The Mindbuffs Podcast

This week on The Mindbuffs Podcast, Mat and Alex are joined by Megan Dart, the executive director at Edmonton Fringe Theatre. With the Fringe festival just around the corner, Megan shares her insights on the intersection of art and entrepreneurship, the unique spirit of the Fringe, and the importance of community in fostering creativity. From her journey as an artist raised by entrepreneurs to leading one of the largest Fringe festivals in North America, Megan offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring bold artistic visions to life.

We explore the intersection of art and business, the importance of taking creative risks, and how the Fringe Festival supports independent artists year-round. Megan also talks about the collaborative spirit within the arts community and how her background in competitive sports has influenced her leadership style.

Join us as we delve into the unique culture of the Fringe, the challenges of organizing a massive festival with over 200 shows, and Megan's vision for the future of the arts in Edmonton.

Creators & Guests

Host
Mat de Moissac
Registered psychologist and co-founder of Mindbuffs
Guest
Alex Schinke
Registered psychologist and co-founder of Mindbuffs

What is The Mindbuffs Podcast?

The Mindbuffs Podcast is for people who want to get the most out of their lives, without burning out. Combining the latest research with quality conversation, we debunk unhealthy examples of high-performance living and teach you how to master your mind.

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If you’d like to learn more about Mindbuffs and what we do, go check us out at www.mindbuffs.com or send us a message at info@mindbuffs.ca

Mat:

Welcome to The Mindbuffs Podcast. I'm your host, Mat de Moissac, and my co host today is gonna be Alex Schinke.

Alex:

Hello, everyone.

Mat:

And our special guest, center stage, light shining brightly, is Megan Dart. And we are excited to have her today because she is the executive director of the Fringe festival and you guys might know that in about a week's time, the Fringe festival begins.

Megan:

Yeah.

Mat:

Thank you so much for being here with us today.

Megan:

Thank you for having me.

Mat:

So I just wanna give a little bit of an intro in terms of who Megan is, and we're just gonna get into getting to know each other and and ask questions that are both gonna tap into both her creative side and her business side as a leader and an executive director for the Fringe, so we'll be able to tap into a few different aspects of Megan's life. So outside of being the executive director at the Fringe, and I know you've been at the Fringe for quite some time as well.

Megan:

I have. Yeah. Almost a decade.

Alex:

Oh my god.

Megan:

Believe it or not. I know.

Mat:

You also have, you're a co artistic producer with Catch the Keys.

Megan:

I am.

Mat:

Yes. So we'll talk a little bit about that as well. And how I wanted to kind of introduce you was actually, a quote that you wrote. And I just read that, and I went, oh my god. This is all I need to know about Meghan. She sounds like such a good person.

Megan:

I'm excited to know what you chose.

Mat:

So, yeah, picked this from the old interweb. You wrote, I think, that we don't just want artists to visit the Fringe theatre art Barns. We want them to inhabit it. Wake it up. Fill the quietest corners with all the noise of art making. This is a safer space for brave ideas and big artistic risk. This is where chance encounters grow into meaningful collaborations where messy first inklings become brilliant realizations.

Megan:

Yeah.

Alex:

Yeah.

Mat:

Boom. That is amazing.

Megan:

Oh, thank you.

Mat:

Where does that come from? That, like, whole spirit in the project, in the thing that you're passionate about kinda come from?

Megan:

I often say I am an artist who is raised by entrepreneurs. And artistic risk taking is such a big part of being an artist. Whether you are writing a show and putting it on stage in front of an audience, or recording a piece of music, or creating a piece of visual art, you are taking a risk. And the biggest gift that Fringe can offer in and out of the festival, knowing that, you know, we steward this big beautiful venue, 365 days a year, is to offer our infrastructure, and to offer our human resource and our expertise. So that independent artists can excel and reach that next stage of their career. And so we focus a lot on what it means to kick open the doors, keep the lights on, give, you know, artists access to space. I've been an independent producer for for my entire career, and I can tell you that an invitation to come into a clean, equipped, supported space is the difference between making it.

Mat:

Yeah. No. I love that because I know a lot of smaller, like, artistic communities and just like fine art communities where, like, there's the heart and the want and the will to be able to, like, have more of a community experience in, like, sharing in the arts. But what I've often seen is, like, lacking on the business side, on the entrepreneurial skills of, like, how I can practically run an operation, an organization, and a team to be able to facilitate that in, like, a practical way. So you made a comment that you're, like, an artist raised by entrepreneurs. So what is that kind of entrepreneurial background for you?

Megan:

I mean, I'm very lucky. My parents are very successful business folks, and they have shared a lot of those lessons. And and tend gentle to my artistic career. I've also had the opportunity to build my own, you know, career portfolio as a communications professional and as a consultant. And so you learn sort of those tips and tricks along the way, but truly, as an independent artist, you learn how to manage a budget. You learn how to manage a staff, a team of folks, you know, you learn how to market yourself, how to engage with your audience, how to grow your product to market. It is truly from conception to realization. You kind of learn those things along the way. And not all artists always have the, like, the business acumen or the terminology to give framework to that. But, truly, that is those are skills that are so translatable, regardless of what industry you're in. And I'm so grateful because it has been my experience as an independent creator, and as a festival producer, where I've learned all of those skills, and I've been able to cut my teeth in really safe environments where we can fail forward. Right? Where you can you can take those lessons you learn along the way, and reapply them, and come back and do better next time. I love that the arts gives us that playground that, that really sort of celebrates that risk taking in that way.

Alex:

What has been your biggest, like, aha moment then?

Megan:

Oh, man.

Alex:

That's a really complex question. That's a good question. What has been my biggest aha moment? I think that, you can build so much out of nothing. You know, the arts, I talk about this a lot, but like, we've been taught to thrive on this notion of scarcity.

Mat:

Yes.

Megan:

When in fact, we actually are a very abundant industry. And truly abundant because of the people who are attracted to this industry. And so if you have a solid team, if you have folks who have that yes, and mentality, you can do anything on a very, very tight budget. I joke often, like the Fringe Festival is built on a lot of heart, and a lot of skill, and some gaff tape and some zip ties. You know, we're doing it on a dream.

Mat:

I love it. Like, even the way that you describe, like, failing forward and, like, the risk taking, it honestly sounds like you're talking about like a sport. Like I hear more people within athletics kind of using language like that is why they love, like being in sports. I don't I haven't heard too often people describing an arts community having that same kind of culture. So, a, like, did you play sports growing up at all? Or like, how did you realize that, like, also the art scene can include, like, these kinds of, like, cultural pieces that are foundational to growth?

Megan:

Like both of those things? I was involved in competitive cheer for more than half my life. I spent 20 years. Yeah. I was an athlete. I was on the 1st All Star team in Alberta. I coached for a long time.

Mat:

Knew it.

Megan:

Yeah. So that is in my DNA. Deeply, deeply. But the sense of collaboration that exists, particularly in theater as an art form, requires so much trust.

Alex:

It does.

Megan:

And you really need to to trust that your teammates are doing the best they can with the information they have, with the skill they bring to the table. But like, I'm a playwright and you know, a marketer and a producer. I'm not a technician, but our techs in the room absolutely know how to run a safe space, how to make sure that lighting board is doing what it should be doing. You know, that that our audience can hear our actors on stage. We trust that our actors are bringing their whole self to that experience, that they are, you know, bringing life and vibrancy to the words that are being performed on stage. Like it's such a a collaborative art form, and there's so much inherent trust in it that we just extend that truly to the festival model. You know, we have more than 200 staff out on-site. And 1,000 volunteers who make the Fringe Festival possible. Yeah. It truly, truly takes a village, but there is just so much dedication, care, skill, heart that comes from all of those folks who make it possible. Yeah. And we all operate from that place of trust.

Mat:

Yeah. Like the Fringe is touted as being like the biggest Fringe festival in North America for 3 years running. Is that a badge of honor? Is that pride? Or does that act as, like, pressure to kind of like maintain that status?

Megan:

I don't think it's pressure. I think it's truly pride. And what happens here over the 11 days of festival in Edmonton doesn't happen anywhere else in the world like that. We're the largest, longest running in North America. We're one of the top 5 worldwide alongside the original Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. But every Fringe Festival is completely different. It has its own personality. So whether you go to a Fringe here in Edmonton, or in Vancouver, or Toronto, Orlando, you name it. They all have their own quirky personality, and ours is Edmonton growing, and there's such pride of place in this festival. And our audiences are so invested. Invested. You know, we have audience who have been coming to the festival all 43 years.

Alex:

I believe it.

Megan:

We have volunteers. So we're like in their 4th decade of of volunteering. There's just been this incredibly passionate community that has built itself around this festival that, I think, you know, it's gonna be here for generations to come.

Alex:

What made you decide to get involved with the Fringe?

Megan:

You know, the Fringe, I like to think of it as like this beautiful collision. I moved to Edmonton in the very early 2000s, to go to school to finish my degree, fully not intending to stay here. You know, I had bounced between the prairies and the coast, and my folks were back on the coast. I was like, I'm gonna get my degree. I'm going back to the ocean. And then I showed up in Edmonton, and that first summer I was here, I went to the Fringe as a patron. And I was so blown away by the festival spirit that is alive and well in Edmonton, and very quickly, got to know the arts community here, and, you know, sort of kicked open so many doors. You know, I I switched degrees because I realized, like, I had started in an education program, and I had a teacher at the U of A sat me down one day, and she's like, what are you doing here? And I had a moment of like, oh no, she's found out I'm a fraud. What am I doing here? But she directed me to the professional writing program at Grant MacEwan and and I fell so in love with that program and realized that being a writer is what I wanted to do with my life and through that avenue, met the arts community here and fell in love. Like, I was so immediately welcomed in. I've said this often, but with Catch the Keys particularly, I don't think we could do what we have done with that small, mighty, scrappy organization, anywhere else. Like, Edmonton really celebrates that risk taking, and there's, such a deep rooted commitment to mentorship here. And to, you know, helping you realize your dream. So, yeah. It was sort of like an accidental meeting, Fringe and I, but then I went on to be a volunteer, and then I was a reviewer for many years back in the day when we used to review all 200 shows in the opening weekend of festivals. Which is a bananas way to see the festival. And then I started picking up summer contracts, and then I joined the team full time in a communications capacity. And, you know, that was 9 years ago now, and stepped into the ED role, right at the height of the pandemic, which is a really wild time to step into a leadership role. But I'm so grateful for the team we have at Fringe and just for, you know, for the tenacity of that organization too.

Mat:

Yeah. Really cool. I guess we don't ever need to convince people that are already in the fine art community that love the arts and have already experienced the Fringe to, like, come and see it. But like, what would be the value for people who don't have exposure and experience with, like, going to something like the Fringe and experiencing arts in that way? Like, what would be the pull and draw for those kinds of people to try it out for the first time?

Megan:

Oh, there's so many good reasons to come to Fringe for the first time. And I promise once you're there, you're not gonna wanna leave. I truly believe that the arts have impact. They bring vibrancy to our cities. It's what makes cities like Edmonton a place to live. You want to live, work, and play. Mhmm. I mean, there's the business side of it, certainly. The arts drive economy. The 11 days of our festival brings a $16,000,000 economic impact to the city, just in those 11 days. That's without even thinking about the 500 other events we support outside of it every year. You know, we create jobs. We hire 200 arts workers. We engage 1000 volunteers. So there's the nuts and bolts of what we do. But I think most importantly, the thing that I value most about Fringe is that it's truly a celebration of storytelling and connection. Because stories matter. And stories allow us to explore new perspectives. It allows us to see things from a different point of view. Also seeing your story reflected on stage can be one of the most powerful forms of of, like, support and validation. And so I think that there's just so much that the arts have to offer in terms of of that connection point in building community.

Mat:

Even from a psychological perspective, we know that storytelling is one of the most effective ways to remember things. Yeah. To be able to integrate, like, new ideas and new concepts to, like, a permanent part of your being. And storytelling just, like, falls off further and further and further with the advent of social media displacing, like, 5 to 10 second little, you know, like, videos together. Right?

Mat:

And there's obviously creative ways to engage in in that as well. But, I'm curious for you, like, now that you're kind of at this stage in your leadership as an executive director, how do you balance the leadership and the

Megan:

management of this big, beautiful thing and like time for your

Mat:

own individual practice? Thing, and, like, time for your own individual practice? Yeah. That is a work in progress.

Alex:

Okay. I'll be totally honest. I will be totally

Megan:

honest. Yeah.

Alex:

I think the blessing and the curse of following your passion as your livelihood means that you are sometimes dedicating more of your time to that thing that is maybe healthy. But I also am so fortunate. My my partner also works in the arts, and so we have this very flexible understanding of how we support each other in that work. You know, our daughter spends a lot of time in our theaters, and spends a lot of time around creative people, and I appreciate that I am in an industry that allows space for that.

Mat:

Yeah.

Alex:

You know, I was, one of the first people to take maternity leave at Fringe, and I came back with my kid on my hip and said, okay, y'all. Like, we work in the arts. I don't make enough money to make the child. So she's here with me. Yeah.

Alex:

But but it really did allow me to build an incredibly flexible, work schedule around my life. And so, you know, we we don't prescribe to that sort of Monday to Friday 9 to 5. A lot of folks in our office can flex their hours depending on their needs.

Mat:

Yeah.

Alex:

Something we celebrate often is that we all have big beautiful lives outside of the excellent work we do together, and we need to honor that. And so really good at tapping in and out when we need to. And remembering too that, I'm an artist at my core, and so giving myself time to step away from the work of supporting art

Megan:

Exactly. To be

Alex:

an artist. Is really important. So those moments when I can go back into the rehearsal hall and work on a new piece that I've written, or get in a room and collaborate with other artists, allows me to come back to the administrative part of my job with more capacity, and more ferocity, and Mhmm. Creativity. And that is something that we really do prioritize among our staff, like our core staff at Fringe.

Alex:

We're a mighty team of 20. We work year round together. Most of us are artists. So, you know, in the winter months, we'll go stage manage a show, or go produce something, or go take a workshop, and

Mat:

Yeah.

Alex:

I think that's what makes us better at serving community.

Mat:

Yeah. Yeah. Pretty cool.

Megan:

So I know with the fringe, I believe I have written down 216. Yeah. 216 shows. Well, I'm sure that comes with a lot of moving parts and stuff. So I guess, what are some of the challenges that you think, you'll again, holding such the like, a big amount of shows Yeah.

Megan:

Right, in such a short amount of time. Right? And how do you think you and like the Fringe staff and volunteers will help? Yeah.

Alex:

I mean, it is no small feat. Like, it is more than 200 shows. It's 38 venues. We have 1600 artists. It works out to more than, like, 1500 performances over the 11 days.

Alex:

We welcome five 100,000 site visits

Megan:

Oh my god.

Alex:

Over those 11 days. Like, it is there are so many moving parts.

Megan:

Yeah.

Alex:

But everyone is so good at their jobs. You know? Like, the artists bring them best their best selves to what they do, and they are there to connect with the audience, and the audience shows up to support them. And and the volunteers truly are there in service of community, and and our staff are, you know, they're constantly going, like Yes. I'm not gonna lie, festival days are big, they're long, sometimes they're hard.

Alex:

Oh, yeah. But they're also joyous. You know, we tell our staff often, like, when you festival reaches this, like, fever pitch where the site is loud, and you've got people everywhere. Yeah. And you have those moments of overwhelm, but those are also the most important moments to, like, step out into the park, and take a look around at all the joy that you were helping create.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Alex:

Because it is there is no other job like this. Like, I pinch myself every day that this is my profession. Yeah. Yeah.

Mat:

One of the most common conversations that I have with people in, like, the foreigner community, whether they're actors or, like, print or digital media, performing artists is, like, how to turn, like, one's passion, one's artistic abilities into something that can actually sustain finance, that can sustain things like that. Now, obviously, you did have the benefit like myself of kind of having some entrepreneurs. I mean, Alex is the same way. We all have entrepreneurial parents.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Mat:

That really helps. So, like, we we had some we had some insider info Yeah. That lots of people, don't get. But, what things have you learned along the way that make it easier for, you know, artists to be able to, like, make a living Mhmm. Through their creative skill set?

Alex:

Yeah. For me, truly, mentorship was key. You know, looking to folks who have built long lasting and sustainable careers in this industry. Mhmm. And often it just starts with like, hey, can we go for coffee?

Alex:

Can I pick your brain? Yeah. The worst they're gonna say is no, and 9 times out of 10, they're not gonna They're gonna say yes enthusiastically. But truly finding those mentors, I think, you know, in the arts specifically, obviously, granting is such a big part of what supports our work. Yeah.

Alex:

So, learning how to write a good grant, learning how to to build a budget that you can, that you can stick to truly. Mhmm. Learning how to be flexible in your project approaches. You know, I think particularly with theater too. Like, things change the minute you get into a room.

Alex:

Mhmm. Project changes scope. You suddenly are solving for problems you didn't anticipate. You know, all of those things. And then and then the audience brings a whole new energy to that as well.

Alex:

Mhmm. And I think to truly building connection with your collaborators and with your audience, with Catch the Keys dedicated base of audience who come back and see everything everything we do. Okay. And I make a point of being the first and last person at the top and tail of every show to to say thank you. Yeah.

Alex:

But they're the reason why we to do what we do. And so Yeah. You know, nurturing those relationships is Mhmm. Is really important. But Yeah.

Alex:

And also, like, you're just being unafraid to fail. Yeah. Like yeah.

Mat:

No. I I think that's something that even if artists are aware that obviously I should be, like, courageous and try things and be okay with you, but that's that is often the hang up for artists is like, what are people gonna think about me? Like, what's the audience reaction going to be? Is this going to land? Well, if that's what you're thinking or feeling, it won't land.

Mat:

So there has to be a full

Alex:

And also, can we just, like, dash the notion of Like, this is straight

Megan:

up vile, toxic, and

Mat:

Yeah. You know, Like this is straight up

Megan:

vile So unattainable. Toxic and Yeah.

Alex:

I have a big sign in my office, that's hanging on my wall that I look at every day. But just says like, process builds process.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Alex:

This is not about ever reaching an end goal. Yeah. This is about just like learning how to do it better.

Megan:

Mhmm. Yeah.

Mat:

Yeah. Yeah. One of the most common things that gets in the way of our clients and, honestly, most of our business, like, leaders is that subconsciously, they have some part of their definition of success that includes, like, perfection.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Mat:

Meaning to be perfect. And perfection is a defense mechanism. It's something that we learn as a young kid. If I'm perfect, then nothing bad can happen. So it might work for, like, moments of time, but into adulthood, especially as a creative, like, creativity and openness is on one end of the spectrum.

Mat:

And, like, perfectionism is, like, on the opposite end. Absolutely. And, like, I see so many artists trying to find a way to squeeze.

Alex:

We, like, we have a, saying and all it it goes on, like, every fringe policy, which is the most dry version of creativity. Yeah. There's a little a little phrase that just says, subject to instant improvement. And that's something that we, like Yeah. Carry forward with us is this is never going to be finished.

Alex:

It will never be perfect. It is continually evolving.

Megan:

Yeah.

Alex:

But we, as creators, are subject to that instant improvement. Mhmm. And so, yeah, we apply that to everything, whether it's policy or creativity or Yeah.

Mat:

Yeah. Like one of

Megan:

the other things that you had mentioned is is

Mat:

really like community and relationship. Like and I know there's a lot of, like, tropes out there that, like, artists are, like, introverted and keep to themselves and, like, don't share a lot of their ideas and and maybe less so in, in the presenting arts. And, but you do have to just find even just a couple people. It doesn't have to be like an army of people that you're connecting with. And you have to be that hustle culture person that's just like trying to run into everyone because, like, that doesn't feel authentic either.

Mat:

But, like, I think from what you are telling us, like, just find those people that know you, that believe in you, that support you, and that are competitive with you and not, like, competitive, like, at you.

Alex:

Yeah. Yeah. I think that is one thing that makes the French model so unique. Mhmm. So we are one of 42 French festivals Canadian Association of French Festivals, which is a bit of a misnomer.

Alex:

We represent festivals both sides of the border. Mhmm. But we have this incredibly tight knit group of producers across the country who whose only mission is to collaborate and share information.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Alex:

And to have that support group of folks that I can go to, that I'm like, y'all, I'm solving for this problem. How do we do it? How are you doing it in Toronto? How are you doing in Montreal? And there is such a generosity of of support, and and they bring such a collaborative spirit to those conversations.

Alex:

And it is truly about how do we make the movement, the Fringe Festival movement better? How do we continue to improve on this thing that was built as, like, Fringe is a protest. It was a grassroots do it yourself movement that was started in Edmonton at least in 1982 with a couple bucks in Brian Paisley's back pocket.

