Pittsburgh Fringe Festival director speaks at free arts breakfast at Scranton Cultural Center on Oct. 4
From a press release:
Dr. Xela Batchelder, Ph.D., executive director of the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival and professor of entertainment and arts management at Waynesburg University, will be the featured speaker at the Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department’s “Wake Up with the Arts” breakfast, set for this Friday, Oct. 4 at the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
The 11th annual event, which is free and open to the public, brings national speakers to the community on varied arts topics of interest. Attendees can register by e-mailing arts-culture@lackawannacounty.org or calling 570-963-6590, ext. 106.
This year’s breakfast at the Scranton Cultural Center (420 N. Washington Ave., Scranton) is being held during the second weekend of the annual Scranton Fringe Festival, a 10-day event also supported by the county. The Lackawanna County Arts, Culture, and Education Event Planning committee decided to partner with the Scranton Fringe Festival to promote this important arts event that provides multidisciplinary activities such as theater, spoken word, and music for all ages while making a significant economic impact on the area.
Dr. Batchelder will be talking about her expertise in working with fringe festivals around the world. In addition to leading the Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, she founded the Fringe University that offers students an invaluable learning experience at international fringe festivals, including the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.
The breakfast is a celebration of the arts and will open with live music by Scranton handpan musician Steve Werner and New Orleans singer/songwriter Daniel Amedee, a musician and author who is returning to the Scranton Fringe this year.
Tables at the breakfast will be decorated by local organizations, and the artwork for the “swag” bags was created by West Scranton High School students.
Since its inception, the arts breakfast has served as a creative networking event, focusing on educating, motivating, and inspiring the public to use the arts, area artists, and art organizations, businesses, and agencies to enhance the quality of life in Lackawanna County’s communities. It also showcases the artistic talent in Northeastern Pennsylvania due to the fact that the tables at the event are decorated by local artists and organizations.
The Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department was formed in 2004 and is supported through an education and culture fee that generates approximately $1.2 million for use in enhancing the county’s quality of life. The office offers community grants, public arts programming, workshops, and lectures and oversees the operation of the Electric City Trolley Station and Museum in Scranton.
The fifth annual Scranton Fringe Festival began on Friday, Sept. 27 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 6 in venues across downtown Scranton. It is a performing arts celebration that showcases original theatre, international dramas, music, stand-up comedy, children’s programming, dance performances, and much more.
The festival is dedicated to creating a bold and engaging platform for creative and thought-provoking art with minimal risk to artist and audience. Regional as well as touring artists are welcomed to present work with no censorship placed on content or artistic expression while striving to promote Scranton as a viable and creative environment. The Scranton Fringe is kept accessible and affordable for artists (no application fees, comparably small production fees) and audiences (special free programming, affordable tickets, hopper passes, etc.) alike.
