IT takes the birth of a fringe event to elevate any mainstream festival to the league of substantial.

Many such orbital strands of entertainment eventually take on a life of their own. You just have to look at the four or five independent festivals that take place during Edinburgh Festival fortnight or the 'Hay Fever' children's festival which occurs during the Hay literature festival to see how spins-offs are like dandelion seeds...eventually taking root for themselves.

The first Three Choirs Hereford Fringe took place in 1991. Artist Caroline Hands was the woman responsible - for that, and the following ten years of talks, open debates, dance and general arts events to take place in the city during the internationally renowned and musically elite event that Hereford is famed for.

"That first festival was run on a budget of just one hundred and fifty pounds," Caroline said.

A real feat when you consider the diversity of events which ran, even in that first year - an alternative fashion show, street performances, a classic motor bike show, gymnastics on horseback on Bishops Meadows, batik workshops and harpists in High Town.

With a small amount of funding support from The Three Choirs, many of Fringe activities have been organised by volunteers on a shoestring.

"It was a chance for everyone to have a go at things that didn't normally go on in the city," Caroline explained.

"Often there were no admission charges - the festival was not about making money."

Formula

With a mix of cultures and styles, there was no formula and the atmosphere was 'quite personal, but international'.

The first artist in residence at Hay Festival, Caroline later ran children's workshops at both Hay and Ross International Festivals, giving her experience of festival life.

The original inspiration for the Fringe came about purely 'because it needed to be done'.

Over the years her only criteria has been to try to incorporate whatever ideas were presented to her - especially by the city's younger generation.

1997 was her favourite Fringe, when she had an entire team of young volunteers helping her run the show.

Her courage paid off, with lots of those young people going on to be involved in community arts

"It's about trusting that people who give of their best to do what they can do, and it always 'clicked' in the end."

Having run four successful Fringes Caroline now passes on the mantle of festival director to Mary Tolhurst, to concentrate on her own work as an artist and to let the festival develop in new ways.

It'll be the same type of festival with recitals, concerts, dance, talks and workshops and whereas Caroline's strengths lie in ideas and 'the grind', Mary's are in fundraising and organisation.

Details of this year's Three Choirs Fringe will appear in Leisure Times in forthcoming weeks.

l Caroline Hands has an exhibition of her work showing throughout June at All Saints Church.