Policy Spotlight: Adelaide’s Fringe and their 365 Arts City
Imagine walking just a few minutes from your home or workplace to enjoy a poetry reading, play a trivia quiz, or catch an acoustic performance. What if our city offered this experience not just occasionally, but every single night of the year? This isn’t just a dream for most of us cultural enthusiasts—it’s a practical, achievable goal for us to foster a vibrant, connected community. The “365 Arts City” concept proposes just that: creating a city where arts, culture, creativity, and community engagement are accessible in our everyday lives.
Building on the idea of third spaces– welcoming, informal environments beyond home and work–the 365 Arts City envisions a network of small, accessible venues. They would be simple spaces designed for regular and community-driven events.
One city that offers a glimpse of what a 365 Arts City could look like is Adelaide. The city is located in South Australia and is widely loved and well-known for its world-famous Adelaide Fringe Festival. This event provides an inspiring example of how culture can be woven into a city’s daily life. While the annual festival takes place for several weeks, its impact extends throughout the year for the state’s citizens and visitors.
What makes the Adelaide Fringe unique is its use of small, unconventional venues scattered across the city. These venues—ranging from cafes and bars to public parks and even alleyways host thousands of performances and exhibitions each year. This focus on small-scale, accessible venues aligns closely with the 365 Arts City concept, as it ensures that arts and culture are available not just in large theatres or galleries, but in spaces that are easy for people to access and enjoy. The festival literally brings art to the streets, making culture a part of daily life. From intimate performances in local venues to larger-scale exhibitions, the festival creates an environment where people can regularly engage with the arts. Local residents don’t just participate in the festival—they embody it. The festival’s community-driven nature means that local businesses, organizations, and even residents are involved in hosting and participating in these events, fostering a sense of ownership and connection to the city’s cultural landscape.
One of the standout venues, the Garden of Unearthly Delights, perfectly embodies the spirit of inclusivity. While Adelaide Fringe is known for its performances and art installations, what truly sets the Garden of Unearthly Delights apart is its ability to attract an even more diverse audience. It’s not just art lovers, drama enthusiasts, or music fans who gather here, but also foodies, families, and locals from all backgrounds. The food stalls at the Garden of Unearthly Delights offer a global culinary experience, with tastes from around the world brought to Adelaide’s doorstep. This blend of arts and food highlights how cultural events can create a space where people from different walks of life come together to share in the experience.
Overall, the success of the Adelaide Fringe shows how a city can integrate arts and culture into everyday life, transforming the way people engage with their communities. While the festival itself may only last for a few weeks, the spirit of collaboration, creativity, and inclusivity it fosters lingers far longer. It shows that when cities embrace small, accessible venues for regular cultural events - arts and creativity can become part of the city’s identity year-round.
Eiesha Shahym works as a Publications Officer for Public Policy Lab. She did her LLB and BA from the University of South Australia. She is passionate about social policy, human rights, and policy development.
