Arizona Theatre Matters

Glendale International Fringe Festival

12 Feb 2027 – 28 Feb 2027

Glendale International Fringe Festival

The Glendale International Fringe Festival (GIFF) is a curated performance festival shaped around a simple idea: When accessibility leads, art transforms.

Where We Fit In

GIFF 2027 is part of a growing movement to reimagine what accessible, artist-led performance can be. We share values and creative DNA with other access-forward festivals like DisArt Festival (Grand Rapids), CripFest (Los Angeles), Disability Futures at Under the Radar (New York), and Re•Verb Festival (Philadelphia).

But GIFF is the only U.S. fringe festival that takes place in public libraries—using civic infrastructure to make performance free, multilingual, local, and nationally visible. We integrate Artistic ASL, co-designed audio description, multilingual captioning, and transportation equity not just as logistics, but as part of the art.

Our model is rooted in disability justice, peer leadership, and the belief that everyone deserves access to culture—without barriers.

GIFF brings twenty companies from around the world to Glendale’s four universally accessible libraries for a 16-day celebration of free, universally accessible performance.

Arizona Theatre Matters works closely with Deaf, Blind, and other artists with access needs. Because accessibility is an artistic foundation—not an afterthought—GIFF is curated to ensure we can fully support the creative and access requirements of every company while maintaining the radical hospitality that defines the festival.

Important Dates

Festival Dates:
February 12–28, 2027

Application Window Opens:
January 15, 2026

Rolling Acceptance Begins:
March 1, 2026

Application Window Closes:
September 15, 2026

Final Notifications Sent By:
November 1, 2026

Artist Orientation (Virtual):
November 2026 (date TBD)

Tech Schedules Released:
December 2026

Marketing Materials Due:
January 5, 2027

Load-In & Technical Rehearsals:
Week of February 5, 2027

Festival Opening Event:
February 12, 2027

Closing Celebration & Awards:
February 28, 2027

Post-Festival Debrief & Surveys:
March 2027

Festival Model

GIFF is a curated, international Fringe festival with rolling acceptance.
Participating companies may schedule between 4 and 16 performances:

  • 4 performances = one complete rotation of showtimes (12pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm)
  • Up to 16 performances = one performance daily from February 12–27

Companies may also select any number of performances between these two ends of the spectrum.

All performances are presented in person and livestreamed, with accessible VOD available for online audiences. All companies are compensated on a per-performance basis.

Location

Glendale, Arizona, USA

Performances are distributed across four Glendale library venues — Main, Velma Teague, Foothills, and Heroes — creating welcoming, neighborhood-based hubs for audiences across the city.

Library venues provide intimate, fully accessible settings designed for community gathering, cultural exchange, and inclusive performance.

All in-person performances are paired with fully accessible livestreams and digital broadcasts on ATM’s YouTube channels.

Application Fee

$20 USD (non-refundable)
This modest fee supports the application review and curation process.
GIFF charges no registration fees for participating artists.

Programming Focus

GIFF curates innovative and boundary-pushing work across multiple forms, including:

  • Theatre
  • Movement & physical storytelling
  • Comedy
  • Multimedia & digital theatre
  • Audio theatre
  • Deaf-led and Blind-led works
  • Experimental or hybrid performance

We seek work rooted in artistic integrity, innovation, and inclusive creative practices.

Universal Access Commitment

GIFF is a universally accessible festival. Every performance includes:

  • Artistic ASL interpretation
  • Open captions
  • Audio description co-created with Blind artists
  • Wheelchair-accessible venues and backstage routes
  • Sensory-friendly and low-stimulus zones
  • Accessible livestream and video-on-demand
  • Support for audiences with disabilities, who are Deaf, Blind, remote, and international

Accessibility is not an add-on—it is the artistic engine of the festival.

Curatorial Priorities

We prioritize:

  • Diverse, excellent artistic voices
  • Global perspectives
  • Innovation in form and content
  • Accessibility-integrated creative processes
  • Work that benefits from GIFF’s hybrid model
  • Artists interested in collaboration and community connection

Selections reflect GIFF’s mission to make accessibility a creative catalyst.

Venues

Performances occur across:

  • Glendale Main Library Auditorium
  • Velma Teague Performance Space
  • Foothills Multi-purpose Space
  • Heroes Performance space
  • GIFF’s digital broadcast studios supporting livestream and VOD

All venues support ASL, captions, audio description, and hybrid performance workflows.

Ticketing

GIFF is a fully free festival.
In-person performances, livestreams, and digital viewing options are all:

  • Free of charge
  • Open to the public
  • Unticketed (no passes, reservations, or fees)

Audiences simply show up—online or onsite.

Economic & Community Impact

GIFF brings sustained traffic to Glendale businesses for 16 days, supporting:

  • Local restaurants
  • Coffee shops & bakeries
  • Retail shops & boutiques
  • Community institutions, including all four libraries

Free admission fosters repeat attendance, making February a high-engagement cultural season for Glendale.

Festival Management & Contact

Glendale International Fringe Festival
Email: theoffice@arizonatheatrematters.org

In addition to multitudes of generous individual contributions, GIFF is made possible by grants from the The National Endowment for the Arts, Arizona Commission on the Arts, and The City of Glendale AZ.