The Reading Festival website has announced changes which will boost the Fringe initiative now and into the future. These include acknowledging the importance of Reading as a location by allocating 3000 tickets exclusively to locals and allowing 14,000 festival goers onto the site early, in addition to the 7000 allowed to camp early currently.

Needless to say, if even a small percentage of these early birds come into the towns venues it promises to be a bumper week for the Fringe events

....it promises to be a bumper week for the Fringe events.... So its even more important to get your event details in now so they can be added to the Fringe Programme which is distributed to festival goers and hotels where music industry and media types normally hole up for the duration but may be persuaded to come out onto the Fringe

See www.readingfestival.com for more details and keep checking back for more events.

In the lead up to the world renowned Reading festival, a whole week of events are set to take place. Now in its fifth year the Reading Fringe Festival is already to attracting talented cutting edge acts to be the stars of the show.

The first events to be announced are Jazz guitarist Mike Miller and his Trio at The Horse & Groom, The Street, Mortimer Common, on Thursday 27th August. On Saturday 22nd August Wicked Boy Promotions are once again holding an All Day event at The Face Bar in Reading. This will include some of the best bands and artists that have performed for them over the last few years. A typically varied bill for which Wicked Boy Promotions have become renowned, and with over 10 acts it looks like it will be a gig packed with talent.

....A typically varied bill for which Wicked Boy Promotions have become renowned, and with over 10 acts it looks like it will be a gig packed with talent. At the Global Cafe & Bar, London St, Reading you can find the 2nd Annual Global Café Beer Festival - Four consecutive evenings of music and film with a selection of interesting, local, organic and Vegan beers on draught, in addition to their existing range of around 50. Music begins at 7 pm Thursday (20th August). For those looking for something in the visual arts there is the Moondogs Art Gallery & Coffe Shop Summer Exhibition Local Artists displaying and selling their work. A range of cakes, teas and coffee is availiable. Vegans catered for. The café also boasts free Wifi internet access.

Keep checking back for more events.

Please click on the following images to find out more

Early coverage of this years Fringe has again been very encouraging with both the people who maintain the Yellow Pages Local guide and the Reading Chronicle getting in contact to offer us entries in their publications.

    The Yellow Pages is distributed to every household in the area and represents a real boost to our profile.

The Chronicle has added to its long record of supportive coverage for this initiative which continues to be a great help.


Many thanks to them and all the people in the local media who keep this initiative in the public eye.

The Reading Fringe Festival is looking for new members.

Anyone interested in the Fringe is encouraged to come to the Deja Vu bar, 61 St Marys Butts, where you can find out more and decide whether you want to sign up for membership.

Membership is free for this drive and entitles you to a say in who runs the Fringe and how it is run. Members will also be kept informed of news about Reading Fringe Festival events, along with networking and volunteering opportunites in the towns Arts and Music scene. You will also be able to sample some of Readings finests live acts during the venues regular Bohemian night. Please come along, we look forward to seeing you.

The 2008 Fringe is now complete and the main festival is underway. More than 50 acts performed at 25 events at venues throughout the town, featuring all types of art, poetry, theatre and music. 5000 Programmes were distributed with maps and local info to help festival goers find venues and facilities in the town. Long live the Fringe.

The people behind the towns famed Bohemian Night, which runs every Thursday night at the 3Bs in the Town Hall, will be staging an outdoor version in the towns picturesque Forbury Gardens...

Eclectic

An eclectic selection of regular acts from the 3bs famed Bohemian night this will be, Music, Poetry, Comedy and what not, sometimes all at the same time, all in the picturesque surroundings of the lovely Forbury Gardens. Lovely.

....whether it be singing, playing, juggling, poetry
or stand-up.......Anything goes! The Bohemian Night itself is a kind of 'open mic' night every Thursday at the 3Bs in Reading, U.K. that allows people to 'have a go' - whether it be singing, playing, juggling, poetry or stand-up. Anything goes! The atmosphere is laid back. They don't judge people's abilities advising acts to just bring an instrument (if they use one!) or if you only want to listen and watch : there is plenty to enjoy

Although Boho in the Park will not be open mic, it will have something for everyone so come along.

For more information on The Bohemian Night, please visit www.myspace.com/bohonight

Connextions

Also on hand will be staff from Berkshire Connextions, a charity set up to help young people with their careers, whose van tours many events handing out advice and options on how best to deal with the challenges facing young people today

The Fringe week is also amoung their busiest, as students find out their GCSE results and are looking for support and ideas about the future their results could lead to, whether better, worse or the same as expected.

So, if you have ever needed some advice, or just wanted someone to talk to, but the problem is your best mate can't tell you anything you don't already know and you don't feel you can speak to anyone else, well why not try Connexions, the service that is all about connecting every single 13 to 19 year old (up to 25 with learning difficulties or disabilities) to all the things you need to know. To find out more click www.connexions-berkshire.org.uk/