Stephen Walker has stepped down after five years as chair of Buxton Fringe and was replaced by Ian Bowns at the organisation’s annual general meeting at the Green Man Gallery.
Bowns, a retired public health consultant, said he was “secretly delighted” to have been voted in as chair. He looked forward to working with “a great Fringe team as well as so many others in the town—there’s no better group of people than we’ve got in Buxton”.
Walker echoed his predecessor, the late Keith Savage, in saying that being Fringe chair had been one of the honours of his life. He reflected on the challenges of the past few years, from COVID lockdowns to losing established venues such as the Rotunda and the Green Man Gallery.
However, he said there were positives too, with 2024’s Fringe proving a big success and popular managed venue Underground finding a temporary new home in Spring Gardens. Walker added that with his “soft spot for theatre”, he had been excited by “one of the best theatre programmes I’ve experienced here”.
Vice-chair Jeanette Hamilton praised Walker for his “wisdom and excellent leadership even at difficult times”.
The Fringe has been able to keep entry fees the same for the third year running. Entries to the 2025 Buxton Fringe will open on Sunday 1 December, and the festival will run from Wednesday 9 until Sunday 27 July.