Adelaide Fringe
Attracting huge crowds and some of the world’s most entertaining performers, the Adelaide Fringe is the largest open-access arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere—and our longest-running festival partnership.
We’re proud to say 2023 was our eighth year of partnering with the Fringe, with our connections to the arts continuing to flourish. Fringe kicked off on Friday 17 February running through until Sunday 19 March, and showcased over 400 events across 13 performance genres, including cabaret, comedy, circus, dance, film, theatre, music and visual arts.
Official programing has ended
The 2023 festival has ended but you can still visit the Fringe website.
Amazing opportunities for students
Our partnership with the Fringe gives University of Adelaide students the chance to gain life-changing and career-shaping, real-world arts experience.
Let our students see the shows and report back on what you should be seeing
In 2023, University of Adelaide Creative Arts students had the opportunity to attend and review multiple Adelaide Fringe shows—and have their reviews published! Their critiques were posted here plus our social channels, and best of all, on the Adelaide Fringe website.
And while they got to bask in the glory of authorship, those of us who read their work got the benefit of being one step closer to overcoming the volume of choice - a win-win!
Meet your 2023 student reviewers below.
Student reviewer: Madison Eastmond
Madi is a postgraduate student at the University of Adelaide and currently studying Honours in English. When reviewing for the University, she has tried to pick a diverse selection of shows, however, she has definitely gravitated towards those that seem the most fun: comedy, cabaret and, of course, drag.
Student reviewer: Travis Jenner
Travis is a mature age student, studying his second degree at the University of Adelaide, some 25 years apart! When reviewing for the University he's picked performances based on all the different genres to give a diverse selection to read about. He has a love for the creative arts, so being given this opportunity to review has been a great priviledge.
This internship taught me exactly all of the required skills and tasks needed to have a career in my field. Furthermore, it helped me secure a job as Assistant Accountant in Adelaide Fringe itself. It helped me build networks with people in the accounting industry. I was mentored by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, who guided me on how to pursue future career goals. And I built confidence, as my supervisor helped me prepare for interviews and focused on personality development too.
Avish Gupta
Adelaide Fringe intern in 2021, and now Adelaide Fringe Assistant Accountant.
Internships
Our Adelaide Fringe internships are offered year-round, and are available to all students enrolled in our Arts Internship course. They can span anything from business development, marketing and ticketing, to membership, communications and finance.
Internships, like those at Fringe, allow students to dip their toes in to real-world-experiences and master applying their studies through on the job practice. It’s also not unusual for students to be invited by their supervisors to stay onboard, or come back the following year, in a paid role.
Event participation
Our students get frequent opportunities to be involved in various aspects of Fringe events and programs. For example, in 2020 a number of our Indigenous students were able to work as volunteers on the stunning cultural light show Yabarra: Dreaming of Light, staged at the Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute.
University of Adelaide students have also been strongly involved in the Fringe's Opening Night celebrations including; Tindo Utpurndee/Sunset Ceremony, Parade of Light instillations and the famous 'Parade' throughout the seven years of partnership.
Exclusive industry workshops
Attending workshops is another fantastic benefit for our students, introduced last year.
Throughout the 2022 festival students were lucky enough to attend the Fringe's Honey Pot Marketplace, which included networking opportunities workshops and seminars, focusing on sustainability, wellbeing and tackling a COVID affected arts sector. More details to come in 2023!
Our special offers
Our partnership brings many special benefits for University students, staff and alumni. There are no offers currently, but check back later in the year for more information.