Island Fringe Festival 2019

Grace Kimpinski, Festival Director
First things first: Grace was bestowed the ‘Mouth of a Sailor’ award when she was in university and it was well-deserved. Thankfully, she has fairly decent filter and a good 10-second delay, which has managed to keep her out of too much trouble…and for that, we are thankful.
Grace was born and raised on PEI, and spent most of her 20s living off and on and off and on the Island while she explored herself and other cities in Canada. Since settling back in Charlottetown, Grace has been on stage in a handful of small productions, but soon realized that she thrives under the pressure that the ‘behind the scenes’ has to offer. She is co-Creator/Producer of ‘Raised on Television’, an annual sketch comedy show for which television is its muse; the Director of Theatre on the ACT (a community theatre) board; and has produced a handful of shows in the last few years with more scheduled for 2019-20.

Nicole Strum, Festival Assistant
A multifaceted performer, educator, and administrator, Nicole Strum is a solo saxophonist and collaborative musician living on PEI. She is a member of Feldsperling Duo with Ontario flutist Liesel Deppe and the Strum-De Borba duo with Nova Scotia saxophonist Tristan de Borba. Most recently she has been featured on the UPEI and Mount Allison University Recital Series and at the Open Waters New Music Festival in Halifax. Nicole is a specialist in contemporary classical music, trained at the Bordeaux Conservatory under renowned French saxophonist Marie-Bernadette Charrier.
In the realm of education, Nicole is director of the University of Prince Edward Island Summer Studios, a week-long chamber music workshop for advanced high school wind players. In addition to teaching at the high school and post-secondary level, Nicole enjoys freelancing as a clinician and adjudicator. She is on faculty at the inaugural Saxophone Academy at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance in Nova Scotia this June.
Nicole is thrilled to be part of the administrative team of the 2019 Island Fringe Festival and looks forward to assisting with all of this year’s weird, wild, and wonderful performances and events.
Contact Nicole at islandfringeassistant@gmail.com

Eric Payne, Technical Director
Eric Payne is an Islander and Canadian Armed Forces Veteran who has been born again in the arts. He has toured across Canada doing stand up comedy from Coast to Coast to Coast. Eric is also a sought-after public speaker.
Eric was a Production Assistant with East Coast Music Unplugged on Eastlink TV and is now enrolled in Radio Television Journalism program in Nova Scotia. He will be returning to school to concentrate on Audio Production and Radio but is happy to join the Island Fringe Festival team beforehand.
Contact Eric at islandfringeTD@gmail.com

Richard Haines, Fringe Festival Volunteer Coordinator
Richard Haines is an Island actor, artist, and educator. A man of many hats, he has also directed, produced, stage managed, and every other role one could imagine in the world of theatre. Also, he has a lot of hats. Fedoras, ball caps, berets, and even a fez. After performing in a Festival show last year he is very excited to be taking on a more active role in this year’s festival.
Contact Richard at iffvolunteers@gmail.com