Unclear future

Fringe Festival struggles to survive as costs rise, attendence declines

When the curtain rose on the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival, it was viewed as a triumphant return for the city’s indie theatre sector. For the first time in three years, after lockdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fringe welcomed back in-person audiences with more than 85 productions spread across 11 venues.

Last summer’s Fringe offered glimpses of normalcy, mere months after arts organizations were ravaged by the Omicron variant: the festival’s outdoor patio was buzzing with patrons participating in late-night events; audience members passionately debated shows in queues and lobbies; a diverse slate of programming featured seasoned artists and firsttimers alike.

But behind the scenes, Toronto’s largest theatre festival was struggling. Audience attendance fell below expectations. Fundraising efforts came up short. All that while the festival saw COVID subsidies wind up and operating costs increase.

The Fringe, which launched in 1989, typically presents more than 100 shows each summer. A mainstay in the Toronto theatre community, the nonjuried festival offers artists a platform to produce their shows through a lottery system. The Fringe has launched hits such as “Kim’s Convenience,” “Life After,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “’Da Kink in My Hair.”

Now, as the Fringe prepares for its 35th annual iteration in July, the organization’s executive director warns the future of the iconic festival might be in jeopardy, as questions loom large about whether the Fringe can sustain itself in the years to come with its current model and at its current size.

“We are hurting,” executive director Lucy Eveleigh wrote in a candid donation plea to Fringe supporters this month. “Thanks to your generosity, we have a contingency fund in place, which enabled us to continue our vital work during the pandemic. But now, our ability to continue at the level our community needs is in jeopardy and we are looking at an operating deficit.”

At the end of the latest fiscal year in August, the Fringe reported $271,028 in revenue from fundraising, up more than 10 per cent from $245,284 the previous year. Overall, however, the organization reported an operational deficit of nearly $140,000.

Because of the festival’s artistcentred model — the vast majority of the box office revenue goes to the artists, with only a small portion covering the Fringe’s operational expenses — the organization is especially reliant on additional fundraising.

For Eveleigh, who has helmed the organization for more than a decade, the past year or so has been the most challenging of her tenure. “It’s definitely the most stressed I’ve ever been running this festival,” she said.

The Fringe’s financial challenges aren’t unique, industry experts warn, but rather indicative of issues affecting a performing arts sector still finding a foothold amid changing audience trends and a pandemic that shuttered theatres for nearly two years.

Speaking with the Star, Eveleigh said the Fringe might be forced to slash its summer programming in half next year due to declining attendance and resource constraints. While this year’s festival will see just over 100 shows, Eveleigh said the 2024 iteration might feature only 50 to 60 shows if current trends continue.

“My goal is to have at least 60 per cent audience attendance, but if I’m not seeing those levels then I can’t add any more (shows) in good conscience,” Eveleigh said. “There’s never going to be a shortage of artists (applying to the Fringe) … but it’s my responsibility to make sure I’ve got an audience for them. We’re not seeing that audience right now.”

The issue of audiences not returning to the festival was compounded by a struggle to solicit donations last year, Eveleigh added.

Eveleigh and her team have launched a campaign to raise $500,000 from donors, larger sponsors and foundations. Overall, the festival has raised about $200,000 thus far. From individual donors, the Fringe has collected $27,000 so far, toward a goal of $100,000.

Jacoba Knaapen, executive director of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, said the Fringe’s financial struggles aren’t unique and are shared by dozens of other small, indie organizations.

During the pandemic, the alliance’s membership declined from 164 to 114 artistic companies, despite membership fees remaining the same, Knaapen noted. Because of issues finding both audiences and adequate funding following the pandemic, many of those companies were forced to pause operations or shutter completely.

“Just in terms of our membership, the numbers tell the story,” she said. “We are still very much in the process of recovery and it’s not unique to Toronto. When I speak with my colleagues across the country and, in fact, south of the border as well, this is an international problem, where the larger companies with blockbuster shows tend to do better and the smaller companies with lesser-known work are struggling for audiences.”

At the same time, performing arts companies in Toronto are dealing with a lack of affordable rehearsal and performance spaces, Knaapen said. “I know some artists working out of tiny office spaces rehearsing new plays.”

The issue, which has become worse during the pandemic with skyrocketing property prices, has been thrust into the spotlight during the current Toronto mayoral campaign, with several candidates promising to open up more affordable spaces for artists.

These economic and operational challenges also come as many arts organizations are discussing how to better support artists and make spaces more equitable, said Patricia Allison, a theatremaker and staff member of Generator, an organization focused on supporting independent artists, producers and leaders.

Given the current circumstances, she said she wouldn’t be surprised if organizations scale back their operations to regroup and find a sustainable path forward. “Companies may be doing less to do what they’re doing better,” she said.

Knaapen and Allison both said it would be a significant loss for the community if the Fringe, a vital part of the theatre ecosystem, is forced to become permanently smaller.

“I’m old enough to remember when the Fringe started and to have witnessed the impact of the Fringe on not only our sector but on the whole city: it’s wonderful,” Knaapen said. “It would be a terrible gap and a huge hole without it.”

There’s never going to be a shortage of artists … but it’s my responsibility to make sure I’ve got an audience for them. We’re not seeing that audience right now.

LUCY EVELEIGH TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR