Tag: arts

Summerhall Arts supports artists all year round and fuels Scotland’s wider arts ecosystem

From early-stage development and residencies to award wins, national tours, festivals and international collaborations, Summerhall Arts’ year-round support is helping artists build the work that drives Scotland’s cultural life

Following a hugely successful Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with eight Scotsman Fringe First Award wins, more than 65 five-star reviews, over 180 four-star reviews and increased visitor numbers across its performance and visual arts programme, Summerhall Arts is highlighting the vital year-round artist development work taking place at its Edinburgh base.

While August provides a high-profile showcase for the work developed at Summerhall, the organisation’s support for artists continues throughout the year. To date, Summerhall Arts has supported more than 400 artists, delivered 48 Summerhall Surgeries, provided 35 paid development spaces, held 40 Exhibitions and supported artists through its Studio programme, residencies, commissions and partnerships.

This work provides artists with space, financial support, rehearsal and development opportunities, creative feedback and connections with audiences and industry professionals, helping early ideas develop into work that can go on to Scotland’s festivals, theatres ,venues and galleries as well as national and international stages.

Imogen Stirling, Development & Producing Lead at Summerhall Arts, said: “Having a year-round base in Edinburgh is vital.

“The development work we do here doesn’t simply fuel our Fringe programme, it supports artists to create work that goes on to venues and festivals across the city and beyond.

“It gives artists space to experiment, develop ideas and build new work throughout the year, making it an important part of Scotland’s cultural infrastructure.”

FROM SUMMERHALL SURGERIES TO FRINGE FIRSTS, FESTIVALS AND INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS

At the heart of Summerhall Arts’ artist development work are its Summerhall Arts Surgeries, a live works-in-progress platform giving artists the opportunity to test early-stage ideas in front of supportive audiences, peers and industry professionals.

The programme has now supported 48 projects, providing artists with vital feedback, creative exchange and the opportunity to build relationships that can continue long after the initial presentation.

Increasingly, the Surgeries are becoming the beginning of a longer development journey, with artists moving into further development space, residencies, Summerhall’s own performance programme and opportunities elsewhere in Scotland and beyond.

Recent examples include F-Bomb Theatre’s Float, which progressed through the Summerhall Arts Surgeries before being selected for Made in Scotland at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe, followed by a presentation at Gilded Balloon and a London tour.

Corinne Salisbury’s Slayers developed through the Summerhall Arts Surgeries before progressing to Assembly at the 2026 Fringe, where it won a Fringe First Award.

Hey Thanks! Theatre Collective’s BearGirl similarly progressed from a Summerhall Surgery to Assembly at the 2026 Fringe, where it was an Assembly ART Award runner-up.

Wonder Fools’ Tether received development space at Summerhall before becoming a Fringe First-winning Summerhall show at the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe. Development of the work also helped initiate a significant international collaboration with Korea, a relationship that was formed at Summerhall in 2025..

Sadiq Ali Company’s Tell Me received development space at Summerhall before going on to Manipulate Festival and a sell-out 2026 Edinburgh Fringe run.

The longer-term impact of Summerhall’s support can also be seen in the development of Biff Smith’s Dance With The Silence, which progressed through Summerhall’s Surgeries and Studio opportunities before Biff went on to become world champion of spoken word.

Summerhall’s residency and development programme has also supported artists whose work has gone on to significant national opportunities, including Emma Howlett, who was selected for The Stage’s Fringe Five following her residency at Summerhall with the work Aether that awarded her with the National Theatre Studio Directors Course and the Royal Court Writers’ Group in 2025. and then her fourth Summerhall show, a  successful five star run of her new show The Plot in the Main Hall at this years’ Fringe.

Looking ahead, Babyplay by Amber Charlie Conroy represents another developing Summerhall pathway. The work was selected for the Summerhall Arts and the Hugo Burge Foundation New Writing Commission, has been written and shared, and took part in the Summerhall Arts Surgeries. It will continue its development at Summerhall as part of the organisation’s 2027 Edinburgh Fringe programme.

MORE SPACE, MORE TIME AND MORE SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS

Summerhall Arts is now expanding its artist development offer, providing opportunities at different stages of the creative process.

The organisation will offer 11 free space weeks, 12 supported weeks with £500 bursaries and eight enhanced residencies offering £1,000 of support, allowing artists to access everything from essential rehearsal space to more substantial financial support for projects requiring dedicated development time.

The Summerhall Arts Studios programme provides further intensive development opportunities, with support worth up to £3,100 per week.

The first Studio artists of Year Two, Delululand, have already demonstrated this longer-term pathway. Following participation in the March Summerhall Arts Surgeries, the company is now continuing its development through a supported Studio week.

Summerhall Arts will also deliver two editions of the Surgeries each year. A winter edition will support six companies whose work could progress towards presentation at the 2027 Fringe, connecting directly with the new Recovery Room initiative.

Recovery Room will give selected artists a further week of dedicated rehearsal and development space following their Surgery, allowing them to respond to audience and industry feedback and adapt their work towards presentation at Summerhall.

A spring edition will focus on earlier-stage work with potential to develop towards the 2028 Fringe and beyond, creating a clearer pathway from initial experimentation through to production and presentation.

Summerhall Arts has also selected Cat MacLeod and Raymond Wilson for its First Draft Commissions, supporting both artists to develop new pieces of writing from their earliest stages towards completed first drafts. Alongside the financial commission, the programme provides an ongoing relationship with each artist, including opportunities for conversation, creative feedback and development.

YEAR-ROUND PERFORMANCE, VISUAL ARTS AND CINEMA

Summerhall Arts’ commitment to artists extends across its year-round programme of performance, visual arts, cinema and creative learning.

The second half of 2026 will see Summerhall Arts present and support Concerned Others by Tortoise in A Nutshell, The Rhinestone Cowboy, Imaginate Festival, Tom Molineaux with Andy Arnold, Junk Ensemble and Kate Taylor, Accidents of the Soul from Shotput, Not For Glory by Charlotte Mclean, Jack Anderson and Malin Lewis. and Offspring by Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir.

The visual arts programme continues with current exhibition Forming Space with Garvald Edinburgh and the upcoming Conversation with our Ocean by Elizabeth Ogilvie and Robert Page, Didar, Out of Sight Out of Mind with CAPS Advocacy, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, Colour in Silence: Memorial Exhibition by David Peacock, Rosita Mackenzie’s Touching Light, Ruth Dafnis’ Second Hand Smoke, two Winter Market Exhibitions and the next season of Multi-Year Funding exhibitions featuring Jules Bradbury and Johanna Flanigan, with a third artist to be announced.

Also continuing are the Reconfigure Life Drawing Exhibition, and the third annual  Group Show, for which applications will open in December. 

The In Vitro Residency programme, in partnership with the Hugo Burge Foundation will include residencies and exhibitions from Flore Gardner and Juliana Capes, while Summerhall’s creative learning programme will offer  a programme of workshops, running Wednesday to Sunday between 11am to 5pm from November through April in the Histology lab.

Summerhall Arts will also continue its work with screen culture through the Edinburgh Short Film Festival.

Sam Chapman, Head of Visual Arts and Cinema at Summerhall Arts, said: “Our visual arts and cinema programme is an essential part of Summerhall Arts’ year-round commitment to artists.

“It is about much more than presenting exhibitions and films – it is about creating opportunities for artists to develop their practice, experiment with new ideas, make connections and reach audiences.

“Through our exhibitions, commissions, residencies, partnerships and moving image programme, we are able to support artists at different stages of their careers and give them a platform within a genuinely interdisciplinary environment.

“That sense of connection is particularly important in Scotland, where artists and arts organisations are often working across different disciplines and sectors.

“We want Summerhall to be a place where artists can come to develop an idea, take a creative risk, meet other artists and audiences, and build something that can continue beyond these walls.

“The strength of Scotland’s visual arts and wider cultural ecology depends on having spaces where that work can happen throughout the year.”

A CULTURAL ECOSYSTEM THAT DOESN’T STOP IN AUGUST

The work audiences see at the Edinburgh Fringe, Scotland’s festivals and on stages around the country often begins months or years earlier, with artists needing somewhere to experiment, develop ideas, rehearse, receive feedback and take creative risks.

Sam Gough, Chief Executive of Summerhall Arts, said: “The success of August is only one part of the story. What audiences see at the Fringe is often the result of months or years of development, experimentation, rehearsal and support.

“The Surgeries are particularly important because they give artists somewhere to take those first risks, but the real value comes from what happens afterwards – the relationships that continue, the work that develops and the opportunities that open up.

