First-Person: Amy Blackmore on The Fringe (Fringe 2012)

Ms Blackmore as Lady Gaga

(photo by Cindy Lopez)

Here we Go!

The Fringe starts well before The Fringe

by Amy Blackmore (photos by Tristan Brand)

[Ed: With this article The Charlebois Post - Montreal is launching its Fringe 2012 coverage. Please note there is now a special aggregator at the top of each page, under the site title, for all of our articles on this edition of the Fringe.]

From my windowless office, something has always felt a little strange about prepping for a summer festival when there is still two feet of snow on the ground. All the talk of tiki lounges, beer tents and sangria never seems right. Nevertheless, as of the date of publication of this feature, a little less than three months until the start of the 22nd edition of the St-Ambroise Montreal FRINGE Festival. 

Sunday Feature: Interview with Amy Blackmore

The Machine in Full-Metal Mode

"It’s sort of like being brought up in to the festival from the inside right away."

by Émilie Charlebois

Photos of Fringe HQ by Mainline Ghost

As the 21st edition of the St Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival fast approaches, the Plateau-Mile End neighborhood is gearing up for its annual surge in cultural activities.  The Charlebois Post took this opportunity to talk with Amy Blackmore, who is succeeding Jeremy Hechtman as Festival director, in order to find out what to expect after 21 years of Montreal Fringe.

CHARPO:

You’ve been involved with the Fringe for a long time now, starting as a volunteer. What do you think your experience brings to the table now that you’re the Festival director? How has it helped you so far? 

BLACKMORE:

I think that the fact that I started off as a volunteer is probably one of the most important things that I am bringing to the table. The fact that I’ve spent ten years there, and I wasn’t just a volunteer. I was a volunteer, then I became an artist, then I started as the assistant to the producer (Jeremy Hechtman). It’s sort of like being brought up in to the festival from the inside right away. It might mean that I lack, to a certain extent, the experience of just being an audience member, but I think it’s interesting because I was brought in to the community right away. The values that the Fringe Festival holds, which are of community, neighborhood  and togetherness, were instilled in me right away. That’s what really attracted me to it and that’s what I hope to share with everyone else.