New Berwick Fringe Festival launches summer 2026 to support local musicians
A Berwick musician and educator is setting up a fringe festival to nurture local talent.
Amped Berwick is a community interest company dedicated to supporting local musicians, venues and helping guide aspiring young people into the music industry.
As part of this goal, they have now announced a pilot Berwick Fringe Festival which is set to take place from July 31 to August 1.
The weekend-long event will be a multi-venue fringe, providing a platform for local and regional musicians with fair pay. The project will also be a learning focused one – supporting artistic development, confidence and progression.
Founder, Darren Holleywell is a local musician, band member and former music teacher at Berwick Academy.
He explained: “Amped exists because I grew up in Berwick and I wouldn't be making music or doing this at all if it wasn't for the support I received from local people.”
Darren recalled how, when he was growing up, the owner of the former Music Gallery Brian Martin helped him buy his first guitar and linked him with Berwick Rotary who have supported him over the years.
"There is now a big hole in Berwick with lots of music venues closing,” he added. “Amped started to try and carry that spirit on.”
Amped Berwick operate under four strands: learn, create, perform and connect.
"We are trying to reduce barriers. Talent is everywhere, but access isn’t,” Darren added.
“The perform strand links with the fringe festival. It is all about providing opportunities and safe spaces for young musicians to perform and develop their craft.
“The event will be rooted in Berwick and shaped around the towns existing music ecosystem."
The festival will include a mix of daytime activity, supported showcases, and evening fringe gigs. In its pilot year, organisers aim to intentionally keep the event small so that it can begin to grow over the coming years.
Darren added: “We weren’t expecting the first tease to be so well received and it went bonkers which is great.
“But, we want to build something that works financially, artistically and works for Berwick. We are taking the long view approach, year one is really about doing things properly.”
The organisers are now asking musicians, venues and volunteers who would like to be involved to submit an expression of interest.