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Everything you wanted to know about putting on a Fringe event but were too afraid to ask…

February 26th 2022

Harriot Lane Fox is part of the team that answers emails to the Chelsea Fringe inbox – she gives friendly advice on how to take part in the festival. Here she tells us more about what being a green-fingered impresario involves:

What kind of projects is the Fringe looking for? The Chelsea Fringe manifesto, if that doesn’t sound too up-the-revolution, is fantastically inclusive. We celebrate anything to do with gardens and gardening as long as it’s legal. The basic ingredient is plants, but that could be growing them – in allotments, on roundabouts, behind private front doors, up posh hotel walls; turning them into art or high fashion, serenading them, writing odes, telling stories, putting them on the menu and even into cocktail shakers. In fact, it’s probably easier to say what we’re not looking for (that would be burger vans; thanks for getting in touch but we’re not that kind of festival!).

What makes a good Fringe project? The best ones really engage their audiences, non-gardeners as well as the green-fingered. For instance, past Festivals have included a new medicinal garden where visitors could learn how to brew up potions, a celebration of sci-fi author John Wyndham with a triffid-making workshop, and a mobile ice-cream machine using community-grown plants to create crazy flavours. I know that if I get a tingle from the first email enquiry, so will our visitors when they read the listing.

The other ingredient is more practical. While we can help projects discover their inner Fringe-y-ness, in the end they have to be well organised and self-propelled.

What happens once my project is approved? We don’t have paid staff (or an office). Instead the Fringe operates a kind of buddy system. Once we think your project is suitable, we hook you up with a volunteer coordinator, to help you sign up. You will need to have all the listing nitty gritty finalised first, such as health and safety assessments and a picture ready, because what you put into the form is what goes online; “TBA” is not OK.

Early-birding is worth it, if you can. Registration gives projects access to tips on marketing and using social media, and our PR person will include you in the Fringe publicity campaign, bolstering your own. Our media partner BBC Radio London will begin previewing the festival once registration starts.

We usually have two public meetings, in London; a chance to pick the brains of fellow Fringers (Fringies? Fringe-istas?), for both co-ordinators and veteran project organisers. It’s unclear at the moment whether one or two meetings will go ahead, but we’ll let you know as soon as we do.

Is it possible to set up a project outside London? Absolutely. The Chelsea Fringe has gone viral. We generally say you need five or six events in one place to qualify as a satellite fringe, and in 2019 (our last ‘live’ Festival) we added Cornwall, Henley-on-Thames, Kent and the Isle of Mull; Fukuoka and Nagoya in Japan. We have had events in Argentina and Canada, Ljubljana, Brighton, Bristol and Vienna and we would love to see more. There are also lone events and other exclusively online events.

Is there any funding or sponsorship available? Not unless you raise it yourself. To say we operate on a shoestring is to flatter the Fringe bank balance. That’s why we have so many different registration rates, to enable lone artists and garden designers, underfunded community groups and primary schools, and every size of charity to take part. This is a grass-roots festival.

Interested in taking part? Email info@chelseafringe.com

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Glorious 🌸 Flower Workshop yesterday from @meta Glorious 🌸 Flower Workshop yesterday from @meta_fleur as part of @thechelseafringe at OmVed Gardens looking to bring movement of plants in the garden into floral displays. 
Thanks to this fabulous bunch who cracked on with making some incredibly inventive and intricate displays with materials foraged from the gardens. 
This event was part of Trace Exhibition, Slow Sundays a collaborative exhibition with @throwncontemporary @omvedgardens @meta_fleur 

Big thanks to @soletdemi ☺️🌷 for set up

#mesmeric #omvedgardens #traceexhibition #slowsundays #reflective #reflectivepractice #making #flowerworkshop #meta_fleur #throwncontemporary #sustainabledesign #chelseafringefestival #chelseafringe
Thank you @worldfringe 👍 #chelseafringe #chelse Thank you @worldfringe 👍 #chelseafringe #chelseafringefestival #worldfringe #fringefestival #freefestival #freeevents #festival #festivals
Lovely pictures by @rebeccalouiseallen who had a Lovely pictures by @rebeccalouiseallen  who had a fun afternoon at Cranbrook Goes Nuts in May❤️🌞🌼🌸 #cranbrook #cranbrookgoesnutsinmay #sunnydays☀️ #bankholidayweekendfun #cranbrookkent #chelseafringe  #chelseafringefestival #freefestival #fringefestival #freeevents
What incredibly beautiful work. Thank you @phlorat What incredibly beautiful work. Thank you @phloratanical @elephantparklondon #chelseafringe #chelseafringefestival #phloratanical #floralart #elephantparklondon
Thank you @soletdemi #chelseafringe #chelseafringe Thank you @soletdemi #chelseafringe #chelseafringefestival #metafleur #slowflowers #slowgardens #slowliving #omved #omvedgardens
@chambersfarmflowers is all set up with their dahl @chambersfarmflowers is all set up with their dahlias loving the sunshine! Go and see them @cranbrookgnim.

#chelseafringe
#chelseafringefestival #sustainablehorticulture #plantsale #peatfree #dahlia #sunshine
@botanicalshakespeare This garden speaker tries to @botanicalshakespeare This garden speaker tries to give gardening suggestions to Perdita - the picture of floral knowledge, speaking the second most amount of plants of all the characters (Eclipsed by Titania, queen of the woodland domain).
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#chelseafringefestival #chelsea #chelseaflowershow #cfs #rhs #fringe #gardening #gardens #garden #botanical #shakespeare #botanicalshakespeare #learnaline #memorize #quotes #quoteoftheday #quote #shakespearequotes #brainbodyboost #bardsbrainbodyboost #smartup
Beautiful!! @timhewittgardener It was a good day. Beautiful!! @timhewittgardener It was a good day. The sun shone, people came, tours were done, plants and honey were sold, prints were made #chelseafringe
Credit to @stylister What a beautiful evening spac Credit to @stylister What a beautiful evening space and music . 
could nt have been better for viewing this collaborative exhibition exploring the marks we make and connections to nature by thrown contemporary . 

This ethereal,  delicate hanging kinetic sculpture by @u_n_i_t_89 particularly inspired and resonated with me . 

@throwncontemporary @thechelseafringe 
@omvedgardens 

#sculpture #hangingsculpture #inspiredbynature #ceramics #ceramicart #ethereal #tranquilcity #fragility #ecology
Thank you to @elephantparklondon whose wildflower Thank you to @elephantparklondon whose wildflower meadows have bloomed in perfect time for @thechelseafringe 🌷🌿 #chelseafringe #chelseafringefestival #free #events #london #elephantpark
@madoublethew writes 'Gorgeous morning at @exchang @madoublethew writes 'Gorgeous morning at @exchangeerith for @thechelseafringe event. @gardenersworldtv presenter-in-the-making @colindavidstewart showed us around the @sarahpricelandscapes designed scheme, which is relaxed, subtle and feels very in keeping with the environment. Looking forward to seeing how it grows. ' #chelseafringesupporter #chelseafringefestival #chelseafringe #sarahprice #sarahpricegardens #exchangeerith
Wonderful tour by Head Gardener - worth a visit an Wonderful tour by Head Gardener - worth a visit anyway!!
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Chelsea Fringe
@chambersfarmflowers is all set up with their dahlias loving the sunshine! Go and see them @cranbrookgnim.#ChelseaFringe#chelseafringefestival #sustainablehorticulture #plantsale #peatfree #dahlia #sunshine ... See MoreSee Less
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