Every Picture Tells a Story...

We are excited to be holding in our hands the brand new Fringe flyer adorned with artwork from the very talented University of Derby student Helen McIvor.  By Easter we plan to have distributed 20,000 of these, a larger number than ever before, round Buxton and beyond. Our survey last year found out that 25% of our audience had found out about the Fringe through this flyer so it is an important little document.

The flyer is of course the precursor to the biggie, the printed programme, which will come out at the beginning of June, and every year we try to secure the very best image or images to grace the front cover. The successful 2013 cover was arrived at through a competition but for 2014, on the suggestion of Fringe designer Eric Tilley, we tried something a little different, offering a design briefing to third year illustration students at the University of Derby. We were thrilled with the results and had some interesting discussions ‘marking’ each design as to whether it fulfilled a number of aesthetic and other requirements including what did it ‘say’ about the Fringe? We think Helen’s is not only very beautiful, but it puts us in mind of sunny Fringe Sundays whilst also hinting at the variety of the Fringe through the picture frames at the front. There were other designs that impressed us very much too however. We’ve put all the entries up on the website’s gallery pages so see if you think we made the right decision: http://www.buxtonfringe.org.uk/gallerypictures.php?id=1399

You should be hearing more and more about the Fringe in the coming months. We do as much as we can to secure free publicity but have splashed out on two ads – one in a new Festivals leaflet to be produced by the umbrella group Festivity and one in the official Tourist Board’s new Welcome Brochure, print run 150,000! I’m touching wood that we may, as requested, also get at least a visual ‘mention’ in the town’s new promotional video to be launched this Thursday at the Pavilion Gardens!

As marketing officer I’m pleased to be still involved in some of the Fringe’s more creative endeavours and looking at all those cover designs has made me keener than ever to pursue some of my own artistic projects. I don’t seem to have much self-discipline so am grateful to be part of the Burbage Art Group (a regular Fringe entrant) and also the Art Group run by the Opera House. In fact, this lunchtime I’m off to a mosaic workshop by Christine Gray. Email participation@boh.org.uk if you want to get on their mailing list to hear about their other art workshops this term. And don’t forget The Green Man Gallery too for another source of inspiring workshops and exhibitions.

We artistic types are very lucky to be living in Buxton, close to the city with attractions such as the Grayson Perry tapestries at Manchester Art Gallery (a free exhibition open to Feb 2) but also far enough away to have our own thriving art scene – with a new generation springing up. Catch the BCS and Thomas More school artwork at Buxton Museum while you can – it closes on Feb 8 and is well worth a look!