"The Kids Fringe is back thanks to the Canadian Union of Public Employees" was the enthusiastic announcement made by Judy Lawrence, Executive Director of the Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival.
It was one spot of good news this year despite a $100,000 budget shortfall that the Fringe Theatre Festival faced due to government cutbacks.
While the Fringe made a public appeal for funding to make up the shortfall, it still had to downsize significantly, reducing several venue sites. Due to funding cuts last year the Fringe had closed the popular KIDSFRINGE site in order to save $15,000. The lack of a KIDSFRINGE was noticed by many Fringe goers last year and comments made by parents influenced the Fringe to try and raise funds for the venue�s return this year.
Enter Edmonton area CUPE locals to the rescue. Local 30, City outside workers, 474; public school custodial workers, 1158, extended care workers and locals 41 and 4100 representing hospital workers raised the much needed funds to resurrect the KIDSFRINGE Adventure park. While the locals raised just over 1/3 of the original budget costs, it was enough to kick start the KIDSFRINGE. The Fringe looked for suitable co-sponsors, but none could be found. In one case Toys R Us was suggested, but the locals informed the Fringe that this company had a record for using child labour in the Third World for making toys, not a reputation that one would want to promote at a site for children.
" We educated the Fringe contact person about the reality of child labour and she thanked us for it. When the Fringe raised the issue with Toys R Us the company withdrew" says Doug Luellman, President of Local 474.
When no other co-sponsors could be found it became the CUPE KIDSFRINGE.
"Our members are really excited by this, we hope we can keep this going as a CUPE event over the next couple of years" says Yvette Yates, President of Local 1158. "It gives CUPE a positive public profile, linking the union with kids."
The KIDSFRINGE Adventure Park is free and provides children of all ages with a variety of play and theatre activities. It is not a daycare or drop off area, parents are encouraged to participate with their children.
Professional child care workers as well as screened volunteers work with children doing face painting, creating their own plays and performances. A reading tent is provided for adults to read stories for children. CUPE KIDSFRINGE Committee has contacted a variety of unions to see if they would provide readers for the tent.
The CUPE locals will be providing extra volunteers, a banner for the entrance to the Adventure Park as well as balloons, stickers and a hand stamp. CUPE and the KIDSFRINGE Yes! Is the theme of the materials being handed out by the locals.
The locals agreed that rather than identifying themselves individually it was important that this be seen as a collective CUPE endeavor. A positive public image about unions supporting children, the arts, and the community helps all of us in combating the negative anti-union press that so dominates Alberta today.
CUPE Edmonton District Council and Edmonton area CUPE Locals will again be sponsoring the KidsFringe for 1997.
CUPE SAVES THE KIDSFRINGE is the work and sole property of
Eugene W. Plawiuk. All rights are reserved. Except where otherwise indicated it is � Copyright 1996
Eugene W. Plawiuk. You may save it for offline reading, but no permission is granted for printing it
or redistributing it either in whole or in part. Requests for republication rights can be made to the
author at: "[email protected]"