Editorial | Fringe Club’s future is in its own hands
- With non-profit organisations invited to submit proposals for operating the19th century building that the Fringe Club has long called home, the club will need to assure the government it can move on from recent troubles and thrive again
The Fringe Club has been a much-loved feature of Hong Kong’s arts and culture scene since taking up residence at the Old Dairy Farm Depot in Central in 1983. The disused 19th century building was transformed into a vibrant, edgy venue for the arts. It all began with the annual Fringe Festival, inspired by the famous Edinburgh event, which the club ran for 14 years, until 1997. This popular celebration of arts and culture saw international acts joining local performers. The 1994 festival, for example, featured 180 shows. But the club’s golden era is over. It has, in recent times, faced financial and legal difficulties. The founder and former administrator both retired last year. Now, it faces an uncertain future.
The club leases the heritage building from the government at nominal rent. The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau has invited non-profit organisations to submit proposals for operating the building when the current lease runs out next year. The intention is, rightly, that the premises will continue to be used as a centre for arts and culture. There is still a chance the Fringe Club will survive. It hopes to win the tender. The government will need to give the club’s proposal careful consideration, along with any other bids it receives. The priority must be to ensure the best use is made of this distinctive old building in a prime location.
The club will need to assure the government it can move on from recent troubles and thrive again. The contribution it has made to Hong Kong’s cultural environment over many years should weigh in its favour. It has promised to revive the Fringe Festival, attracting acts from the mainland and overseas. This would be welcome and fits perfectly with the city’s ambitions to become an international cultural hub.
Hong Kong has developed major centres for the arts, such as the West Kowloon Cultural District. But the city lacks smaller, vibrant venues that are open to new artists with a taste for the avant-garde. Many of those with fond memories of the Fringe Club’s heyday will hope it survives. But whatever the outcome of the tender process, the need for an energetic, diverse and open arts venue must be met.