Brighton Fringe, the volunteer-run arts organisation, has signed a contract with a leading public relations firm after forging closer links with its competitor.

Last year the grass-roots company had a war of words with the Brighton Festival over its promotion of alternative showcase events.

Brighton Festival organisers used the umbrella tag Brighton Festival Fringe to describe its smaller shows and performances.

They said the reason they gave these shows their own title was because they had become a major event in their own right.

But the overlap with the original Brighton Fringe festival, which starts at the end of April, caused huge confusion.

During the past 12 months the two organisations have come together to solve the problem with the incorporation of Brighton Fringe into Brighton Festival.

Now the grass-roots company, based at Argus Lofts, North Laine, has signed up Jo Brooks PR to promote the event. It is the first time Brighton Fringe, which started in 1996 and is purely self-financing, has had an official media partner.

Helen Medland, director of the Brighton Fringe, said: "Becoming part of the Brighton Festival was something we had to do for the benefit of the city.

"We had to jump through a lot of hoops and swallow a lot of words but I really feel now we have a very good working relationship.

"We will have 12 pages in the Brighton Festival Fringe magazine so our position will be quite prominent and I am now on the festival steering committee.

"We have an exciting time ahead now Brighton Fringe is working closely with such a competent and well-respected PR company.

"Because of the new direction we are moving in with space and performance arts, we felt we needed someone to promote us."

Jo Brooks PR is one of the most successful agencies in Brighton and has won a stream of new business in the last few months. Director Jo Brooks said: "We are delighted to be working with the Brighton Fringe. We are keen to support local projects and really believe in what the festival does for arts in Brighton. This year is going be the best yet."

Brighton Fringe 2003 hosted 2,000 artists and performers, entertaining more than 200,000 people in 150 locations and venues around the city.

Thursday February 19, 2004