Hollywood Fringe Festival Announces 2016 Scholarship Winners

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is proud to announce the winners of the 2016 Fringe Scholarships. An objective and independent committee of former Hollywood Fringe participants reviewed nearly 40 applications for this award. The applications were evaluated based on how much impact the production would have on the overall attraction of audience and the production's potential to increase the ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of artists and audience. Fringe Scholarships provide each recipient with complimentary festival registration.

The winners of the 2016 Fringe Scholarships are:

Disrupted

Las Garcia

Odilia

Uterine Affairs

Yuri Speaks Out

"The Fringe Scholarship is important to me because as a touring artist of color I go to many Fringe Festivals where I am probably one of maybe two or three people of color in the entire festival," says Les Kurkendaal, 2016 Fringe Scholarship Selection Committee Member. "Whenever I meet the local artists of color in the cities that I go to, and ask them why they don't participate in their local Fringe Festivals, lack of funds is always the answer."

The winners are a direct reflection of Hollywood Fringe's dedication to providing platforms for unique and underserved artists within the community. This scholarship, created in 2016, was awarded to five Hollywood Fringe productions, based on the following factors - the production features the participation of ethnically diverse artists; the production will enrich audience experience through the presentation of unique, underrepresented themes, and the production will increase festival attendance and participation by local Hollywood residents.

"I am proud of our collective decision," says Elisa Noemi, 2016 Fringe Scholarship Selection Committee Member. "I feel content knowing we thoroughly considered the proposals, discussed the complexity of defining diversity, in regards to storytelling and representation, and chose plays that reflect both national and international diversity."

"These productions were chosen because their stories seem driven by a sense of purpose and the intention of honoring the audiences that will be drawn to these plays and the festival at large," continues Noemi. "They go beyond this year's festival and plant seeds for the future."

This scholarship is partially funded through a grant from the California Community Foundation. Special thanks to our committee members: Chris Farah, Les Kurkendaal, and Elisa Noemí.

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