Oxfringe began in 2007 with two small literary events, one in conjunction with Blackwell’s bookshop’s ‘On the Fringe’ programme run by Rita Ricketts. The programme for 2008 had an expanded range of around 60 literary, theatrical comic, artistic and musical events running alongside the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival from Saturday 29 March to Sunday 6 April 2008 at venues across the city. Oxfringe 2009 ran from 1-13 April, with almost 150 events across more than 20 venues. Oxfringe 2009’s headline performer was poet, comedian and musician John Hegley, who commented: “Spreading festival delight is a good thing, well done these folk!”
The directors of Oxfringe 2010 are:
- Heather Dunmore – a playwright whose play Blue won awards in 2002 and 2003. She is also assistant administrator at Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company and a regular volunteer at the Oxford Playhouse, and is published by Samuel French Limited
- Sarah Jones – a theatre director who has directed plays for the Oxford Playhouse New Writers Group, and attached to the Old Gaol Theatre Company, Abingdon. She is also a development project manager and teacher.
Oxfringe 2007 was founded by writer, designer and publisher Andrew Chapman, award-winning writer and artist Deirdre Ruane, and writer J-P Stacey. Oxfringe 2008 was run by Andrew Chapman, Heather Dunmore, Sarah Jones and Deirdre Ruane.
Oxfringe is supported each year by a large and growing team of volunteers and supporters. The steering group includes:
- Musician Nick Butterley
- Designer and playwright Joe Graham
- Novelist Sara Banerji
- Theatre technical manager Mike Ward
- John Bradford, theatre techician and advisor to Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon
