CHENOEH Miller is a woman with a mission – to ensure that the Canberra Multicultural Fringe lives on.

Best known for her own production company, Little Dove Theatre Art, Miller, as Fringe director, is determined not to let its controversial past stymie the future, though she’d rather not talk about that.

With “super generous” support not only from the ACT Government but from local entities such as In the City Canberra and Brand Canberra, her aim is “just to put on a great show”. And then, yes, the government might just take notice and fund them on a multi-year basis.

Miller knows that this tiny fringe to the main Multicultural Festival is a far cry from the prototype fringe in Edinburgh where there is no censorship, but she’s a realist and acknowledges that there are rules.

So this year, for instance, burlesque will go to Smith’s Alternative, where the kids are unlikely to wander in.

“It’ll be crazy, it’ll be risky, but it has to be family-oriented,” she says.

Another rule is the main events should not be ticketed, so just as the burlesque goes off-site, so the dance programs “Metasystems” and “Postphase” by James Batchelor and Chloe Chignell will be at the Courtyard Studio. As well, the main venue will be relocated to the East Row precinct of the Phoenix pub, which will run the bar, thus taking alcohol out of the hands of the fringe organisers.

Miller declines to see her Fringe as a political event and points to headline acts that are not politically oriented, including 19-year-old Deadly Award winner Thelma Plum, the sensitive hip-hop artist L-Fresh the Lion and former Snake Oil Merchant from Melbourne Mojo Juju, described variously as sleazy, jazzy, swingin’ and rockin’.

As well, there’s another Deadly winner, Stik n Move, photographer Liz Thompson, spoken-word by artists such as CJ Bowerbird and a dance program curated by Alison Plevey.

To Miller, the notion of a “fringe” is important, but the keyword is multicultural. “We have the opportunity to create a point of difference, to program works from people with culturally diverse backgrounds,” she says.

She has been watching supposedly multicultural events in Canberra for years and has noticed the dearth of indigenous performers, something she has rectified.

While prototype fringes usually don’t pay the artists, Miller says her artists are being paid “reasonably”.

In searching for a family-friendly style, she’ll be minimising the concept of main stage in favour of lots of smaller performance spaces and spots for playing backgammon and checkers.

But the opening, hosted by Adam Hadley, 8pm, on Friday, February 13 will be on a main stage, with original works created by Plevey and local music legends, Nigel and Beth and, of course, the big act, Mojo Juju.

With the clear aim of being “culturally diverse and innovative”, she is confident that the Multicultural Fringe will cease to be the object of political bickering and return to being the significant arts event of the season.

Canberra Multicultural Fringe, at Fringe Central, the Phoenix Pub, Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra Museum and Gallery, NewActon and Smith’s Alternative, February 13-15.