ll find a list of all the Fringe Fund opportunities that are currently open, and you can apply via the forms linked at each opportunity. Check back regularly – new callouts for commissions and grants are announced throughout the year, so don’t be a stranger!
If you are interested in supporting our work by giving to the Fringe Fund, read more about Supporting Artists to find out how.
If you have any questions about anything Fringe Fund-related you can email our Artist Services team at artists@melbournefringe.com.au or give us a call on 03 9660 9600.
Artist Opportunities
Independent Venue Commissions
We’ve got a select number of $2,500 commissions up for grabs to support the creation of new works at some of our key independent venues. Like a natural wine and a Brunswick share house, each event genre has been perfectly paired with a specific independent venue.
As part of your funding application, you will also be applying to present at the corresponding venue;
Cabaret or Theatre – Motley Bauhaus
Circus or Kids – Gasworks Art Park
Comedy – The Improv Conspiracy/Theory Bar
Dance & Physical Theatre – Dancehouse
Experimental, Words & Ideas, Music or Visual Arts – Abbotsford Convent
If your application is successful, your work must be presented at the designated venue associated with your genre. This opportunity is open to any artist or collective based in Victoria, working in any artform.
Make sure you read the info packs below and APPLY HERE.
Applications Close 11:59PM Sunday 27 April.
How it Works
Cash to Create
Cash to Create opportunities all have one thing in common: they financially support artists so artists can get creating.
Throughout the year applications will be opened for commissioning opportunities including our Club Fringe Commissions, Fringe of the Hub Commissions, ShowSupport and Melbourne Civic Commission. Check back regularly to see how the Fringe Fund can support you to make great art.
Cash for Equity
Cash for Equity is our way of levelling the playing field and making sure that anyone with an amazing idea can have their voice heard at Melbourne Fringe.
Melbourne Fringe acknowledges that people facing financial hardship or structural disadvantage are met with barriers that prevent engagement with the arts and the amplification of their artistic voice. This includes First Nations peoples, Deaf and Disabled people and people who identify as people of colour or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.
Cash for Equity aims to remove barriers to access. We provide concessions on registration fees, support for audience accessibility services, and bespoke support through Microgrants of $100-$500 that are allocated to alleviate pressures on artists from our communities of focus.
Supporting Artists
Joining us as a Fringe Fund donor will make an incredible impact on the lives and work of independent artists. You’ll be backing big bold ideas, supporting bright emerging talents and helping elevate vital voices as they make exciting and meaningful contributions to the cultural life of our city.
You can add your name to the family of supporters already generously donating directly to the Fringe Fund here – or if you’ve got your own big, bold idea about how to support the Fund, reach out! We’d love to chat.
Deadly Fringe Commissions are supported by
Radical Access is supported by
Radical Access is part of our Access Fringe initiative supported by
Fringe Fund is supported by
