This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7564299.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Fringe change call over ticketing | Fringe change call over ticketing |
| (29 minutes later) | |
| Edinburgh's Fringe Society has held its annual general meeting, amid calls for a change to how it is run. | Edinburgh's Fringe Society has held its annual general meeting, amid calls for a change to how it is run. |
| The board is responsible for the running of the festival, which has been beset with problems at its box office. | The board is responsible for the running of the festival, which has been beset with problems at its box office. |
| The AGM was heated, with one venue director claiming the Fringe had been brought to the brink of disaster, but the board stood firm. | The AGM was heated, with one venue director claiming the Fringe had been brought to the brink of disaster, but the board stood firm. |
| An independent inquiry has been ordered which will examine the ticketing problems and the future of the society. | An independent inquiry has been ordered which will examine the ticketing problems and the future of the society. |
| The Fringe Society was set up almost 50 years ago, when the festival was just a fraction of the size it is today. | The Fringe Society was set up almost 50 years ago, when the festival was just a fraction of the size it is today. |
| A board of 15 directors is elected annually and many of them are themselves venue directors and performers. | A board of 15 directors is elected annually and many of them are themselves venue directors and performers. |
| It is responsible for appointing the director and making sure the festival is kept on a sound financial footing. | It is responsible for appointing the director and making sure the festival is kept on a sound financial footing. |
| It can't be right that just 78 votes determining the fate of a festival which more than two million people participate in Tommy ShepherdDirector of Stand Comedy Clubs class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/paulinemclean/">Pauline McLean's view | |
| The board had some big issues to consider at Saturday's AGM - not least problems with the centralised Fringe box office - which led to a number of shows being overbooked or described as sold out. | The board had some big issues to consider at Saturday's AGM - not least problems with the centralised Fringe box office - which led to a number of shows being overbooked or described as sold out. |
| Board member and Fringe performer Simon Fanshaw said: "We made the decisions that we thought were right - you don't make a decision and hope it goes wrong. | Board member and Fringe performer Simon Fanshaw said: "We made the decisions that we thought were right - you don't make a decision and hope it goes wrong. |
| "You make decisions because you take advice and weigh up the balances. | "You make decisions because you take advice and weigh up the balances. |
| "And when something like this happens, we have to learn from it - it's a real learning experience for us." | "And when something like this happens, we have to learn from it - it's a real learning experience for us." |
| Tommy Shepherd, director of the Stand Comedy Clubs, said he wanted to see major changes to Fringe operations. | Tommy Shepherd, director of the Stand Comedy Clubs, said he wanted to see major changes to Fringe operations. |
| The Fringe Society itself has just 78 members. | The Fringe Society itself has just 78 members. |
| Tommy Shepherd said: "That can't be right. Just 78 votes determining the fate of a festival which more than two million people participate in. | Tommy Shepherd said: "That can't be right. Just 78 votes determining the fate of a festival which more than two million people participate in. |
| "So I'd like to see the Fringe Society have a big constitutional review - I'd like to see it change and I think the main debate will be whether it's an individual membership association or a federation of producing venues." | "So I'd like to see the Fringe Society have a big constitutional review - I'd like to see it change and I think the main debate will be whether it's an individual membership association or a federation of producing venues." |