Join Maisy Stapleton and Paula Towers this Arts Thursday to meet two special guests.

 Kerri Glasscock

Sydney Fringe has announced the initial program for its new pop-up venue Fringe HQ Newtown featuring new works by a range of acclaimed and emerging Australian artists.

Taking over the historic ballroom at 5 Eliza Street, the venue became active on Monday [April 26] and will continue until December, set to play a vital role in the Covid recovery for the independent arts sector by offering an affordable, accessible and non-curated performance space in Sydney.

Sydney Fringe CEO Kerri Glasscock joins us to describe how Sydney Fringe is also committed to being a key driver of a viable theatre future by ensuring independent artists and their needs are a focus, and aims to give a voice to those who produce work all year round and compete with main stage events for publicity, and large corporations for custom.

The Sydney Fringe Festival is the largest independent arts festival in NSW, representing thousands of artists across all art forms. The festival also engages the local community as well as supporting small business and night-time economy.

The historic Newtown venue will showcase seven new works by exploring themes including sexual harassment, grief, family bonds and believing in magic.

Nick Hardcastle

Short+Sweet Sydney returns with a bold new festival. Now performed in satellite festivals in various genres all over the world, the “biggest little theatre festival in the world” was born in Sydney and celebrates its 20th season. Opening on May 16, two performances of the special Hindsight 2020 Gala will be featured – the missed final with the best of last year’s Covid-curtailed fest: Ten, 10-minute plays that won their respective heats in 2020, at the newly renovated Tom Mann Auditorium in Surry Hills.

The following week, Short+Sweet Sydney 2021 continues, Thursday to Sunday until August 23. All plays are performed three times with two weekly programs, each named for an iconic Sydney beach, until the semi-finals and gala awards finals in August.

Awards will be presented by celebrity judges including Jessica Rowe, Tony Bonner and Darren McMullen, which is a new feature of the festival, as is digital audience voting.

Other new additions are the pilot Professional Development program with free labs, workshops and panels covering acting, writing and directing; masterclasses from guest casting directors and agents, a special class on the arts; and the inaugural Actor’s Circle prizes which will recognise five outstanding actors.

Short+Sweet’s new Festival Director Nick Hardcastle will join us in the studio to detail these exciting initiatives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Sydney Fringe: www.sydneyfringe.com

Short+Sweet Festival: www.shortandsweet.org/sydney

DON’T WORRY IF YOU MISS THE PROGRAM!
If you miss the program you can listen again by going to
/arts/artsthursday/ and clicking on the date 29 April 2021.

Tune into Arts Thursday with Maisy Stapleton and Paula Towers every fortnight from 10:30 to noon.