Three generous bequests amounting to $500,000 over the next decade will offer life-changing opportunities for artists at the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and Cabaret Fringe Festival. Frank has bequeathed $200,000 to the Adelaide Fringe to be given out as an annual award of $20,000 to a South Australian artist to present their work interstate or overseas.

Adelaide Fringe Director & CEO Heather Croall said the organisation was very grateful to receive the generous bequest and honoured to continue Frank’s work.
“It is very rare to see bequests like this directed to independent performing artists. Once again Frank has shown himself to be a true visionary and ahead of his time,” Ms Croall said. “This is an incredible gift to South Australian artists and adds enormously to Frank’s already deep and far reaching arts legacy in this State.”

Adelaide Fringe Chair David Minear said the bequest was a potentially life-changing opportunity for many local artists. “Frank was a man who truly believed in the talent of South Australian artists and understood their dedication and the hardships involved in trying to break through,” Mr Minear said. “This gift ensures that the spirit of Frank Ford lives on.”

Frank, who was the founding chairman of the Adelaide Fringe in 1975, died last month aged 83.

Meanwhile, the Adelaide Cabaret Festival will provide a $20,000 Frank Ford Commissioning Award each year towards the commissioning of new South Australian cabaret works to be performed by local artists at Adelaide Cabaret Festival. A bequest of $10,000 annually to Cabaret Fringe Festival will give another South Australian performer the opportunity to take their work beyond SA.

Adelaide Fringe will give out the first Frank Ford Award as part of the 2019 Fringe.