By Celine Lai

W.A. Today reported  on June 3rd, that Artrage will cut fossil fuel ties with the company, signalling it will not renew its principal partnership contract with Woodside Petroleum.

After a long artist-led campaign, we are delighted that Fringe World made the right choice and cut ties with Woodside. 350 Boorloo Perth played our part in this campaign and it is partly thanks to many of our supporters, writing to the Artrage board that this decision was made.

Much pressure was put on the decision makers of Fringe World, so we want to say a big thanks to them and encourage you to as well. With consistent pressure to make the right decision, we think it is only fair that credit is given now that Fringe has done the right thing. Get in touch using this online email and thank Fringe for stepping up and ditching Woodside!

https://fossilfreefringe.good.do/WoodsideNo/thankyoufringe

Artists protested throughout the past two years of the Fringe World Festival, the world’s third-largest Fringe festival, as the 3 year contract with Woodside neared expiry, asking Artrage not to renew. 

The Fringe World Festival takes place over January and February. It is presented by ARTRAGE Inc. a not-for-profit registered charity and Western Australian arts and cultural organisation.

The Pleasure Garden in Northbridge, Perth, is home to the biggest range of entertainment in the Fringe Festival. It grows on the traditional lands of the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation.  

A spokesperson for Artrage said: “Fringe World is currently out of contract with Woodside and as such, the Woodside Pleasure Garden will revert back to its original name, “the Pleasure Garden.”

WA artist and writer Noemie Huttner-Koros said Woodside’s Scarborough gas project and its potential impacts on the Indigenous rock art gallery on the Burrup Peninsula in the state’s north-west were the factors that had made the partnership “untenable”.

Richard Sowada, director of Revelation Perth International Film Festival, said:

“We believe fossil fuels contribute negatively to not just one, but many social and environmental issues globally. Therefore for us believing this, but taking money from those sources would simply neutralise the truth of these things. We cannot be neutral or be idle.”

Fringe now joins the likes of the  Revelation Film Festival in refusing to promote fossil fuel expansion. Thank you to Fringe, and congratulations to everyone involved.

Please keep up the pressure on reducing polluting and warming greenhouse gases, through supporting Woodside Wednesdays and similar actions.