News

Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe Society has announced the results of the first set of elections to its board since the major recent revamp of the constitution.

There were two posts being filled in these elections; one was for candidates who were endorsed by one of the Fringe’s 259 registered venues while the other position was open to all members of the Society.

Since the implementation of the new constitution, the Society’s board elections are carried out using a system of preferential voting.

In the category for candidates endorsed by venues Peter Buckley Hill, founder of ‘PBH’s Free Fringe’ beat Steve Gove, Artistic Director of the Prague Fringe and a manager at Assembly by 132 votes to 86 votes.

In the open category there were five candidates; Nigel Lowey (eliminated after the first stage with 31 votes), Gareth Morinan (eliminated after the second stage with 39 votes), Christopher Richardson (eliminated after the third stage with 54 votes), Jules Constant (who received 88 votes by the final stage) and Sally Cowling who won with 99 votes at the fourth and final stage.

Peter Buckley Hill and Sally Cowling will now serve for one three and a half year term at the end of which they may chose to stand for a second term.

Nominations were also open for a third category for ‘performers linked to Fringe shows’. However as no properly nominated candidates presented themselves by the deadline the Fringe Society board has delayed filling this post until the next round of elections which is due to take place in August to coincide with the Society’s AGM.

As part of the transitional arrangements put in place when the Society adopted its new constitution in November, five of its existing directors stood down today to coincide with the elections – Sally Cowling, Steve Gove, Shelagh Mackay, Allan Wolfe and Collin Wood. The term of office of four more existing directors will come to an end in August when the next round of elections will be held.