Mat:

Of course.

Alex:

But it was there to support artists, and that spirit is still so alive and well in the DNA of French festivals across the country. So, yeah. To be able to go to those that group and be like, how do we do this together? Or even in the Edmonton community, there's such a spirit of of collaboration and sharing, and, you know, I I was I was on the slam team for a couple of years. I had the good grace of being able to tour to other cities, and I remember getting there and talking to other artists, and they be like, what do you mean you're performing poetry in art galleries and with dancers and musicians?

Alex:

And I was like, yeah, man. Don't you do that? And they're like, no. What happens in Edmonton? And I was like, I joke there's something in the water here, but, but I think it's just the the nature of of our festival city, and and how mentorship has been woven into that.

Alex:

And I don't take for granted that that's very unique to this city.

Mat:

Yeah. I mean, just this festival in general is just so unique, but it takes all the people over all the years to, like, sustain the growth and the impact that it has. So, yeah, it just sounds like such a fun project to be a part of.

Alex:

It really is. You've mentioned

Megan:

a couple times like building a safer community.

Alex:

Yes. Yes.

Megan:

And I know there's a say is it safer space initiative? Yes. Yeah. So, can you tell us a little bit about that?

Alex:

Absolutely. So, we have a very robust safer spaces program. We are heading into the 8th year of the evolution of that program, but it was built on our commitment to community that fringing is for everyone, and everyone is fringing. And we knew if we were gonna say that, we had to stand behind it. And so what does it mean to radically welcome the community into the fringe experience?

Alex:

And so it started first to to as a a channel, to address harm that was happening within the community. Mhmm. Certainly, you know, there's some power dynamic.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Alex:

There is some imbalance in the community. There have been instances of of harm that needed to be, honestly addressed and spoken about out loud. But what it's done now is it has helped champion this culture of care, where we all take care of each other, where we all commit Mhmm. To one another to uphold a space where creativity can be valued, and acknowledging that, you know, you you need to create a safer space that celebrates brave risk.

Mat:

Yeah.

Alex:

And that takes a lot of vulnerability.

Mat:

Yeah.

Alex:

And so this program, we've learned from it every year, but we have built the the systems, the reporting channels. You know, we have committees that serve that work, but it is extended into every corner of the festival now, and continues to create this ripple effect with other festivals where we've seen things like our community care program has borne out of that. Mhmm. We, you know, have a a team of folks who support our houseless and vulnerable community members in the area who are displaced by festival activity.

Mat:

Mhmm.

Megan:

We're a

Alex:

big urban festival. We take up public park spaces. Yeah. We know that has an impact on our community. And so, we built a program specifically dedicated to supporting those folks and making sure that they're being connected with the resources that they need.

Alex:

But also, that they're being really, truly, enthusiastically welcomed into the festival experience. Mhmm. You know, a big part of French is available for free. It's not ticketed. Mhmm.

Alex:

Anyone can come to the site. Mhmm. And we want to make sure that that we are offering that in earnest. Because we know too, when we look after our most vulnerable, everyone is looked after.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Alex:

So, yeah. We're still learning. Yeah. Like, we are not experts in this work by any means, but I really do think it has shaped our philosophy around how we build community.

Mat:

Yeah. Now it sounds like you just have so many different projects

Megan:

and like there's so many different

Mat:

things going on. So more from, like, the business side of things. I'm really curious, like, are you someone that, sits down at the beginning of the year? Are you looking at your quarterlies and you're like, what are our black and white objectives? Like, how are we achieving them?

Mat:

Are you someone that's very much connected to, like, goal setting? Or are you more on the opposite end of that spectrum, someone that kind of picks a direction and goes like something fun is over there, something exciting is over there. Like, let's pour our resources there and just see what happens. Like, what's, where are you kind of?

Alex:

I mean, certainly, there is some black and white responsibility in managing, an organization of our size. Yeah. We are we are a $5,700,000 organization. And so, obviously, that fiduciary responsibility is a big part of what we do. But, I think too, we are offered such opportunity to approach our work in in creative and thoughtful ways.

Alex:

We recently just came through a really incredible strategic planning process with the fine folks over at Y Station. Mhmm. But what came out of that was this realization that the way fringe approaches its work is not linear.

Megan:

Mhmm.

