Stewart Legere (Zuppa Theatre, The Safety Position) and Ken Pinto made an appearance on CBC‘s Mainstreet to talk with host Stephanie Domet about today’s announcement that the Atlantic Fringe Festival will be put on hold for up to two years while Pinto works on the Titanic 100 project.
Legere was able to express many concerns the theatre community has since hearing about this issue, responding to Pinto’s suggestion the festival would have suffered because all of the volunteers would be busy with Titanic 100. Legere asserts there is no shortage of people who are enthusiastic and eager to volunteer for the festival. He also responded to the fact that—in advance of Pinto’s announcement—there was no job posting or open call for the festival coordinator, a move that many in the community found insulting and confusing. Legere suggested a caring and committed member of the local theatre community should have tried harder to find a replacement.
Puzzlingly, Ken Pinto spoke via telephone with Domet from the lobby of the CBC building. He suggested the audience for the festival just wasn’t there in the numbers he’d like and his ultimate plan was to grow the festival to be a comparable size to the Jazz Fest. How this goal would be easier to attain with two years off is uncertain.
When asked about why he chose not to find a replacement while he worked on Titanic 100, he said he had some colleagues in mind, but, unfortunately, “the management skills just weren’t there.” He states he’d been looking for a replacement for a year and that finding someone else to take a stab at the festival—someone who may even be able to turn a profit—is something he’d like.
Over to you, theatre community. We think there is definitely someone out there who can build upon the momentum of this festival and make 2011 something great.
This article appears in Apr 7-13, 2011.
“the management skills just weren’t there.”
What a complete and utter dick.
What you have is someone who couldn’t stand for someone to do a better job, so he flips the Risk Board.
ASS
The Board of the Fringe should ensure that the Fringe goes forward, even if Ken Pinto is busy with other endeavours. The entrepreneurial skill of the theatre community is readily apparent and I am certain that a person with the necessary skills can be identified. How about a search before throwing the festival under the bus (or guiding it into an iceberg, to use an appropriate metaphor). I have worked with Ken before (on a conference project) but he is 100% wrong on this issue. And I sign my posts — Peter Twohig, Atlantic Canada Studies, Saint Mary’s University.
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well, as part of the theatre community I can tell you he must not have looked very far or beyond the circle of people he knows personally…I saw no postings for the position…
What a douche.
A classic case of ‘I have a cushy new job for a little while and then I’ll go back to the job I am leaving and nobody can do the job as well as me’
The Pinto was a really crap car. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcNeorjXMrE
@ACST – It seems that Mr. Pinto is a member of the Board – the rest of the Board Members can be seen by searching the Atlantic Fringe Festival Society at the NS Registry of Joint Stocks database.
http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/access/business…
To my arts colleagues – follow the money – it is very likely that the Festival has grant funds for this year’s fringe.
I think the show should go on, the cost to run the Fringe is not likely a significant amount and new sources can be found. It is the matter of someone in the community stepping up and running the show. If you know someone let them know. Halifax needs more people working together.
Is there not a board of directors? It isn’t up to Ken Pinto, it is up to the board of directors. A responsible board wouldn’t allow the festival (and all their volunteers – curious) to disappear – did they not receive their funding for the year and he didn’t want to acknowledge that? This is wrong. 20 years ago this year, Two Planks and a Passion Theatre got its start at the Fringe festival. Someone needs to have an emergency meeting with the board and take over. If Pinto takes a leave of absence and is offered his job again so be it, but a lot can change in 2 years and it would be gret to see what can happen now – kudos to Pinto for starting it, but if he needs a break, let someone else take it over for a while.
BOARD of DIRECTORS – where are you?
Chris
“a lot can change in 2 years and it would be great to see what can happen now” – Exactly!
Ken may have started the festival, but for the past few years, he’s been contributing to its downfall. There have been several complaints about his unprofessional treatment of performers, and numerous criticisms of how the festival has been managed. Halifax Fringe has actually developed a bit of reputation in theatre communities across Canada, and not in the good sense. The Coast ran this story after last year’s Fringe:
http://www.thecoast.ca/ArtAttack/archives/…
I say good riddance to Ken Pinto. Let somebody who is passionate and capable take the reins.
It seems pretty appropriate he’s taking a break from running Fringe into the ground to work on a celebration of THE TITANIC.
Does anyone know where I can listen to this interview if I missed it?
I have been a member of the board for most of the past 20 years. we functioned more as an advisory board or a sounding board for a very hard working and dedicated and visionary executive director- Ken Pinto. Unfortunately with two festivals on the go, perhaps Ken felt a little swamped and did not consult the board on his decision to put the fringe on hiatus.
There are many good reasons why this is not a good decision. If only Ken had seen that there may be more people of good will out there just a bit beyond the circle of contacts within which he had searched for a viable replacement.
Ken Pinto has said that he will attend a meeting with people interested in volunteering for the fringe festival. I will also attend and would be very supportive of welcoming energetic and committed people to help mount a fringe this year and help map out a way forward for future fringes.
The festival has helped the creative community to deliver a lot of magical and memorable moments over the past 20 years and it required a lot of work and goodwill. There are some fantastic volunteers and some great long term sponsors who contributed products and services and believed in this festival. Modest funding from three levels of government was spent with a miser’s touch and the festival never had a deficit. Basically the only people who got paid were the artists and the technical crew, the venues and the suppliers.
There was no cushy salary for Ken.
This is an event worth saving. Hope to see you all on Sunday
Bruce – Thank you for your comments.
I just want to correct one thing which may be misunderstood by some – the artists involved in the Fringe Festival are not paid by the Fringe Festival. Technicians, venues, suppliers yes – but the artists rely solely on the proceeds from their show (minus the $1 per ticket which goes to the Fringe Festival). In my experience (having been involved in 3 Fringe Hit shows, Fringe Hit, for those who don’t know, meaning the top selling show at that particular venue), proceeds cover not much more than costs (publicity, costumes, props, venue and technical costs are covered by the Fringe). Even in those lucky circumstances when a few extra dollars are left over for the artists, I would consider it honorarium, not payment.
To be clear – this isn’t a complaint – you don’t do the Fringe for the money! I just want to make sure that those out there who are unfamiliar with the process don’t get the wrong idea.
And secondly – I understand the idea of advisory board, and that’s fine…but when it comes to something like shutting the festival down for 2 years, that is not a decision that that an employee, no matter how dedicated and important, can make without clearance from the board. That’s, at the very least, massively irresponsible.
That being said, I share your hopes for finding a solution to keep this valuable event going. I look forward to Sunday.
Let someone else do it. Pinto’s is no longer interested in keeping it ongoing and his heart isn’t in it..