“We have seen artists come through our many development programmes and go on to win Fringe Firsts, be part of the Made in Scotland showcase, national tours, major festivals and international collaborations. That is why year-round support matters.

“The Fringe and Scotland’s festivals do not exist in isolation; they are part of a wider cultural ecosystem that depends on artists having places to develop work throughout the year.

“At a time when that ecosystem is under enormous pressure, with organisations including The Skinny and the CCA among those lost or facing significant challenges in recent years, protecting year-round cultural infrastructure and the spaces where artists can take risks is vital. The future of our festivals depends on the artists and organisations that create and develop the work long before it reaches August.

“As Edinburgh considers the future of the Tourist Levy, it is important that the income generated by visitors is recognised as an opportunity to invest in the cultural infrastructure that makes the city what it is. Supporting year-round venues, artists and risk-takers helps sustain the whole ecosystem, not simply the festival period.”

REMOVING BARRIERS FOR AUDIENCES

Alongside its support for artists, Summerhall Arts is also looking at how audiences can access work.

While the exhibitions programme is always free to attend, the organisation is now introducing a new Pay What You Want approach to the performance programme, removing the requirement for audiences to qualify for a concession.

Rather than asking audiences to prove  that they are unemployed, a student or eligible for another concession, audiences can simply choose the price they want to pay to support the performance and Summerhall Arts.

The approach forms part of Summerhall Arts’ wider commitment to removing barriers and creating a more open relationship between artists, audiences and the organisation.

From a first experiment in a Surgery to a Fringe First-winning production; from a residency to a national tour; from a development week to an international collaboration, Summerhall Arts’ year-round work is helping artists build sustainable creative journeys.

As Edinburgh’s cultural calendar moves beyond the intensity of August, Summerhall Arts continues to invest in the artists, ideas and organisations that will shape Scotland’s future cultural landscape.

The Skinny to continue operations

Charity Outer Spaces to secure future for Radge Media CIC

Outer Spaces will acquire the shares in Radge Media CIC to stabilise operations and secure a future for the Scottish publisher, who is responsible for crucial Scottish independent cultural journalism monthly print magazine The Skinny as well as the titles GNAW and FEST.

This will enable The Skinny to continue to document and support Scotland’s art ecosystem, providing a vital platform for Writers and Editors in Scotland, as well as supporting artists and organisations through the continuation of 20 years of independent cultural journalism. 

Both Outer Spaces and Radge Media CIC are committed to empowering our creative communities, supporting the people creating art and building culture across Scotland in the ways which matter to them. T

his agreement is a product of synergy and mutual admiration, as well as our shared belief in the power and importance of art, a shared desire to remove barriers to access, and a joint aim of building a resilient, ambitious and confident arts ecosystem for Scotland.

Rosamund West, Editor-in-Chief, Radge Media CIC, said: “The Skinny has worked for nearly 21 years to shine a light on Scottish arts and culture, support emerging talent and connect people to the creative lives of their cities.

“The last month has been incredibly challenging, but the outpouring of support from contributors and collaborators reaffirmed the importance of a space for local, independent, cultural journalism.

“We’re excited to become part of the Outer Spaces family, and to have this opportunity to continue our work within an organisation whose values align so closely with our own. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone for their support and to Outer Spaces for creating this opportunity to secure our future.”

Shân Edwards, Director, Outer Spaces, said: “Outer Spaces supports a sustainable, resilient arts ecosystem for Scotland by responding to needs in the arts community, and we recognise the vital importance of art criticism and writing that places focus on Scotland’s vibrant art scene.

“Alongside many peers in the arts community in Scotland and beyond, we were shocked by the news of The Skinny’s closure, we recognise the importance of strong, consistent and critical journalism as part of the arts infrastructure we operate within – which The Skinny has provided for the past 20 years – and were pleased to be in the position to intervene with a solution to allow continued operations in for The Skinny as well as Radge Media CIC’s other titles, GNAW and FEST.”

Radge Media CIC is the Edinburgh-based publisher behind The Skinny, Fest and GNAW magazines, providing year-round coverage of Scotland’s arts and culture scenes through free print magazines and online platforms.

Radge Media also offers vital work opportunities to emerging journalists, photographers, illustrators and editorial staff. Radge Media CIC will retain full editorial control over its publications.

Outer Spaces is a contemporary visual arts organisation and charity established in 2021,  supporting a network of over 1200 artists across Scotland through studio provision, professional development, production support and a growing public programme.

