Melbourne Fringe Festival has opened its first funding round of 2025, offering a combined $75,000 across multiple opportunities for First Nations and d/Deaf and disabled artists.
The Deadly Fringe Commissions will offer three opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives, with one $15,000 and two $10,000 grants available for new works to be developed and showcased at the 2025 festival.
In a significant boost for disability arts, the Radical Access program will provide a $40,000 commission for an experienced d/Deaf, Disabled or Neurodivergent artist to create groundbreaking new work.
Melbourne Fringe Festival 2025
- Deadly Fringe applications close Sunday 2 March 2025, 11.59pm
- Radical Access applications close Sunday 2 March 2025, 11.59pm
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The announcement comes alongside news of fresh leadership in the festival’s disability arts sector. Caroline Bowditch steps into the newly created Cultural Equity Consultant role, while Milly Cooper takes the reins as Access Fringe Program Manager. They join continuing Access Advisor Carly Findlay OAM in what’s shaping up to be a powerhouse team for Melbourne’s most diverse arts festival.
The commissions form part of Melbourne Fringe’s broader vision for cultural democracy, providing substantial platforms for traditionally underrepresented voices in the arts. These opportunities arrive just as the festival scene kicks into gear, with Asia TOPA and Midsumma Festival already lighting up venues across the city.
Both commission streams encourage bold, experimental work that pushes creative boundaries. The Deadly Fringe stream continues its vital role in amplifying First Nations voices, while the Radical Access commission represents one of the largest single funding opportunities for disability arts in the festival sector.
The announcement also coincides with a packed calendar of Fringe acts making waves around Melbourne in February, as New York’s iconic piano bar Marie’s Crisis brings its signature Broadway singalongs to Fringe Common Rooms, promising nights of unpredictable musical theatre mayhem with no set list, no stage, no microphone and no shooshing.
Meanwhile, Asia TOPA returns with a three-week program featuring Fringe favourites Betty Apple and Betty Grumble alongside world premieres and Australian exclusives from across the Asia-Pacific region. Midsumma Festival rounds out its 2025 program this weekend, with final performances including appearances by Fringe alumni The Huxleys at State Library Victoria and Jeremy Goldstein’s Truth to Power Café.
For more information and to apply, head here.
