The Community Fund is a pool of funding within Arts Unlimited dedicated to purchasing tickets for socio-economically disadvantaged community groups (including schools), enabling those that would otherwise not be able to afford to do so, to attend Fringe shows. Adelaide Fringe does not own Fringe tickets – the artists do, so they need to be ...
Arts Unlimited
The Community Fund: Increasing access to the arts

GOAL
$30,000
Field of Interest
- Arts and culture
- Social inclusion and justice
Target Population
- People experiencing socio-economic disadvantage or vulnerability
- Asylum seekers, refugees, migrants and people from CALD backgrounds

Arts Unlimited is the philanthropic arm of Adelaide Fringe. Our vision is to make Adelaide Fringe the most inclusive festival in the world, by providing support and initiatives that remove the barriers for artists, venues and audiences to participate in and experience Adelaide Fringe.
For over 60 years, Adelaide Fringe has delivered a vibrant, community-led festival that has grown to become Australia’s biggest multi-disciplinary arts festival. We celebrate and support the global independent arts sector by encouraging 1484 shows featuring 8880 participants (including venue staff) to present their work across South Australia for 4 weeks every year.
Adelaide Fringe is a not-for-profit organisation that celebrates diversity and encourages a social cohesion through cultural exchange, bringing people together and providing a platform for artists to share their unique perspectives with a global audience.
Arts Unlimited's objective is to support artists and venues to participate in Fringe, to experiment, and engage with new ideas. Equally as important is our mission to bring diverse communities together and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds to engage in South Australia’s arts and cultural sector.
Through Arts Unlimited, we raise money to distribute Fringe tickets to communities experiencing disadvantage, and we provide grants, commissioning funds, professional development, traineeships and industry collaborations for artists, producers and venues to reduce barriers to participation in Fringe.
Our vision is to make Adelaide Fringe the most inclusive festival in the world. Diversity, inclusion and innovation are at the heart of what we do.
Project Summary
The Community Fund is a pool of funding within Arts Unlimited dedicated to purchasing tickets for socio-economically disadvantaged community groups (including schools), enabling those that would otherwise not be able to afford to do so, to attend Fringe shows. Adelaide Fringe does not own Fringe tickets – the artists do, so they need to be purchased in order to distribute them, so artists are also financially supported.
We are seeking funding to grow our Community Fund and increase access to the arts for more people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
In 2023 we purchased 2,496 tickets across 166 shows for 20 community groups and 29 schools via the Community Fund. In 2024 we purchased more than 5,700 tickets (123% increase from 2023) across 70 shows reaching 52 community organisations (160% increase from 2023) and 68 school groups (134% increase from 2023).
The more funding we can raise, the better placed we are to support a diverse range of community organisations and schools across a spectrum of disadvantage to overcome barriers to attending Fringe.
The organisations and schools we identify for support approach us or are known to us through our Reconciliation Action Plan, our Multicultural and our Access Committees as well as our existing networks and connections to organisations across different communities, cultures, backgrounds, needs and locations.
A dedicated staff member works with community organisations to recommend shows based on age range, type of organisation, suitable genre or genre of interest, access and location considerations.
Project Outcomes
Tickets given out via the Community Fund will increase arts access, engagement and appreciation for those from disadvantaged communities, including schools, overcoming barriers to participation in Fringe and the arts. The outcome of this is to illicit curiosity, imagination, belonging, connectivity and reduction in isolation.
-Increase in arts access and engagement through tickets purchased for disadvantaged groups via the Community Fund as measured by numbers of tickets given out and feedback via testimonials/surveys from schools and community groups
- Increased sense of cultural and community belonging as diverse groups see themselves represented on stage (In 2024 5.9% shows were by Creatives/Performers identifying as Indigenous, 31.9% identifying as LGBTQIA+, 10% as having accessibility requirements, 20% from CALD backgrounds and more than 50% of shows had involvement by females. Measured by school and Fringe surveys.
- Arts access, engagement and participation through attending Fringe positively impacts wellbeing and social connectedness as measured by Fringe survey – in 2024 93% of SA respondents indicated that Fringe had very positive impacts on their mental health and social connectivity.
- Increased access to, and engagement with, the arts, creative exploration, self-expression, fun and joy for school students across Adelaide Metro, Outer Metro and Regional SA including those from disadvantaged backgrounds (marginalised, under-represented, from CALD, First Nations, LQBTQIA+ or migrant backgrounds, those facing systemic socio-economic issues or living with disability). Measure: schools survey and testimonials.
- Category 1-4 schools stating they are only able to attend Adelaide Fringe with Equity Tickets. Measure: number of category 1-4 schools participating in the schools equity program.
Budget Breakdown
TOTAL BUDGET: $150,000
FUNDING
Funding source | Amount |
---|---|
Arts Unlimited Donor Circle (unconfirmed) | $80,000 |
Toyota - matching partner (confirmed) | $10,000 |
Lumo Energy SA - matching partner (confirmed) | $10,000 |
Uraidla Hotel - matching partner (unconfirmed) | $10,000 |
MGA Whittles Community Foundation - matching partner (unconfirmed) | $10,000 |
Funding gap (unconfirmed) | $30,000 |
EXPENSES
Expense item | Amount |
---|---|
Community Fund Tickets | $150,000 |
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