THE STORY OF BLUE FRINGE
EST. 1992
The Blue Fringe Arts Awards originated as the Adrienne Brown Awards in 1992. Adrienne had schizophrenia and found relief through her love of poetry, the arts and music. After her death in 1990, her family created the Awards in memory of Adrienne’s battle with schizophrenia. The family recognised the valuable role that artistic expression played in their daughter’s life. From this, emerged the Blue Fringe Art & Literature Festival, now in its 30th year.
Through its life Blue Fringe has showcased the talents of thousands of poets, artists and story tellers. For many it is the first time they have shared their work publicly and for some the experience is life changing…
“The Blue Fringe Arts Prize totally changed the way I thought about myself. It gave me my self-confidence back”
“Blue Fringe is an opportunity to be heard, to be seen. It opens up conversations. It brings mental illness out of the darkness and into the light”
BLUE FRINGE AIMS TO
- celebrate of the creativity of people with a lived experience of mental illness
- reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
- create conversations about the benefit of creative pursuits for mental health and well-being
- promote a more socially inclusive community
- provide an opportunity to exhibit the work of emerging artists
Blue Fringe 2022 has been made possible our wonderful supporters & sponsors
The Blue Fringe Festival would not be possible without the support of many generous local people and businesses over the years. Thank you for your ongoing support and for recognising the important cultural role this special event plays in our community and in generating positive conversations around mental health.
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The Organising Committee for Blue Fringe is made up of workers from Springwood Neighbourhood Centre, Belong Blue Mountains and Blue Mountains Women’s Health and Resource Centre and a very committed and passionate team of wonderful volunteers.
