Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 22nd Macao City Fringe Festival was concluded at the end of January. Taking “artistic playground” as the theme, this edition of the festival presented over 50 sessions of activities for 12 consecutive days and gathered over a hundred artists to explore the possibility of combining different ideas and spaces, thus breaking the venue limitations for art and injecting endless artistic vitality into the community. The overall ticketing sales reached nearly 80%, with the participation of around eight thousand people. The “Contemporary Circus Festival” programme was well received by the public, drawing more than 3200 participants to the Former Iec Long Firecracker Factory and helping to boost the flow of people to the district.
The “SilverARTS Festival” of the Crème de la Fringe series explored the artistic talent of the elderly through stage performances, workshops, seminars and film screenings, allowing the elderly to express themselves and share their stories and ideas through artistic creation and increasing understanding and communication between different generations. The new format of the festival was well received by both artists and the public. The “Contemporary Circus Festival” of the Crème de la Fringe series presented the circus arts in a carnival atmosphere at the Former Iec Long Firecracker Factory through performances, busking, acrobatics and juggling competitions, bringing happiness to the audience in the simplest and most direct way.
Many of the programmes aimed at spiritual enrichment through artistic expressions. In Goodbye, See You Soon, the creator related the story of how she keeps company with her pet through her inner voice. In Travelling at Your Doorstep, the audience followed the dancers’ footsteps to stroll around Flora Park and immersed themselves in the positive energy from Nature. A City of Visible Music led the audience to look into Macao’s cultural landscape and its communities and feel the warmth and textures of the city. In addition, the participatory “Art Exhibition for All” was held at the Former Iec Long Firecracker Factory and the Areia Preta Urban Park, offering a platform for the public to showcase their creativity and talent, and a total of 130 works were received. In Fringe Chat, art critics from Macao and neighbouring regions shared their thoughts and insights into the programmes with the public, in order to enhance artistic exchange in their respective disciplines. In Fringe Exchange: Connect with Festivals, event planners shared their curatorial experience and programme selection criteria, providing practical information for local artists and art groups.
Upholding the concept of “All around the city, our stages, our patrons, our artists”, the Macao City Fringe Festival encourages art practitioners to introduce artistic creativity into the community, taking advantage of Macao’s characteristics as a small city and presenting performances at unconventional locations, thus opening the door to art for the public. The entities supporting the venues for this edition of the Fringe Festival were Laika Land, Centro Ji Cing do Povo, Pier 16 – Property Development Limited, Macau Fisherman’s Wharf International Investment Limited and Broadway Macau.