There is the Free Fringe ,and then there is also the Laughing Horse

Press Statement by Peter Buckley Hill

I'm sending this to everybody on the Fringe Press list.  Please ignore if it doesn't affect you.

There's been a lot of confusion this year between ourselves, the Free Fringe, and the Laughing Horse's "Free Festival".

I'd be very grateful if the distinction would be clear in the minds of those who write and broadcast.

The
Free Fringe was founded in 1996 by me, and this year has 1973
performances of 115 shows.  I own the company and the name.  We are a
not-for-profit organisation, and run as far as possible as a community
of performers.

There are many other free shows on the Fringe, but they are not the Free Fringe.

Most
of these shows are run by the Laughing Horse, who formerly did shows
within the Free Fringe, but left at their own insistence after Fringe
2006.  Their rival "Free Festival" is running for the second year in
2008.

Several news reports have confused the two, and reported on the
Laughing Horse's events as if they were the Free Fringe, using that
name and mostly that capitalisation.  They are indeed doing free shows
on the Fringe, but are not the Free Fringe.

I would be very grateful if all media could remember this distinction.

Why is it important?

We have worked hard since 1996 to establish both the brand and the concept of free shows at the Fringe.

One of the things at which we have worked hardest is providing a series
of shows that are, as a norm, of equal quality to those found at the
paid venues.  We are proud of our offering this year.

In
my view -- you do not have to believe this without proof, but come and
try -- the normative quality of our shows is much higher that those put
on by the Laughing Horse.

In my view also -- and again you need not take my word -- many of
the shows in the Laughing Horse's offering are not (yet) of a fit
quality to be at the Edinburgh Fringe.

It follows from this that
we would not like the public to confuse our shows with theirs.  Both of
us may indeed run free shows, but there the similarity ends. 

I would be grateful if all media -- and again, this is a mass email
so I do not wish to offend any individual -- would respect the
difference in the brandings and, when writing of the Laughing Horse's
operation, not use the term Free Fringe.  Some of their press
communications might, in a certain light, be seen to be blurring the
distinction.  We would be very grateful if the distinction were to be
clear.

Many thanks for your attention.

I would be glad to answer any questions on this or the Free Fringe generally, its programme, operations or history.

Regards

Peter Buckley Hill
Founder and Artistic Director
Free Fringe.