Alex:

We are often engaging in multiple projects, reaching multiple goals, all at the same time. So rather than set out our strategic priorities in a, leads to b, leads Yeah. To c, we looked at it more as like an organic garden Sure. Where everything was growing at the same time. So the success of of, you know, our sunflowers over here is going to lead to the success of our vegetable garden on the other side.

Alex:

Yeah. But it truly came from this this place of understanding that we work with so many creative entrepreneurs who can truly see op see and seize opportunity as it comes up. And, you know, to your point, like, yeah. We we have all of these, like, social responsibility programs that we're running, but we also have things like FringeLearn. We built our own online learning platform system to provide asynchronous training to our community.

Alex:

Because we realized that training a 1000 volunteers and 1600 artists Yeah. Is a really hard thing to do. And so Yeah. You know, we were able to build this responsive platform that allows us to offer art based training. It's really rooted in storytelling, but again, it was just like, how do we seize these opportunities that serve our community, knowing that the needs of our community are going to continue to change over

Mat:

time. Mhmm.

Alex:

And Fringe is so nimble. That is our job. It's our job to be nimble. Yeah. And so, I truly think we're succeeding the most when we can be as responsive as possible.

Mat:

Yeah. Yeah. Just, out of curiosity, what is one far fetched outlandish goal that you or your team have had that, man, you would just love one day to be able to see that to fruition or or see that accomplished.

Alex:

Oh, man. There's so many. We do, like, big blue sky sky dreaming sessions every year. And, like, every year, it's, because, of course, like, when we build up the festival site, it's like running a small city. Right?

Alex:

Like, we've got tents and we've got, you know, we've got our own security team. We do all these things. And we joke, like, okay, what what's Fringe University look like? Oh, if we're gonna have a Fringe University, we need Fringe Uber. And like, what does that look like?

Alex:

But truly so, we, I think the big big dream over the next little while is to, to build up the Arts Barns, to truly turn it into a creative hub for artists. We have the gift of 3 theaters in that space, and 2 rehearsal studios. We right at the onset of the pandemic, which is not a good strategic business move, we opened a cafe in our lobby. Wow. We learned a lot

Megan:

in that

Alex:

time. But the cafe is still there, and and and we've built it as a loiter positive space where you don't have to spend money to be there. Oh, yeah.

Megan:

So you

Alex:

can just like Yeah. You can come in, plug in your laptop, work on your next great project. But for us it's like how do we maximize that space? How do we truly fill it with artists and fight them in and ask them what they need to succeed?

Mat:

Mhmm.

Alex:

So yeah. We have dreams of like a rooftop garden, so that we can support the cafe and feed our community. We have dreams of more rehearsal space, because that is hard to come by in the city. To never know.

Megan:

Is it? To never know. To never

Alex:

know. And like offering that at at a highly subsidized rate to our community. It is you know, we run-in the winter months something called the human library, where artists can come and take out our staff or other, mentors in the community, and we'll make that connection for them. But, my wildest dream truly is that the Arts Barns are full and busy every day, and that there is a constant sense of creation and connection happening in that space.

Mat:

I love it. Yeah. So maybe what is like one last thing you'd like to say or one last sentiment for the people before we kinda wrap

Alex:

things here

Mat:

up today?

Alex:

Just like an enthusiastic invitation to come fringe with us. I know 216 shows can feel daunting. Mhmm.

Megan:

But

Alex:

we have this wonderful thing on our website. It's called the Fringe Magic 8 Ball. And if you give it a shake, it will choose to show it.

Megan:

Random for you.

Alex:

Nice. So cool. So if you don't know where to start, start there. K. Or just talk to our awesome box office volunteers.

Alex:

They will help guide your experience. K. But I promise once you're there, you're not gonna wanna stop fringing.

Megan:

No. Yeah. Amazing. Mhmm.

Mat:

Well, thank you so much Megan for hanging out with

Megan:

us today. Yeah. Thank you.

Mat:

And thank you guys for hanging out with us today. If you have any questions for Megan or for us, like, please just let us know, email, comments section. Yeah. It was just a joy hanging out with you today, so thank you so much.

Megan:

Thank you. And, so everyone knows Mindbuffs will be at the Fringe volunteering this year at community care, So also come say hi to us.

Mat:

Right on. K. Thank you so much, guys.