Our Mission
Our Vision
About Fringe
The Darwin Fringe is an open-access festival that supports the development of the arts community, providing opportunities for all artists to emerge, experiment and showcase new and diverse works in Darwin to local and national audiences.
Core team
Director: Hannah Illingworth
Co-Producers: Denique Stewart + Haneen Martin
Marketing Manager: TBA
Production Manager: TBA
Volunteer Coordinator: TBA
Additional team
Will be sound techs, stage managers and venue managers in the lead up to the festival.
Brief history
The Darwin Fringe has been a part of the Darwin creative eco system since the 80’s when it was a club space within the Bougainvillea Festival. Over the years it twisted to the needs of the community around it even having a life as the Fridge Festival in the early 2000’s. After speaking with the community in 2014 a group of emerging artists lead by CJ Fraser-Bell decided to reinvigorate the platform. They noticed a dire need for open access professional opportunities for creatives developing works and their career. The Territory climate whilst rich in culture had very little space available to minimise the leap between the first and final stages of an artistic career.
Enter Darwin Fringe Stage Right. By 2014 they had a program, a crocodile, a team and just over 20 events. Things just kept getting better and better as the community came on board. 2016 saw 80 individual performances from just over 50 shows which has grown to 180 performances from 100 shows in 2019. After 5 strong years of giving sweat, blood and glitter, Cj Fraser-Bell moved onto their next career journey leaving Hannah Illingworth and Tamara Howie to steer the ship.
Nowadays the Darwin Fringe has become the biggest independent arts platform in the Top End offering audiences 10 days of unique low-cost experiences in July. 2020 will be the first year ever that the Darwin Fringe will offer a Professional Development program in October as well as the revised Festival in July.
Team
Denique Stewart
Darwin born and raised, self-taught artist @Deniques_Designs
From volunteering and working at community events in their spare time to creating unique pieces of art.
Their future career goals involve becoming a full time freelance artist where they can travel the world creating a positive change with their art even if its one smile at a time 🙂
Hannah
Hannah Illingworth grew up on rural properties around Broome and Darwin which helped to build a certain sense of personal responsibility. After struggling through the school system due to unwrangled hormones and an inability to see that the world was not in fact against her, Hannah came out the other side eager to show other people their potential. Growing up with at least 6 other kids in the house at all times she learnt to value people’s unique interests and was motivated by her mother’s sense to cater to such diversity.
With a career drenched in community Hannah has also facilitated a range of visual arts workshops and social media mentoring. Working closely with local government and non for profits is where she finds herself at home. After becoming the venue manager of Mayfair Gallery for Darwin Fringe in 2016 and 2017 she went on to be a Co-Producer in 2018 before taking on Co-Directorship with Tamara Howie in 2019. Now alone in the role, Hannah has taken on the position of Director as Tamara continues to travel the world spreading the good word of Fringe.
In her spare time Hannah skates, takes nudes and draws on things.