Outer Spaces will stabilise operations by acquiring the shares in the publisher Radge Media CIC, this financial intervention will allow Radge Media CIC to continue to publish The Skinny, an important part of Scotland’s cultural landscape.

Also, Radge Media will continue to be based in an Outer Spaces building, allowing their operations to have a creative base and office for the delivery of their work.

Since October 2025, Radge Media has operated from the Exchange Place building in Fountainbridge, which also houses a studio community of over 155 artists, art graduates and creatives. 

IGNIS: Local artists co-found innovative new co-operative agency

Two artists in Edinburgh have co-founded a new co-operative agency with the aim of giving professional actors, writers and directors greater ownership of their careers while building a collaborative community for Scotland’s creative talent. They have launched a call out for members and are encouraging other local artists to apply.

Theatre Maker Sarah Marie Mooney and actor Annabel Logan are two of five performing arts professionals who have co-founded Ignis Artists Agency which will bring together artists from across Scotland under the innovative co-operative model in which members run the agency themselves.

The agency will represent actors, writers and directors, putting its clients forward for professional roles and opportunities while also creating a space in which members can develop new work, strengthen their portfolios, build their industry knowledge and support one another throughout their careers.

They work alongside actors Cieran Low, Myette Godwyn and Elissa Grace. Ignis grew from their shared belief that artists can play a more active role in shaping their own careers and that greater collaboration across creative disciplines can open-up opportunities both for individual artists and for new work.

The five founders met while taking part in Lisa Nicoll’s Creative Hub, facilitated by Perth Theatre. The supportive environment of the Hub allowed artists to share work, keep match-fit through workshops and build creative relationships, and its collaborative ethos became an important influence on the development of Ignis.

Unlike an actor agency focused on a single discipline, Ignis has been created to bring actors, writers and directors together under one banner. The founders believe that connecting these different perspectives can help individual careers to develop while also creating the conditions for new writing, projects and collaborations to emerge through new and well-established contacts within the industry.

Ignis aims to provide its members with professional representation alongside opportunities for continued creative and professional development. The co-operative wants its artists to feel informed and confident about the industry, proactive about their careers and invested in the successes of the wider Ignis community.

Sarah, said: “With the arts and culture sectors changing in recent years, it has become increasingly important for performing artists to take greater control of their careers and collaborate with their peers to create opportunities for themselves.

“The actor cooperative agency model has been around for some time but is less well-known in Scotland. We want to change that by establishing and growing Ignis here, offering casting directors an exciting roster of actors while providing an opportunity for directors and writers to be represented too.

“Collaboration is key to my practice as a theatremaker, so working as part of a cooperative with the other co-founders, and soon our first members, feels like the perfect fit for me, allowing us to build on the networks of contacts we already have with venues, producers and creatives, while also making new and wider connections.”

Annabel said: “As someone who has at times felt isolated in an already challenging career path, the chance to have a community who not only understands this but who is ready to actively champion and lift up their peers, gives those in the performing arts industry a chance to perhaps be braver, brighter and bolder in our art and less afraid and affected by rejection or set backs.

“That is my hope for not only those represented by Ignis Artists Agency but for the wider Scottish professional performing arts community through a collective shift in how we make and find work.

“Personally, I love being a cheerleader for other people’s talents. There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping someone recognise their own potential and celebrating when they succeed.”

NEW MEMBER CALL OUT

Ignis Artist Agency has opened its books to its first new members. It has launched a call-out for applications from interested actors, directors and writers who would like to be represented by a cooperative agency. They are aiming to recruit their first five new members during October and November with auditions and interviews in Perth, Edinburgh and online, with further members joining in the New Year.

Actors

Submissions are now open to actors from across Scotland.

To apply, actors should fill in the following submission form.

The agency’s first auditions will take place at Perth Theatre on the 15th and 16th October, Utilita Energy Hub, Edinburgh on the 6th and 7th November or online.

Directors and Writers

Applications for writers and directors are also open.

To apply, directors and writers should fill in the following submission form.

Interviews will take place online.

If prospective actors, writers and directors wish to apply in a way more accessible to them or have any questions, then they can also email submissions@ignisartists.com.

The deadline for submissions will be the 6th October.

Building Relationships in Theatre, Film and TV

Alongside welcoming approaches from artists, Ignis is keen to establish relationships with casting directors, producers and other industry professionals looking for Scottish talent.

The agency aims to become a point of contact for theatre, film and TV productions casting in Scotland and further afield, connecting industry professionals with its growing roster of actors, writers and directors.

Looking ahead, Sarah and the other founders want Ignis to become more than an agency: a creative home where new writing can be developed, collaborations can begin and artists can continue to learn from and champion one another throughout their careers.

By bringing actors, writers and directors together, Ignis aims to build a community that reflects the collaborative nature of Scotland’s creative industries while giving its members the representation, knowledge, confidence and support they need to develop sustainable careers in Scotland and beyond.

Council support for Edinburgh’s festivals and cultural sector

City councillors have voted to support cultural partners across the city – including the opportunity to apply for funding from a pot of over £2.6 million.

A one-off 25 percent increase in funding, totalling approximately £1.12 million, was agreed for existing Third Party Cultural Grants partners, including the Edinburgh International Festival, Book Festival, and the Fringe Society as well as community organisations.

The funding extension runs until March 2028, with a fully redesigned cultural funding programme for subsequent years to be agreed next year.

Extra support for all eligible cultural and arts organisations, including those operating at a local community level, will be available via the new £2.62m Innovate fund, supported by the Visitor Levy, which will open for applications next week.

The aim of the Fund is to improve resilience, support programming innovation and enhance cultural output for successful applicants, who will also need to demonstrate how the project will benefit visitors to the city.

It was agreed that eligibility criteria for applications, which were agreed by Culture and Communities Committee in May, should be viewed in the broadest way possible while still meeting legislative rules, and that organisations not currently funded by the Third Party Cultural Grants should be encouraged to apply.

This will enable a wider variety of groups and organisations to make the most of funds on offer.

The funding agreed on Thursday is part of a broader transformational allocation of Visitor Levy funding for Culture, Heritage and Events worth over £25m over the next three years.

This combination of sustained investment and focus on innovation is ‘creating an ambitious programme of growth that will benefit, visitors, residents and the city’s cultural organisations’.

Cllr Margaret Graham, Culture and Communities Convener said: “I have listened and heard the views and feedback of our cultural partners in recent weeks and the 25% uplift they have secured will provide certainty for the next year.

“I was absolutely clear, however, that this agreement could not be at the expense of our smaller cultural organisations across the city – many of which receive no funding at all. I have been a long time advocate of young people and communities and I know first-hand the value of local arts groups across the city.

“The funding package we agreed today will see all our cultural partners benefit, whatever their size or stature, but we need to find a fairer and more sustainable way of doing business in future – something that will high on the agenda at the round table discussion I will be calling in the coming weeks.”

Unique Scottish Travel Fund hailed a major success as 5,400 school pupils visit art galleries and museums

The William Syson Foundation Travel Fund was launched in 2024 as a two-year pilot with a £120,000 grant commitment to encourage and support Scottish school pupils to visit, study and learn about art in Scotland’s world-class galleries and museums – and evidence and evaluation demonstrate that the Travel Fund has been a major success.

Over the two academic years of the fund, during which, the William Syson Foundation funded the programme, 150 schools and 5,400 school students visited a gallery and received a guided tour and high-quality art workshop directly tied to the curriculum at no cost to the school or the art gallery/museum.

The programme successfully removed barriers to art education and fostered a connection between schools and the galleries/museums, with a significant number of young people visiting a gallery or museum for the very first time.

 • The rationale for creating the William Syson Foundation Travel Fund:

 Post-pandemic, the Foundation recognised a concerning and growing trend of reductions in school visits to art galleries and museums in Scotland. Research demonstrated that decreases in available funding and restricted staff resources for school visits had negatively impacted schools being able to undertake in-person day visits. One of the key findings was that the cost of travel to and from galleries and museums had become prohibitive for schools.

The following were amongst the key findings reported when schools, particularly in areas of multiple deprivation, were asked about factors that would support them wishing to reinstate visits to art galleries and museums:

–          70% of schools responded that free learning activities would encourage out-of school visits to take place and

–           64% responded that support for travel costs would have significant positive impact

• The William Syson Foundation Travel Fund was launched in 2024 to address both the above findings via a specially created grant from the Foundation that would allow schools to bring pupils to galleries and museums at no cost to the school or to the gallery/museum.

