The Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival (NIFF), said to be the only Indigenous fringe festival “in the known world,” will move in 2025 to a new venue in Peterborough for its annual showcase of Indigenous arts.
Following four years at Trent University’s Peterborough campus, NIFF will be held in June 2025 at the Peterborough Theatre Guild, located at 364 Rogers Street in East City. A former church now known as the Guild Hall, the building has played host to a wide variety of performances since 1965.
NIFF general manager Lee Bolton told kawarthaNOW she’s looking forward to having the festival in its new space.
“The venue change is a response to feedback from patrons and other local groups that suggested NIFF could attract more audiences in a more central location,” Bolton said.
“As you can imagine, finding a space that would offer us all the room we need was not easy, and we are thrilled that the (Peterborough Theatre Guild) has been willing to open their entire building to us for the festival.”
With the move, NIFF will have two indoor performance spaces: the 230-seat proscenium main stage and the “flexible” Gwen Brown Studio.
“Additional space for visual art and vendors makes this a great home for the many facets of NIFF,” a media release noted.
“We at the Peterborough Theatre Guild are excited and honoured to support the work of Indigenous artists as we partner with NIFF,” said Marion Griffin, president of the Peterborough Theatre Guild. “We look forward to welcoming everyone.”
NIFF 2025 will feature four days of performances from June 19 through 22. As with all fringe festivals, artists are chosen by lottery. Applications open November 1 and close on February 10, 2025.
NIFF will announce the artists later in February 2025. A full schedule, including additional special events, family activities and vendors, will be available in April and ticket sales will start in May, organizers noted.
“My hopes are that we can share the amazing variety of Indigenous arts that we are fortunate to present with more people, in a familiar and comfortable space,” Bolton said.
The annual event is unique to the city as it’s the only Indigenous fringe festival “in the known world,” Bolton earlier told kawarthaNOW. The 2024 installment of NIFF ran from June 21 to 23 and had a full roster with more than 20 performances, special events, family activities, and vendors. Music, puppetry, and theatre were among the arts on display during the last festival.
For more information about NIFF and to apply for the 2025 festival, visit www.indigenousfringefest.ca.
