Last week Croydonites (our favourite local theatre festival) launched their call-out for artists to take part in this year’s Fringe.

Back for its second edition from 1–5 July, the Croydonites Fringe will animate the town centre and South Norwood with a packed programme of theatre, comedy, dance, music, poetry and more.

While the main Croydonites festival showcases local theatre makers alongside some of the best contemporary performance from across the UK, its sister festival brings a different vibe – an open call inviting work from all genres.

We caught up with Croydonites director Anna Arthur to find out more.

Left: Tom Marshman. Right: Will BF.

Croydonist: Looking back at the first Fringe in 2024, what really stood out for you, and what made you want to bring it back for 2026?

Anna: The 2024 Fringe was our first try at this kind of model, where audiences can see a number of shows on one day. Whilst the main festival runs over a couple of weeks, this Fringe took place from Thursday to Sunday. Our busiest day was the Saturday (Super Saturday as we coined it) where we had 9 shows. What stood out was the variety of performances we were able to accommodate – everything from stand up comedy and street performance, to choirs, bands and theatre shows. We are big fans of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and are keen to give Croydon a taste of this, so hence our return in July.

Left: Surrey Harmony Chorus. Right: Queer Croydon.

Croydonist: What did you learn from that first year, and how will this year’s Fringe feel different?

Anna: We were delighted to learn that there was an appetite for this in Croydon, and also very happy that we attracted some completely new audiences. This time, we’ll have a couple of different venues in the mix including Stanley Arts, who we are collaborating with. We’ll also be working on streamlining the programme so that you can fit even more into one day.

Croydonist: Who can apply to be part of the Fringe – is it just for established artists, or is there space for first-timers too?

Anna: We welcome artists from all different levels of experience, as long as the show is finished. It’s not a platform for works in progress. Performances need to be anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes, although if you have a shorter work you can always team up with someone else.

Left: Jessie Wren Jacobs. Right: Minifigure.

Croydonist: For anyone thinking of applying, what does the process look like, and what kind of work are you hoping to see this year?

Anna: It’s a very simple application form, we need basic details, a description and any visuals you might have (photos, recordings etc). We are hoping for a really good mix of fun and more serious works (across a few different genres) – that’s what makes a really good fringe, having that variety.

Croydonist: The Fringe brings a slightly different energy to the main festival – why is that important for Croydon as a place and a creative community?

Anna: We’d love Croydon to be known as a place where people can make and see performance. Be the change you want to see right?

Definitely… 

Left: Dicks Picks. Right: Company Skin.

Thank you to Anna for chatting with us. If you are an artist interested in performing at the Croydonites Fringe this year, apply here by Sunday 3 May.

Check out the Croydonites website for more info and follow them on Instagram, and Facebook.

Photos courtesy of Croydonites – from Fringe 2024. This year’s Fringe is in collaboration with Stanley Arts and supported by Croydon Council. 

Posted by Julia