The Travel Fund was created initially as a two-year pilot in partnership with three of Scotland’s foremost cultural organisations – Aberdeen Art Gallery, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow and the National Galleries of Scotland and ran from August 2024 until June 2026.

With high demand and clear nation-wide benefits, the fund has recently been extended by the Foundation to cover the next academic year ending June 2027 (taking our total investment to nearly £190,000).

 • Results

150 schools and 5,400 school students visited the three partner galleries/museums, who would not otherwise have attended. See Notes to Editors for a selection of schools.

The William Syson Foundation Travel Fund successfully removed barriers to art education and fostered a connection between schools and the galleries/museums, noting that around half of all pupils had never been to the art gallery before.

The funding employed freelance art educators, supported gallery staff, removed the administration burden from schools, provided teachers with practical support for their curriculum lessons, and gave school children a face-to-face, in person experience of engaging with the world-class artworks held in the galleries’/museums’ collections.

The Travel Fund pilot is already an evidence-based success. With costs at only £22 per pupil, the programme has led to a significant increase in school visits to the three partner organisations, thereby embedding art appreciation in the school pupils and encouraging engagement with the national collections.

 • The Future

With a successful pilot track record established, The William Syson Foundation is working to embed the Travel Fund as a multi-year programme across other locations in Scotland.

The Foundation is currently recruiting other charitable and third-sector partners whose support will extend and grow this inspiring project into the future.

The next academic year 2026/27 has been fully extended by the Foundation to continue this work.

The Skinny to fold

SEPTEMBER ISSUE WILL BE THE LAST

After 20 years of independent cultural journalism and with a very heavy heart, we have to tell you that September’s edition of The Skinny is our final issue as Radge Media CIC, the company which publishes The Skinny as well as Fest and GNAW magazines, has ceased operations.

Firstly, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has been involved with The Skinny over these two decades. The dedication, skill and care of every writer, editor, photographer, illustrator, proofreader, designer, salesperson and member of the team has made this magazine what it is. Thank you all for everything you’ve done to create an incredible legacy.

We have always drawn motivation from the energy and talent of Scotland’s creative community, even when the work has been hard and we have faced struggles, difficulties and real challenges. To Scotland’s artists, musicians, authors, theatremakers, actors, DJs, filmmakers, party-throwers and creatives, thank you all for sharing your work with us and for letting us share it with the world.

We are devastated that our work has come to such a sudden end. We have not been immune to the economic difficulties in the Scottish arts and despite our very best efforts, funding pressures across the sector, rising costs and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis have contributed to an increasingly challenging situation. 

The Skinny is a key asset to Scottish cultural life, but it was produced by a small team with all the challenges that entails. We did the best we could with the resources at our disposal, and we can only apologise to our readers, colleagues and advertisers for making such a sudden exit, but we have been unable to find a way to continue the work at this time. 

This may be the end for The Skinny, but it’s not the end of what we believe in: the power of independent journalism, the value of art and creativity, and the importance of print media.

The Skinny has offered something very important and valuable to Scotland’s cultural scene and none of us wanted or expected things to end this way. The closure of this business does nothing to change our belief in the need for a vibrant Scottish media that connects with our communities, and our faith in print as a vehicle to share new stories with audiences.

Finally, thank you to all of our readers, whether you have been here from the start or are seeing our work for the very first time. If you have ever picked up a copy in a bar or read it on the bus, pored over our reviews, found a new favourite night out in the listings, shared our work online or fired up our newsletter, we really do appreciate it.

Even in dark times, there is still a wealth of vibrant, creative and exciting art being created across Scotland, and dozens of scenes and movements worth championing. That drive and spirit has inspired and invigorated us at The Skinny so many times over the years – let’s all do what we can to help that continue.

Feel free to share this statement far and wide; we only ask that you attribute the words to ‘The Skinny’ and repeat what we’re saying in good faith. For any further media enquiries, please contact Peter on peter@theskinny.co.uk 

Screen Scotland, the Fringe Society and partners advance plans for new event for Edinburgh in 2027

Màiri McAllan Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic has announced that a new initiative for the global media and creative industries will be developed for Edinburgh’s August festivals.

The new initiative will build upon Edinburgh’s unique position as a global shop window for talent, content, and creative ideas, bringing together the city’s creative ecosystem with international media industries and audiences.

Thursday’s launch event was also attended by Baby Reindeer and Half Man creator and star Richard Gadd who spoke on the importance of Edinburgh during August, as a place for new talent discovery, for ambitious work, and to progress careers.

