The Stage

Edinburgh fringe constitution gets a step closer

Published Wednesday 11 August 2010 at 12:19 by Thom Dibdin

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society took a further step towards completing its search for a new constitution at a sometimes acrimonious open meeting this week.

More than 100 fringe participants and other interested parties were asked to consider two proposals for who will qualify for membership of the society and two further options for the composition of the society’s board.

For the first time ever, a proposal was put forward to formally link membership of the society to participation in the fringe. The second option offered would see completely open membership criteria.

Acrimony surfaced over a decision taken earlier this year by the current membership to suspend accepting new members until the new constitution is voted upon.

The debate was more positive when it came to composition of the society’s board, with diverging opinions on the principle of reserving seats for venues and participants, as well as the principle of appointing a number of voting trustees from outside the membership, based on an analysis of skills needed by the board.

Pip Utton, chair of the consultative committee on the new constitution, told The Stage he was happy with the meeting’s outcome, which is non-binding.

“We are a lot closer to being able to give options that the membership will find acceptable,” he said.

Utton said that the exact date for the meeting that will formally adopt a new constitution will be chosen by the existing board on August 20 and announced to the Society AGM in Edinburgh on August 21.