Art on the Fringe: Forty Years of Melbourne Fringe

Celebrate the iconic festival that has emboldened the Melbourne arts scene since 1982. 

Enjoy a roaring evening of art, performance and conversation, celebrating 40 years of Melbourne Fringe.    Begin your evening by exploring State Library Victoria’s major exhibition The Rest is Up to You, a collection of memories, thoughts and ideas about the future of Melbourne Fringe Festival, contributed by artists, producers, directors and audiences.   Then, grab a glass of wine and experience a captivating experimental performance by Vidya Rajan, whose work spans screenwriting, theatre, comedy, and digital spaces, before she joins a panel including beloved comedian Sammy J, actor, director and writer Maude Davey, and host Tim Byrne to discuss the evolution of the Melbourne Fringe community as a barometer of the city’s social, cultural and political change, and what the future may hold for art making on the fringe. This special event will include a musical performance by Sammy J and conclude with a performance by Maude Davey.  Revel in the past, present and future of one of our city’s best loved and most culturally democratic independent art festivals.   Photo by Suzanne Phoenix Due to unforeseen circumstances, Moira Finucane will no longer be appearing at this event. The event will instead feature actor, director and writer Maude Davey.

Presented by the Wheeler Centre, State Library Victoria and Melbourne Fringe