Initial development work towards the new event was funded by Screen Scotland and completed in early summer 2026.

This work was undertaken to consider, with fresh eyes, how Edinburgh’s August festivals partner to present a new offer to the global content industries, in response to the increasingly blurred boundaries between the different creative artforms and the way creative talent, IP and ideas move fluidly between them.

Independent consultant Rowan Woods has now been appointed to lead the next stage of development, which will again be funded by Screen Scotland and delivered through The Fringe Society.

Working with the Fringe Society, Screen Scotland and a broader advisory group, Woods will consult widely across the August festivals and with producing venues, broadcasters, platforms, content creators, publishers and other potential participants and audiences to establish the shape of the new initiative and how it can best support the connection of new talent and IP to content commissioners worldwide.

The consultation will inform the shape and intent of the new initiative, including audience, dates, venues, programme and participants. This consultation phase is expected to conclude in early Spring 2027, with an initial pilot planned for August 2027.

The new initiative will build on the strong relationships that already exist between the screen industry and Edinburgh’s August Festivals, including the work of Screen Fringe, an ongoing collaboration between Screen Scotland and the Fringe Society, which supports hundreds of television and film executives to make the most of their time in the city each year.

Screen Fringe is expected to remain part of the August festivals offer to the global screen industry.

Separately, Screen Scotland has confirmed that it will establish the Lynda Myles Debate as a keynote element of the August festivals from 2027.

The debate will honour the contribution of Lynda Myles, formerly Director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and co-creator of the Edinburgh TV Festival, and her long-standing belief in Edinburgh as a place for ambitious and rigorous debate about the future of the screen industries and wider media landscape.

The Scottish Government is providing funding support for the new event’s development via Screen Scotland, and more details will be announced in 2027.

Culture Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “We are so proud of Scotland’s screen sector and this exciting addition to the August festivals line-up will provide a new way to embrace the creativity and cultural innovation which makes our capital unique.

“As a global hotbed of emerging talent, where new voices are heard and fresh stories are told, Edinburgh will continue its world-leading offer for the television industry with the support of the Scottish Government – and will do so alongside our other Edinburgh festivals, showcasing brilliance across artforms.”

David Smith, Director of Screen Scotland said: “Edinburgh has a unique role to play in bringing together the people, ideas and creative work that will shape the future of the screen and wider creative industries.

“Every August, the city becomes a remarkable meeting place for talent from around the world, alongside audiences, producers, commissioners, artists and creative thinkers. We have an opportunity to build on that extraordinary concentration of talent and energy and create something new, ambitious and genuinely distinctive for the global industry.”

Tony Lankester, Chief Executive at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: “Edinburgh’s August festivals create an unparalleled environment for discovering new talent, ideas and creative work.

“We know there is a strong appetite from people working across the global screen and creative industries to connect with that ecosystem, and we are excited by the opportunity to explore what a new offer could look like, particularly in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The development of this initiative gives us a chance to think afresh about how Edinburgh can serve the sector in August and to create something compelling for the future.”

On the announcement of the Lynda Myles debate, Lynda Myles said: “I’m deeply touched and honoured to have the debate named after me.

“It’s exciting to see the importance of ideas and discussion being recognised in the plans for the new event, especially as this was the initial intention of the creation of the Edinburgh Television Festival in 1976.”

Collective Gala on Calton Hill

Collective Gala is a free family-friendly day of celebration with creative activities for all ages. Explore newly commissioned artworks and performance by Scottish artists, join behind-the-scenes tours, shop with local makers, and enjoy creative play sessions for children.

The day will culminate in a celebratory procession inspired by Gala traditions. Saturday, 5th of September, from 11 am to 4.30 pm. FREE ENTRY! 😊

Where? At Collective Gallery on Calton Hill

Support for Scottish Traditional Music

Next steps announced for National Performing Company

A new National Performing Company will be set up to champion Scotland’s traditional music sector.

A public consultation has now been launched seeking views on how such a flagship organisation will raise the profile of Scottish folk music around the world.

Early feedback is being sought from the traditional music community and wider audiences to understand priorities for future support of the sector and what a national performing company might look like.

First Minister John Swinney held a reception for the trad music sector at Bute House this week and attended the Sound of Scotland folk music showcase at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall.

The Scottish Government has also launched an online survey to gather views and Culture Secretary Mairi McAllan will chair a roundtable with leaders in trad music.

