History:

The history of Fringe Festivals began in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947. There, a number of performing artists who were not official participants of the Edinburgh International Festival (whose participants are invited by its General Director) decided to produce their own work in empty stores and church basements. Thus, their work was staged literally "on the fringe" of the established festival. The concept was an immediate success and the Fringe soon became as popular - if not more - as the "official" Edinburgh Festival. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as of 2012, is the largest festival in the world and Europe's number one tourist destination. Following the example of the Edinburgh Fringe, other Fringe Festivals sprang up in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia in the following decades, many of which follow the true Fringe philosophy - to provide artists with the opportunity to show their work in an uncensored and unburied environment and to give 100% of ticket sales back to the artists. The Fort Lauderdale Fringe Festival Presented by Broward College launched their inaugural event in 2015 with the encouragement of President J. David Armstrong. The festival is held at Broward College's downtown campus, holding performances both inside and outside several of the college's buildings.

Mission:

The mission of the Fort Lauderdale Fringe Festival Presented by Broward College is to provide our community with culturally rich experiences and add to the already thriving art scene.