The Norwich Fringe Festival brings its annual explosion of art to the city from Saturday, 7 to Sunday, 22 October 2006 - featuring a collection of some of the best original work by local and national artists. The festival spreads all kinds of art across Norwich - visual, music, poetry, dance and more - and ensures to install art and perform in unusual places, making it accessible to all.  | | Work by Sir Peter Blake at Fringe event |
This year, thanks to patron Colin Self, works by Sir Peter Blake and comedian Vic Reeves have been included, to join almost 200 other artists who've been given the opportunity to produce innovative new work for the duration of the 16 day festival. "The Fringe team is very proud of the way that the festival has grown in size and popularity in the last few years," said Marion Catlin from the Fringe. "It's managed to stick to its ethos of inclusivity by encouraging artists and helpers to develop their talents and gain experience, as well as reaching audiences that don't always enjoy the arts. "It is a huge community effort which involves many artists and venues, and the whole of Norwich should be as proud as we are," she added. Fringe at the factoryFor the fourth year running, the Fringe has installed itself in the old Bally shoe factory on Hall Road. Each office and room is transformed into an artist's own personal exhibition space. With people calling it the 'Tate Of The East' - the main factory floor certainly has parallels with the Tate Modern's big turbine hall.  | | Painting by Vic Reeves at Norwich Fringe |
On that factory floor you'll find the white cube where Colin Self's, Sir Peter Blake's and Vic Reeves' works take centre stage. "This is, in my view, some of the cream of British artists who are living at the moment," said gallery owner Trevor Chiddicks. "Art should be fun, if you like it, it's great - and there is a lot of fun at the factory," he added. Sarah Cannell is one of the organisers of the Norwich Fringe and art curator for Targetfollow, the property company which which owns the Bally site. "You never know what is going to arrive. We looked at the proposals in April but then you see photographs and text. When you see the real thing, it blows your mind," she said. Fringe in the cityThis year the Fringe has set up a city trail where an additional 60 artists are exhibiting in more than 20 locations throughout Norwich, including an installation by multi-media artists Zacron in the BBC's reception at The Forum. A leading figure in the sixties art-scene with, he's worked alongside the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and others and is best known for his 'rotator' album cover for Led Zeppelin 3. Zacron's installation at the headquarters of BBC East features a series of drawings, giant button badges, a video slide show and slogans based on 'art as human ecology'.  | | Zacron installs work in BBC reception |
"It's an interesting combination. The idea of slogans so that corporate art gets involved with fine art," said Zacron. "I think we're now in the 21st century where we don't have to be embarrassed about the commercial side of art and there are comments in the show about that." "The discs are enlarged versions of badges. They are thought provoking slogans which mobilise people's thoughts about art and our society and the ecological side of preserving our world and what art can do to play at part in that," he added. Fringe auctionThe festival also offers the chance for people to buy a piece of original art during The Great Fringe Art Auction on Wednesday, 11 October, 2006 from 1830. More than 100 lots of original work by Fringe artists will go under the hammer with auctioneers Chris Hann, John Allen and David Cook. There festival also includes a number of workshops, performances and events tied to the Fringe at venues across the city. Full details can be found on the Fringe's official website. This year is likely to be the last Fringe at the factory in its present form as the site is due to be redeveloped in the near future. | 