A National Performing Company for traditional music will be the sixth to be formed in Scotland, joining the National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

The First Minister said: “Traditional Scottish music has a unique, rich sound reflecting our history and regional diversity. It connects our past to our present and is loved across Scotland and around the world.

“That is why I pledged that in the first 100 days of this government we would make progress on forming a National Performing Company to protect the legacy of trad music and help it to thrive. Giving it the same platform to other performing arts will support established and emerging talents to grow.

“If you are a local performer, group or organisation from anywhere in Scotland, please let us know how this can work best for you, representing and supporting traditional music.”

According to a VisitScotland survey in 2024, almost four in five Scots (79%) said Scottish traditional music gave them a sense of cultural connection, while 88% believed it is important that it is preserved for future generations. Music businesses in Scotland reported a turnover of £27.4 million in 2023.

The consultation on a National Performing Company for Traditional Music is available to complete online.

Global delegation scouts Edinburgh festivals to take UK shows overseas

26 commissioners, producers and arts leaders from 13 countries will travel to Edinburgh to discover UK theatre and dance with the potential to reach audiences in their countries

  • 26 leading international commissioners, producers and arts leaders will explore UK work at the Edinburgh Fringe and Edinburgh International festival.
  • The visit forms part of the British Council’s Edinburgh International Performing Arts Delegation.
  • More than four in five delegates from last year’s programme said they were likely to programme a UK production. 

Organised by the British Council, the Edinburgh International Performing Arts Delegation (IPAD) will connect delegates directly with UK artists and performing companies. 

Running from 19 to 26 August, the programme will give delegates access to performances across the festivals, alongside curated showcases, industry briefing and networking events.  

Journalist Lyn Gardner, who briefed last year’s delegation, said UK companies can be disadvantaged in comparison to international counterparts who have more funding and time to develop their work.

Edinburgh IPAD helps address this imbalance by connecting UK artists and companies with international decision-makers, creating opportunities for new commissions, touring partnerships, re-stagings and other international collaborations.

Previous editions have already helped UK work reach audiences worldwide. Recent outcomes include a Japanese tour for Ramesh Meyyappan’s Love Beyond, performances of Emma Frankland’s No Apologies across the Western Balkans and in Brazil, and a Spanish-language production of Karis Kelly’s Consumed in Venezuela.

This year’s delegation includes representatives from Australia, China, Egypt, India, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, the Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Among them are three delegates from Ukraine, including Kyrylo Beskorovainyi, co-composer and writer of multi-award-winning musical, The Tiger Hunters.

A full list of the delegates and biographies can be found here.

The programme builds on the success of Edinburgh IPAD 2025, which in just six days saw 24 delegates from 15 countries make 448 new connections with UK artists, companies and industry professionals, and generate 124 expressions of interest in programming 27 UK productions internationally. 

More than four in five delegates said they were likely or very likely to programme a UK show following their visit, and more than half also expressed an interest in restaging productions or directing translated versions, creating long-term routes for UK work to reach international audiences without the financial and environmental costs of touring an entire company.

Every delegate surveyed said the programme had strengthened their understanding of contemporary UK performing arts, created new opportunities to connect with UK artists and made them more likely to pursue future collaborations. Delegates’ confidence in working with UK partners increased by 45%, while their understanding of the current UK theatre landscape rose by 53%.

Seung Mee Kim of South Korean performing arts company ARTIGO described the programme as “the most productive time in Edinburgh I’ve ever had”, adding that it had helped her understand the arts scenes across all four UK nations and connect with the right people.

Edinburgh IPAD coincides with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, as well as three curated national showcases: Made in Scotland, Cymru Wales in Edinburgh and Spotlight on Theatre and Dance from Northern Ireland.

Together, these events give delegates direct access to the breadth of contemporary performance being created across the whole of the UK and enable international commissioners to discover, connect with and champion work for audiences around the world. 

Neil Webb, British Council Director of Theatre and Dance, said: “The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival showcase some of the UK’s most exciting new performances.

“Edinburgh IPAD ensures their impact extends beyond August by connecting UK artists with international commissioners, creating lasting opportunities for their work to reach audiences around the world.” 

PICTURE: Emma Frankland’s “No Apologies” was performed in Brazil and across the Western Balkans following connections made through previous IPAD programmes. Photo: Matt Crockett