Q&A with Bee Sparks – Dublin Fringe Festival Director 

Bee Sparks is the new Festival Director at Dublin Fringe Festival – she talks about her journey to the helm of this important annual festival and year-round cultural institution, that helps platform emerging artists bringing their voices and new work to stages all across Dublin city each September:

Dublin Fringe Festival makes its 2025 city takeover from September 6 – 21. https://www.fringefest.com/

What were your first thoughts when you received the call to say you were the new Dublin Fringe Festival Director? Was it quite daunting?

I actually had a wee tearful moment with our wonderful Board at Dublin Fringe Festival when I got the call – taking on this job is a real dream come true for me, particularly having worked at Dublin Fringe for so long and having thought about how I might build on the successes of the organisation over my time as Programme Manager. Of course, taking on the responsibility of an organisation with such a vital legacy as Dublin Fringe Festival could be seen as daunting, and there’s definitely a pressure to keep those key strengths of the organisation flourishing, but it’s a challenge I’ve been planning for and am excited to take on with the support of our exceptional team and board. I look forward to continuing the festival’s legacy as home for ‘the new’, presenting exceptional work from a selection of artists reflective of a contemporary Ireland.

You were the programme manager before you moved on to being the Festival Director. Do you think it’s important to have a knowledge of the Festival before you step into the big shoes?

Knowledge of the Festival is always key, but as to whether it’s helpful to have the same forensic detail as a past Programme Manager… it can work both ways. A fresh pair of eyes can provide an exciting new take, as we saw with our previous Festival Director, David Francis Moore. However. I can say that from my perspective, having been with Dublin Fringe since 2019 has only been incredibly helpful. I know what works and what can be tricky in terms of shaping the festival programme. It’s fantastic to bring so many existing artistic relationships into the role and to be able to come in with clear goals for how the organisation can grow moving forward towards a more accessible festival, one which holds space for artistic risk, excellence and joy.

One of the unusual things about the Dublin Fringe Festival is that it’s fully curated. What makes a good Fringe show? 

A good Fringe Festival show can look and feel like so many things! One of the best aspects of Dublin Fringe’s programme is the breadth of work we present, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy from the Dad who’ll only see stand-up to the student who’s deep into contemporary theatre. For me, the elements that make a great Fringe show are a commitment to the new, to showcasing something that an audience haven’t seen before: whether that’s an unexpected venue,  a fresh take on a topical conversation, a bold approach to art form, or an artist making their debut. It’s vital that work at Dublin Fringe speaks to the contemporary moment, so we try to capture that across the board. We also value joy and craic very highly at Dublin Fringe Festival, so we enjoy shows that are having smart conversations in accessible, fun ways.

How are the events chosen for the Fringe?  

Dublin Fringe Festival is unusual in being a completely curated Fringe. A number of shows are selected by invitation, with the vast majority coming from our annual open call at the beginning of each year. With this open call, we publish a curatorial statement outlining the theme for that year’s Festival, with the hope that it will act as an invitation for artists. Dublin Fringe Festival has an open door policy and the programming team are lucky to be able to meet artists from all across the country to discuss their applications each year. Selections are made based on a number of criteria, always beginning with the artistic idea and how it fits within the Dublin Fringe framework of radical, bold, contemporary work, and taking into account feasibility, artform spread, country spread and much more!

With so many exciting events in the Festival, it’s quite difficult to pick out a few events to go to. Can you give us some tips or recommendations?

My top tip for attending any Fringe festival is to go and see a show by someone you haven’t heard of yet – Dublin Fringe has been the starting point for so many household names, and this is your chance to get to see them before they make it big!

In terms of some key tips – there truly is something for everyone in the programme:

We have bold international work Testo from UK drag superstar Wet Mess.

If you’re looking for big laughs, I’d suggest Queens of Comedy, a line-up special from Ireland’s most fantastic female comics, hosted by Aideen McQueen & Sophia Cadogan;

Caroline McEvoy is a comedian not to miss, hot off a successful Edinburgh run with her show Train Man.

Pea Dinneen’s Raising Her Voice is a bold cabaret packed with 90’s bangers and Pea’s story of transgender liberation;

Cirque du Honeypot will allow you dance the night away with queer club icons Honeypot.

Dance work Change from disabled-led Croí Glan provides a hope-filled lens on climate change.

Finally, for the younger generation, our Young Radicals programme is packed with work made for and by young people, with Maisie Lee’s The Shape of Quiet Feelings working with kids to explore the idea of change (8+) and Bum Notes’ Pick ‘N’ Mix! allowing kids’ to create a live musical in 60 minutes with comedy legends!

One of the things I love about the Fringe is the events that are on in unusual spots around the city. Are there any interesting locations this year?

Dublin Fringe Festival is always aiming to introduce audiences to new spaces in the city, and this year is no different. We’re delighted to have begun a new partnership with Guinness Open Gate Brewery and Roe & Co Distillery this year, transforming their iconic spaces into venues for 6 performances as part of our Creativity on Tap series. We’re also taking over the National Leprechaun Museum with Hungry Grass/Stray Sod, a show that tells the story of an Irish bisexual and a Ugandan lesbian meeting in a foreign land.

We have Holdings, from Clara McSweeney and Mel Galley, which takes place on the phone, online and in the post, providing you with the tools you need to see your city differently. This year Fringe will also be in the Loughlinstown Community Rooms, with What Are We Waiting For, an exploration of mental health and masculinity, told by participants of the local Men’s Shed group, alongside award-winning writer Colm Keegan. The exceptional CoisCéim will be activating civic spaces across the city for their free dance performance, Performing Memory.

Will you get to see some/ all of the events during the festival?

Oh, absolutely, I would see it all if I could. Each year, the programming team have a little game of who can see the most. I’m currently slated for 61 of the 84 this year, but I’m hoping that between dress rehearsals and work in progress, I’ll get to more. The Dublin Fringe Festival team works so closely with the presenting artists from application to presentation that you feel such a part of each show and artists’ journey – you really want to be able to be with an audience watching each vision come to life. I wish I could see them all!

Dublin Fringe Festival makes its 2025 city takeover from September 6 – 21. https://www.fringefest.com/