After speaking to Peter Buckley Hill about his proposed action
yesterday, he sent me this press release explaining his objectives....
John Ritchie (Editor)
Press Release
Embargo until Tuesday 15th July 2008
Peter Buckley Hill, founder of the Free Fringe, has today taken steps to
give all Fringe performers a voice in the Fringe's management.
"There are about 2100 shows at the Fringe" says Buckley Hill. "Yet
the Fringe Board is normally elected by fewer than 50 people. The
electors have to pay £10 for the privilege; the rules have been changed
this year so you have to join well before the Fringe itself starts.
People with no connection to the Fringe can join and vote; the people who
actually make and pay for the Fringe, the performers, have no automatic
vote."
The Fringe Society membership is limited to 100 electors, even though the
Fringe has 2100 shows. This limit was set in 1969. The
auditors' report for 2007 confirms it's still in force.
Buckley Hill maintains this is both undemocratic and stupid.
"Performers make the Fringe; performers finance the Fringe by the losses
they make out of their own pockets. Yes, we can join and
vote for the Board members; no, it's not easy, and very few people
do. And this year it's been made even more difficult. I
wonder whom it suits to shut performers' voices out of the management of
the Fringe?"
He has submitted a formal motion for consideration at the Fringe's AGM on
Saturday August 16th 2008. This motion instructs the Board to offer
automatically a £1 share in the Fringe to a representative of every
company performing at the Fringe.
"My proposal would make it easy for performers to join and to
participate in the democratic management of the Fringe. Right now,
it's difficult; it ought to be easy. If we already have the best
Directors we can have, then they'll stand the scrutiny of the
performer-electors. If not, then let's get the best Directors we
can have. Ones who will work in the interests of the performers
whose money and talent make the Fringe happen in the first place".
Formal motions have never been put at the AGM in the 15 years Buckley
Hill has been attending. There is, in his view, no reason in
Company Law or natural justice why formal motions should not be put.
"A Fringe responsive to the needs of the performers who make it happen is
a better Fringe", he maintains. "It's about time we questioned the
way things have always been done. There are 15 members of the
Board. Only two are performers, and there have never been more than
two. The Fringe faces serious problems in the future, not the least
the advent of a separate Comedy Festival. Is this really in the
Fringe's interests? Let democracy decide."
The text of the motion is available from PBH at the contact points
below.
The names and street addresses of the Directors of the Festival Fringe
Society Ltd are a matter of public record, but PBH has them to save you
looking.
The Annual General Meeting of the Festival Fringe Society Limited will be
held at the Apex International Hotel, 31-35 Grassmarket at 1100 on
Saturday August 16th 2008.
Peter Buckley Hill can be contacted on
[email protected]
[email protected] (straight to Blackberry for short urgent emails)
07721 463 333
The Free Fringe is on
www.freefringe.org.uk
The Company Secretary of the Festival Fringe Society Ltd is
Anna Grieg, Morton Fraser LLP, 30-31 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2
1JX
The Chair of the Festival Fringe Society Ltd is
Baroness (Elizabeth) Smith of Gilmorehill, widow of John Smith.
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