‘Small positive nudges’: New Fringe initiative aims to get kids off screens one day at a time
A new Adelaide Fringe initiative aims to help kids kick the algorithm and experience the world of culture taking place outside their feeds.
In an bid to get young people off their smartphones and immersed in the fun of festival season, this year’s Adelaide Fringe will include a new initiative called Scroll Less Fringe More.
On Saturday February 21, tickets to live performances and theatre at Fool’s Paradise in Victoria Square will be available for $5 each, considerably less than the average ticket price of between $25-$30.
Running from 10am to 4pm, the pilot program is a collaboration between the Fringe and Wait Mate, a parent-led not-for-profit organisation that encourage parents to delay the purchase of smartphones for their children. Established two years ago, Wait Mate invites parents to make an online pledge before connecting them with like-minded families in their school community who have also signed up.
“When I moved back to my hometown of Adelaide, I brought Wait Mate with me,” Wait Mate’s local lead organiser Emily Harrison explains. “I’ve been running the South Australian rollout since the beginning of this year, working with school communities and parents who are all asking the same question: how do we navigate smartphones without feeling like we’re on our own?”
Adelaide Fringe acting CEO Tara McLeod says the idea was “just a natural conversation” between the festival and Harrison’s team.
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“As parents, but I think as a society, we’re all very passionate about phones and what they’re doing to young people’s brains and our own brains,” McLeod says.
“This is not necessarily about restriction for us at Fringe, it’s more about delaying smartphones for as long as possible, that’s what’s important… sometimes you need to raise your eyes and look around and see all the wonderful things that are happening around you.”
The new initiative will be rolled out this year with hopes to expand it for Fringe 2027 and beyond.
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“The reason we’re doing this, and what we see as important, is about the beauty that is Adelaide Fringe, that shared experience, the imagination, the connection,” McLeod says. “It’s about the joy that exists in the arts that is so different to what’s happening outside in the world at the moment, which can get a bit all-consuming.
“From a Fringe perspective as well, it drives people to see that there are careers and that there is joy in creating, and joy in experiencing culture, and I think the more school kids we can expose to that, the better.”
Harrison agrees. “We know that small, positive nudges can make a real difference,” she says. “This initiative creates a simple, joyful reason for families to put their phones away and spend meaningful time together, discovering creativity and play through live arts.”
The financial backing for Scroll Less Fringe More has been provided by long-time Fringe advocates, businessmen Bill Manos and Theo Maras, enabling ticket subsidies that reduce the cost of participation for families.
“The arts bring families and communities together,” Maras says. “Bill and I, as fathers and grandfathers, we know how important it is for kids to access creativity, culture and shared experiences beyond screens, and we’re proud to support an initiative that removes barriers to participation.”
For Harrison, their support is a sign that Wait Mate is on the right track.
“For a hugely respected organisation like Adelaide Fringe to partner with us on a phone-free day shows there’s real appetite for change around how young people and families use phones. Scroll Less, Fringe More brings the idea to life.
“It’s not about rules or lectures. It’s about showing how good it feels to put phones away and be fully present together.”
Adelaide Fringe runs from February 20-March 22. Head to adelaidefringe.com.au for details.
This story is part of a series of articles being produced by InReview with the support of Adelaide Fringe.
Read more 2026 Adelaide Fringe coverage here on InReview.
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