Beyond the Box
The collaboration between a Vibrant & Safe Downtown and Minnesota Fringe returns for another season of groundbreaking outdoor performances in 2021.
This exciting program provides local artists/companies with programming support for developing public performance in non-traditional theater spaces. Performances are free, open to the public and take place outdoors downtown Minneapolis. Artists/companies participate in an experimental learning cohort with others and receive a $2,500 performance fee, rehearsal space, and meeting/administrative workspace. The collaboration injects a spark of vitality along Nicollet, spurring creative development and providing alternative performance experiences for audiences.
The premier season (in 2019) featured BareBones Puppet Theater and Laura Korynta, and Enso Daiko and Micah Chermak, two exciting partnerships that featured accessible, free performances attended by 635 audience members outside the Mpls Central Library in the Nicollet Theater in the Round.
Audience surveys revealed that nearly 25% had not seen a single live performance in the past year, and nearly 50% had seen 2 or fewer. Responding to a list of adjectives to describe the performance, the top five vote getters were interesting 77%, beautiful 76%, energetic 74%, well done 73% and family-friendly 64%.
Fringe Beyond the Box is a partnership with Vibrant and Safe Downtown, Mpls Downtown Improvement District, and Minnesota Fringe, and is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.