Jonathan Beller

When entrepreneurship at ASU came to the School of Theatre and Film, director Jonathan Beller was inspired to put the spotlight on creative risk-taking and find a new way to promote and support the innovative work of local, national and international artists.

ASU brought entrepreneurship opportunity to Jonathon, a student in the arts, through the Performing Arts Venture Experience (P.A.V.E.) Grant support helped Jonathon create the Phoenix Fringe Festival, which showcases innovative, experimental and provocative theatre by local, national and international artists. Phoenix Fringe seeks to develop an urban audience by offering a variety of artistic choices in non-traditional downtown spaces. The Fringe promotes artistic exploration by supporting the risky, adventurous work of established and emerging artists while keeping performances accessible and affordable to the community. Of the 25 productions which debuted in 2007, several have since been selected to perform around the country, most notably at Philly Fringe and the New York International Fringe Festival. PhxFringe

The performing arts venture experience paves the way to the future of the theatre and film arts by investing in student innovation and creativity, supporting arts entrepreneurship education and undertaking entrepreneurial activities