About Oxfringe
Oxfringe started in 2007 in conjunction with 'On the Fringe at Blackwell', which in turn was started in 2005 by Blackwell's historian, Rita Ricketts, who runs a regular series of workshops 'World Writers at Blackwell' with the intention of helping writers 'known and unknown to fame' to get their work heard and eventually published.
The programme for 2008 had an expanded range of literary, theatrical comic and musical events to run alongside the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival from Saturday 29 March to Sunday 6 April 2008 at venues across the city. If you are interested in being a performer for 2009, please contact us, or see the get involved page. Oxfringe is already planning events for 2009, when the fringe will run from 1-13 April.
You can also download our promotional leaflet.
Oxfringe is run by a large and growing team of volunteers and supporters, the founders being:
- Andrew Chapman - a writer, publisher and designer, and co-author of Actors' Handbook 2007-8; he has also run murder mystery events and is an occasional performer.
- Heather Dunmore - a playwright whose play Blue won awards in 2002 and 2003. She is also assistant administrator at Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company and a regular volunteer at the Oxford Playhouse.
- Sarah Jones - a theatre director who has directed plays for the Oxford Playhouse New Writers Group, and attached to the Old Gaol Theatre Company, Abingdon. She is also a development project manager and teacher.
- Deirdre Ruane - an award-winning short-story writer, artist and teacher. Her small-press quarterly comic book Wasted Epiphanies has achieved a cult following countrywide.
The Oxfringe steering group:
- Kathleen Mountjoy - Dramaturg, University of Oxford and Theodolite Productions
- Robert Bristow - Burton Taylor Studio Theatre Manager
- Sam Sampson - Oxford University Drama Officer
- Amy Standish - Oxford Impro and Abingdon Touring Theatre
- Holly Payton - Brighton Fringe Festival Operations Manager
Advisers and supporters:
- Richard Bickley - accountant and financial adviser
- Michelle Dickson - Deputy Director, Oxford Playhouse
- Robin Grossmann - writer and actor
- Bill Moulford - Oxford Theatre Guild and Oxfordshire Drama Network
- Nick Quartley - The North Wall Arts Centre
- Yasmin Sidhwa - Pegasus Theatre & Oxford Inspires
Oxfringe 2007
Oxfringe ran two free literary fringe events to accompany the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival in March 2007, as well as helping other fringe organisations to promote their events. Oxfringe ran two events:
- Open House with Oxfringe - a series of readings by upcoming writers, held at Blackwell's bookshop (see below), preceded by poets performing throughout the shop
- Oxfringe Open Mic - where anyone and everyone was welcome to take the mic for 5 minutes each at St Aldates Tavern
Other fringe events in 2007 included:
- On the Fringe: World Writers at Blackwell's
- Poetry on the Buses (by Oxford Brookes' Poetry Centre)
- Bus Stop Poetry Slam (Oxford Brookes)
- Turl Street Writers' workshop and performance event
- On the Fringe: World Writers at Blackwell's
- Gardens and Sands (poetry and music by Back Room Poets)
Speakers at the Open House with Oxfringe event included these Oxford-based authors:
- Novelist and journalist Frank Egerton
- Children's and fantasy writer Rhiannon Lassiter
- Journalist and author Trevor Mostyn
- Poet, novelist and lawyer Chuma Nwokolo
- Artist and writer Deirdre Ruane
- Novelist and editor C M Taylor
