Artist Observers to the board

About the role

Since 2021, Brighton Fringe artists have sat on the Board of Trustees as an observer, to give feedback from those involved in the festival directly to the Board. This voluntary role was created with the aim of improving transparency and ensure artist's voices are heard. These roles are unpaid.

The current term will run from December 2023 until December 2024 where observers will then be up for re-election. Each observer can be re-elected and serve up to two consecutive terms, but cannot be re-elected for a third consecutive term.

CURRENT Artist Observers to the Board

**James Horscroft**
James Horscroft is a writer, actor and entrepreneur from Brighton, who runs theatre company Biscuit Barrel Comedy. With Biscuit Barrel, James has now both produced and performed in four Brighton Fringe shows since 2019. He has also completed four twenty-six date runs of Edinburgh Fringe, with 1,700 tickets sold for their 2023 production.

The group has also brought productions to Guildford Fringe, Winchester Comedy Festival, Durham Fringe, and Greater Manchester Fringe. James has received recognition for his work, being nominated for The David Nobbs Memorial Trust Comedy-Writing Award in 2021.

Contact: [email protected]

**Fanny Dent (Alexandra Plotkin)**
I am a Brighton-based comedy burlesque performer. My artistic journey began over ten years ago, starting with humble 5-minute 'open spots' in sticky rooms above pubs, fuelled by a passion for live performance and creative expression. The road from those early days to where I am today has been a journey of growth, learning, and determination, and Brighton is the place where my artistic path truly began. The Brighton Fringe, with its diverse array of venues, provided me with a platform to hone my solo show from an intimate ‘work in progress’, to a full-length production.

What sets Brighton Fringe apart, in my view, is its inclusive and welcoming nature. It's a place where artists at all stages of their careers, doing a wide range of performance styles, are embraced and celebrated. Just as the Brighton Fringe has nurtured and supported me, I now hope to do the same for others. My goal is to foster an inclusive and supportive environment within the Brighton Fringe community, just as it did for me.

Contact: https://linktr.ee/FannyDent

**Kate Darach**
Hello; I am a theatre maker, performance poet and musician. I am a long-time member of and organiser for Carnival Collective, which
last year played to a sold-out Caravanserai (and was the fastest selling show at the Fringe last year). I have organised and played
numerous gigs with the band, including putting on several large-scale gigs in Brighton (Concorde 2, The Old Market, Komedia, Great
Escape, Pride). Previously I have brought my solo show Moon Tales to the Fringe, where it won an Argus Angel Award and subsequently
went on to show at The Old Market as part of their Reigning Women season; as well as performing in The Last Lunch with Something
Underground Theatre (multiple award-winning theatre co.). I have also been actively involved in the arts sector across the city as a
reviewer (reviewing theatre, music and dance for Brighton and Hove News and The Times Literary Supplement) and as a sometime
employee of Brighton People's Theatre and Windmill Young Actors (now Third Space). Finally, I was selected for Collidescope, the
Dome's festival residency in 2017.

Alongside my day job in the NHS, I am currently working on a new show, 'Boxes', about not fitting into them, and thinking outside of them; which will premiere at Brighton Fringe 2024 at The Actors.

Process for recruitment

Artists put themselves forward as a candidate via a Google form including a short profile and motivations for joining as an observer to the board.

Self-nominations will re-open in Autumn 2024.

The list of candidates will be advertised in e-newsletters and through social media including Brighton Fringe Participant Networking Group. Voting on candidates is via a Google form and is open to all participants. Voting is anonymous, although Brighton Fringe will be able to see the votes to remove any duplicates.

The vote will be ratified by the Board and announced in time for the December Board meeting; the three artists in receipt of the most votes will (assuming ratification) be invited as an observer on the board of Brighton Fringe for this meeting.

Conditions of voting

One vote per artist, an artist may vote for themselves. Artists from the current or previous editions of Brighton Fringe are eligible to vote. The decision of the Brighton Fringe Board is final and if the Board does not ratify the vote, the vote will be run again.