We told you HERE in November 2024 that Orlando Fringe (Website) would be ceasing the operations of its subsidized Fringe ArtSpace on Church Street by February 2025. We can now confirm that they have officially moved out.
The theater festival took over the space formerly occupied by Mad Cow Theatre at 54 W. Church Street [GMap] back in October 19, 2022. The recruitment of Fringe to downtown was heavily subsidized by the Downtown Development Board, but according to Orlando Fringe, the incentives were not enough to cover the costs associated with running the theater, and they had to bail.
During their tenure in the space, Orlando Fringe managed to get over 17,000 people through its doors since January 2023. They hosted over 125 artist groups and raised over $150,000 in performance and rehearsal space subsidies for visiting groups and artists. They also paid out over $400,000 to artists, mentors, and educators who hosted programming in the space.
The lease for the theater was up at the end of 2024, but the City of Orlando helped Fringe stay in place through the end of February so they could wrap up their Winter Festival programming. We asked City Hall if there were any plans for what to do with the space in the near future, but they said there’s “nothing official at this time.”
