Speeches
Thursday, 13 March 2025
Reception for Adelaide Fringe Honeypot Marketplace
Rod and I warmly welcome you all to Government House.
I especially welcome Honey Pot delegates who have travelled from interstate and overseas to be here.
March is a magical time to Adelaide, and I trust you are enjoying your experience of our city.
Rod and I are spending most nights and weekends out at performances in the Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival.
We’ve seen more over 20 Fringe shows so far, with more to come.
No doubt many of you have seen way more than that, but perhaps not more than Ian B. who is number one on the Fringe leaderboard today having seen 111 shows!
Our Fringe engagement has included many standout performances, from theatre to comedy, art exhibitions and music.
We’ve loved seeing talented young South Australians perform – composers and musicians from the Elder Conservatorium or dancers studying at AC Arts, Zooma Zooma’s jazz show, Gill Hicks, and the awe-inspiring Gravity and Other Myths’ Ten Thousand Hours - but we’ve also marvelled at the UK’s Sam Blythe in Method in my Madness and Animal Farm and Elf Lyons in Horses.
My absolute favourite, though, was seeing Rod perform at the Unley Town Hall with the Adelaide Male Voice Choir in a program of Songs from Screen and Stage. Unfortunately for Honey Potters, they do not tour!
Friends,
For 65 years, the Adelaide Fringe has been a hub for emerging talent, as well as a destination for established artists.
It’s a source of great joy and pride for South Australians that we are home to the world’s second largest Fringe festival, with a strong focus on access and inclusivity.
We gather to celebrate the Adelaide Fringe Honey Pot Marketplace, bringing together delegates to network and enjoy the hospitality of Government House.
The Honey Pot Marketplace is the reason many artists register to be part of Adelaide Fringe.
Each year, Honey Pot delivers outcomes for its participants, recording hundreds of connections and outcomes worth millions, with shows travelling to new stages around the globe thanks to relationships built during Adelaide Fringe.
I congratulate Honey Pot on reaching its biggest year to date in 2025, with 400 delegates from 36 countries.
Thirty percent of the delegate program are first timers, and I thank those of you who have travelled from countries like Chile, Mexico, Armenia, Egypt, Spain, Ireland, Finland and Norway, to name but a few.
I’m very pleased that Honey Pot gives South Australian artists, as well as those from interstate and overseas, the chance to connect with producers and buyers from around the world.
I am proud of the opportunity this creates to extend the lifetime of artists’ works, to grow their profile, their experience and of course their ability to support themselves financially.
As a result of Government of South Australia investment, Honey Pot has been able to grow the international program of the industry across India, Canada, Europe and the UK as well as expanding across Asia.
Sustainable touring networks have been mapped out across the world which see artists head out to other countries for longer and programmed in multiple venues and festivals, which is great to see.
I was also pleased to learn of this year’s expansion to the pitching program, which includes Spotlight pitching sessions across the major Fringe hubs, in addition to the weekly HIVE pitching event at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Friends,
I thank the Adelaide Fringe Board and staff for their vision and implementation of the Honey Pot Marketplace, and for their commitment to its growth.
I also thank the Fringe’s large community of partners and supporters, whose generous assistance makes initiatives like Honey Pot possible.
May the Honey Pot experience sweet success for many years to come!