Guess who is going to be 120?

credit: Ian J Parkes

Buxton Opera House that's who! And we may be biased but we think you're looking pretty good for your age.

But it was a different story when Fringe founder Malcolm Fraser visited Buxton in the late 1970s. The Opera House was in a sad and neglected state, closed and bricked up. 

Malcolm, who worked as a lecturer in music, could see the potential in the building. 

So he set about lauching a campaign to save the building and establish the Buxton Festival Fringe. OK, you're right you can't have a Fringe without a Festival so Malcolm founded the Buxton Festival (BIF) first in 1979. And a year later the Festival Fringe came into being making 2023 our 44th event.

In 1980 the Opera House reopened its doors playing host to BIF and it has been their main home ever since.

Although the Opera House isn't a Fringe venue they do help us immensely by acting as ticket agents for a range of our entries, for which we are very grateful. And without the Opera House there wouldn't be an International Festival nor would the Fringe exist.

So we'd just like to say a "Very Happy 120th Birthday for the 1st June, and here's to the next 120 from all your friends at Buxton Festival Fringe".

PS maybe have the fire brigade on stand by with all those candles on your cake  

To hear our interview with Malcolm or to find out more about our history click here https://buxtonfringe.org.uk/history.html

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe
Instagram: @buxtonfringe

Why helping out at the Fringe needn't be a biggie!

They don't blow up themselves... (credit: Sofia Huxford Rodriguez)

The King is encouraging community volunteering with The Big Help Out campaign but the beauty of volunteering at the Fringe is that every little helps and many hands make light work! We've been talking to one of our volunteers, Catherine, about how she likes to play her bit...

“I’m a ‘turn-up-on-the-day’ volunteer rather than a ‘lots-of-work-behind-the-scenes’ volunteer - that’s because I was looking for volunteering activities that were totally unlike my work-related tasks: so no screen-work and as few meetings as possible! Over the years, I’ve inflated countless orange balloons on Fringe Sundays, boiled numerous kettles to wash up after Fringe events at the Green Man Gallery, climbed many stepladders to hang Fringe bunting, improvised with buckets and brooms when storms threatened the Awards ceremony in the Serpentine marquee, and chatted with many a visitor to Buxton during stints on the Fringe Information desk.

Time-wise my commitment is a couple of evenings during the year to help with the spring/Christmas gatherings, and then a few days in July helping with Fringe Sunday, the Fringe information desk and the final Awards ceremony. There’s always plenty more that a volunteer could do but until I retire I'll stick with these few things!

Of course the Fringe wouldn’t happen without volunteers but the advantages work both ways: through volunteering you meet lots of people and get to know your town better, as well as being a small part in one of the best Fringe festivals in the country!”

We are so grateful to all our volunteers. If you think you might like to get involved, come and see us at our stand at the Volunteering Fair at The Pump Room, 10am-12noon, on Saturday 20th May, hosted by Buxton Crescent Heritage Trust. Or have a look at our website:

https://buxtonfringe.org.uk/volunteer.html

The whole town has lots of opportunities for helping out. For further inspiration see:

https://www.visionbuxton.co.uk/volunteer-in-buxton/

Buxton Fringe

Website: www.buxtonfringe.org.uk
Facebook: buxtonfringe
Twitter: @buxtonfringe
Instagram: @buxtonfringe