BRIGHTON FRINGE’S LARGEST BURSARY OFFERING TO DATE WITH FORTY-THREE BURSARIES AWARDED

INCLUDING BURSARIES FROM DISNEY+ STAR LUKE ROLLASON, NATIONWIDE SUSTAINABLE TEA COMPANY BIRD & BLEND TEA CO., AND BRIGHTON & HOVE PRIDE

Brighton Fringe are thrilled to announce its largest bursary offering to date, with a total of forty-three bursary winners across sixteen bursary schemes. These bursaries cover a wide range of genres from dance to art exhibitions and support various performers such as members of the LGBTQ+ community and women experiencing homelessness. Brighton Fringe’s bursary programme ensures access to the arts for those who ordinarily may not have been able to take part. Each bursary has its own set of criteria and prizes ranging from financial support to mentoring and rehearsal space.

Luke Rollason, star of Disney+ show Extraordinary and long-term Brighton Fringe performer, contributed to this bursary programme by supporting four events. Seeking event from comedians that are underrepresented in the genre and creating alternative comedy, Luke supported events such as Su Mi: Banana Beard at The Actors and Clementine at The Rotunda Theatre.

Bird & Blend Tea Co., an independent tea company on a mission to spread happiness and reimagine tea, supported four events across two bursary schemes. Their SustainabiliTEA Bursary sought events which included sustainability in the event, through educational themes or sustainable event operations. They also offered a CommuniTEA Bursary, which sought events engaging with the local community or focussing on community themes, such as Can I Be Bored Now? at Latest Music Bar and The A Word which has already been rehearsing at a Bird & Blend Tea Co. shop as part of their award.

The Pebble Trust, long-term supporters of Brighton Fringe, once again aided performers through multiple bursary programmes. Their Young People Bursary supported four under 25 participants from Brighton & Hove, offering mentoring sessions and covering production costs. This included events such as Stimmicanto at Presuming Ed’s, which explores hope, new beginnings, and neurodivergence. Pebble Trust also offered an International Touring Bursary, helping Esther’s Revenge to perform at Brighton Fringe 2023 all the way from Nigeria.

Supporting LGBTQ+ performers, with aims to enrich, entertain and educate audiences, Brighton & Hove Pride offered five bursaries. Ranging from comedy events about gender expression and trans masculinity such as It’s A Boy? at Laughing Horse, to murderous theatre events from award-winning performers such as Blue Blood at Ironworks Studios.

Brighton Fringe 2023 bursaries were awarded by: Encore Insure, South East Dance, UrbanFlo Creative, Bird & Blend Tea Co., Pebble Trust, Luke Rollason, Brighton & Hove Pride, Robert Batson, Brighton Lion’s, Ironclad Creative, Legal & General and the Brighton Fringe team.

Full list of bursary winners:

• AG Norton: Dad, Playboy, & Me… Not Your Average Slideshow - Caravanserai - Junk Poets, 10-12 May 8:30pm
• Backbone Theatre & Film: Gentrif*cked (Work in Progress) – Laughing Horse @ Caroline of Brunswick, 24-26 May 8:15pm
• BARCO & TNS PRESENT: KING TAFARI LOVE - Caravanserai - Luna Parc, 3 June 11pm
• Ben Hodge: It’s A Boy? - Laughing Horse @ The Walrus, 22-29 May 9:30pm
• Blue Devil Productions: Blue Blood - Ironworks Studio, 15-17 May 7:45pm
• Brighton Theatre: ANNA & MARINA - Latest Music, 5 and 6 May 3pm and 6pm
• Communitas Dance: Communi-ties to the Past - The Bevy, 13-14 May 2pm, 3pm, 4pm
• Concept Theatre: SONS - Caravanserai - Junk Poets, 18-19 May 6:30pm
• Elk Productions: 2145 - The Lantern @ ACT, 1-2 June 8:30pm and 3-4 June 7:30pm
• Ensonglopedia: The Puddle at the End of the World - Brighton Spiegeltent: Bosco, 2-4 June 4pm
• Eppie Brilliant: What’s Your Favourite Song - Junkyard Dogs at The Round Georges, 24-27 May 6pm
• Equinox Care: I AM MORE THAN - Bloom Cafe & Hope Centre, 5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31 May 10:30am
• Farrah Alice Black: Rambunctious Scallywag - Caravanserai - Junk Poets, 17-21 May 5pm and 3-4 June 2pm
• Age is a Stage: Beyond the Nose - Brighton Spigeltent: Bosco, 10 May and 1 June 6pm
• Fringe at Falmer 2023 - St. Laurence Church by the Pond, 13-27 May 5:30pm
• Gabriella Leonardi: The Art of a Damaged Soul – The Brunswick, 13, 14, 27, 28 May 3pm
• Geoffrey Mead’s Clifton Hill & Montpelier Tour - MEET: ST Nicholas Church Main Door, 5 May - 3 June, 2pm
• Ingenious Fools & Andrew Roach Talent LTD: Cerys Bradley: Not Overthinking Things in 2019 - Sweet @ The Welly, 12-13 May 7pm
• Instinct Pictures: SHADOWS - Brighton i360 6 and 27 May various times, and The Rotunda Theatre: Bubble, 7-28 May various times
• Learn & Rise: The 'A' Word – Latest Music Bar, 5-6 May 9pm
• Nikolina & Lea: Can I Be Bored Now? - Latest Music Bar, 3-4 June 8pm
• Nikolina & Lea: Can I Be Bored Now? - Latest Music Bar, 3-4 June 8pm
• Paggy G: Stimmicanto - Presuming Ed’s, 5-7 May 5:30pm, 14-17 May 6:45pm
• Pawstudios Africa: Esther’s Revenge - Fishing Museum Loft - The Old Net Room, 25-28 May 6pm and 31 May - 3 June 7pm
• Prentice Productions: 30 and Out – The Actors, 27-28 May 5pm
• Rosalie Minnitt: Clementine - The Rotunda Theatre: Squeak, 5-7 May 6:15pm
• Ruth Hunter: The Ruth is on Fire (WIP) - The Caxton Arms, 13-14 May 3pm
• Sew Fabulous: The Party Clothes Exchange
• Spit the Ink: Manifesting - The Actors, 11-12 May 7pm
• Still Got It - Laughing Horse @ The Quadrant, 6-7 May 1pm
• Su Mi: Banana Beard - The Actors, 20-21 May 9:30pm
• Theatre Patchwork: The Sewage - Brighton Youth Centre, 1, 3, 4 June 7pm and 2 June 8pm
• Tick Tock Bridget: Mary (and the Perfectly Possible but Probably Implausible Perhaps Parade), One Church Brighton - Gloucester Place, 2-4 June various times
• Tomfoolery Inc: Living
• Tours of Brighton: Brighton’s Coolest, Interactive Dance Party Tour, MEET: Upside Down House, 5 May - 4 June various times
• Turning Hatts Productions: FRYDAYS – Komedia Studio, 3 June 9pm and 4 June 4pm 
• Legal & General: 6 winners TBC