In our ongoing profile series of the people who make up our arts precinct, we speak to Simon Abrahams, Creative Director and CEO at Melbourne Fringe, about the importance of food and fun when making art happen.
What attracted to you to the role at Melbourne Fringe?

I’ve been Creative Director and CEO here at Melbourne Fringe for a decade, so what attracted me to the role is ancient history. I knew I wanted a role that was at the coalface of artmaking but large enough to have impact on our city and beyond. It’s also what’s kept me here, but the sector, the organisation and the job have evolved so significantly over ten years that it’s barely recognisable. I’ve got the best gig in Melbourne – our artists are ambitious and audacious, our audiences are up for ANYTHING as long as it’s new and vibrant and not-too-conservative, and our staff are the hardest working and most imaginative bunch of humans I’ve ever encountered. Fringe is a place that imagines the world we want to create – then we just get on with the business of making art happen. 

What is your leadership style?

I believe that good humour and good work go together. I think people work best if they’re having a good time. I definitely like everyone to see the big picture – I like to make seemingly impossible things happen – and then we focus on the details and tasks that need to take place to stretch every possibility until we get there. It makes for a fast-paced workplace characterised by continual improvement which I know can be exhausting – but I hope it’s exhilarating at the same time too. Most importantly, my leadership focuses on food! Everyone in the organisation stops and we have lunch together at 1pm every day, no matter what. Eating at your desk is banned! We can only make impossible things happen if our bellies are full.

What was the last show you saw that rocked your world?

I just saw Pony Cam’s The Orchard at The Malthouse and it totally rocked. It was imaginative and funny and heartbreaking all at once. There’s nothing like the end of the world and the end of our industry all on stage at once to sober you up. But it was clever and said a lot about the world that we’re living in right now – especially in this arts precinct. I think the Pony Cam team are genius – I’ve seen pretty much everything they’ve ever done, and I’m shamelessly a fan.

What are you most looking forward to seeing?

Power Move is a new free public artwork at Fed Square in October, designed by street artist Drez – it’s a dancefloor and the more you move across it, the more power it generates with the aim of powering itself off grid.  Art + Impact + The power of contemporary dance? I’m in.

What’s on the horizon at Melbourne Fringe that we should keep our eyes out for?

There’s 504 events in this year’s Melbourne Fringe. My hot tips – Anything in our Fringe Guarantee program (because we’ll give you free tickets to something else if you’re not happy) – you can’t go wrong. The Opening Night Gala at The Capitol is always a solid place to start. And Deadly Fringe will ground you in incredible First Nations talent. If I had to pick one show?  Check out Handle With Care – it’s by my favourite theatre company, Ontroerend Goed from Belgium and the whole show is performed by the audiences. It’s as scary as it sounds.  

 

Explore the full 2025 Fringe program here: Melbourne Fringe Festival - Events

Photo: Max Milne

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