City Fringe: Zephyr Timbre.

The City Fringe launch is on at the Brisbane Powerhouse from 1pm Saturday.

As the old adage goes, from tiny acorns grow mighty oaks. 56 years ago, eight theatre groups were unable to gain entry into the Edinburgh Festival began a counter culture festival of their own on the outskirts of the main event. The now world renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival was born.     This Saturday finds Brisbane’s new fringe festival, City Fringe, being launched at the Powerhouse Arts Centre, and set to celebrate Brisbane and it’s cultural diversity.

While the actual City Fringe event won’t take place until next year, the launch features a broad cross section of what’s to come. The launch kicks off with Fringe Sounds at 1pm with music from Galleon’s Lap, The Boat People and Trinkets. From 4pm there’s an open forum to discuss directions and ideas for next years festival. At 6pm the official fringe launch gets underway with music from Zephyr Timbre and Indigenous Intrudaz as well as performances from local artists Vulcana Women’s Circus, Gooney Girls, Brisbane Youth Service, Phoenix Fire Tribe, Odyssey, Brian Lucas, Contact Inc and Zen Zen Zo, followed by the fringe party featuring world and electronic music.

Program Director Kate Fell explains the grounding behind the launch, and the festival proper.

“The launch is really to both signal the festival is going to happen next year and to start getting people thinking about how they can get involved. Also, it will give people a bit of a taste of what it’s going to be like next year.”

“The festival next year will be an open platform event, so basically anyone can be involved. They can register their interest, and we’re hoping to have a real city-wide event with lots of things going on right across the city. A real blend of art forms and artists.”

Preparations for the event proper should swing into high gear quite soon after the launch.

“It’s been the last six weeks in getting the launch together, and then it will really kick into gear with organising the festival. I think it’s one of those events, that because the program comes from the artists themselves, that it’s got the potential to just go anywhere. On one hand that makes it kind of scary, but it’s also quite exciting as well.”