Back with a bang!

Edinburgh Festival Fringe gets underway with dynamic programme of over 700 in-person and online shows

Today, Friday 06 August, the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe officially comes to life with an exciting hybrid programme of over 700 in-person and online shows.

From 06 – 30 August, Edinburgh will once again be host to a diverse and exciting selection of work from the worlds of theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music, musicals and opera, cabaret and variety, children’s shows, spoken word, exhibitions, events and more.

This year’s Fringe also features a scaled-back programme of street events in managed locations; a range of community engagement work, including the return of Fringe Days Out; and a programme of activity for artists and arts industry professionals via Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.

All work is being delivered in strict accordance with Scottish Government covid-19 guidance, to ensure a safe, secure and enjoyable festival for artists, audiences and residents. More information can be found below.

Commenting on the launch of the festival, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Fringe is always a remarkable feat, but this year, it’s nothing short of extraordinary.

“In the face of complex restrictions and enormous challenges, the Fringe community has created a diverse and engaging programme of over 700 shows to entertain us, bring us joy, and ultimately, do what culture does best: tell stories that help us understand where we are, what we’ve been through, and where we need to go.

“I’m enormously proud of the artists, venues, creatives and workers that have made this festival not only possible, but safe, engaging and entertaining. It’s so good to be celebrating the Fringe again this August, and I’d like to thank every artist, producer, worker, audience member, funder, sponsor and supporter that has got us here today.”

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, President, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is BACK! In an act of pure artistic heroism, the Fringe Society and thousands of artists, writers, dancers, actors, designers, comedians, musicians and creatives have fought to bring this festival back to the streets of glorious, glittering Edinburgh. We have a lot of time to make up for and this festival is more than ready for you.

“With hundreds of live and online events you can see as many shows in a week than you would have in the whole of last year and we are finally able to reconnect, inspire, surprise, and entertain each other like we used to. I have never wanted to have a leaflet thrusted at me more. We’re being offered a giant cultural sprinkler after a year of drought and I can’t wait to jump through it, shrieking, with you all.”

Benny Higgins, Chair, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is a remarkable arts festival that has created an unparalleled legacy for the city and the country, and it will have an important part to play in how we move forward after such a difficult period.

“The cultural value that the Fringe holds is enormous, and its launch today is the first step on a long road to recovery – for the festival and for Scotland. We must all play our part in ensuring an inclusive, diverse, and accessible festival for the future, with wellbeing at its heart.”

Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Scottish Government, said: “A huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to support the return of these globally significant cultural events and the benefits they bring to Scotland in terms of tourism, trade and our place on the world stage.

“Edinburgh’s festivals were sorely missed last summer and their return is another step in the right direction and testament to the determination of festival organisers, along with the artists, venues and businesses involved. I’m delighted that the Fringe will be able to welcome back audiences and give festival goers something to cheer this year.”

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture and Communities Vice Convener, said: “The return of live August festivals events and performances truly reflects our city’s on-going recovery and, of course, our cultural DNA, and we’re delighted to see an exciting Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.

“There’s no doubt it was greatly missed last year and it’s so lovely for our city to be welcoming audiences again to the Festivals this August. To everyone taking part, we ask you to continue to follow the safety guidance and to enjoy this year’s fantastic festival experiences safely.”

Barbara Smith, Managing Director of Johnnie Walker Princes Street, said: “As Johnnie Walker moves closer to opening the doors to our new venue on Princes Street, it’s fantastic to see Edinburgh continue to open up for cultural events, and for locals and visitors alike to enjoy the best that the city has to offer. 

“The Fringe Festival will always be an important part of the city’s cultural calendar and the team at Johnnie Walker are delighted to once again support the Fringe Society in bringing the festival to life through our Fringe Club whisky bar on The Mound. We can’t wait to welcome visitors from home and away as they enjoy the best of what this world famous festival has to offer.”

In-person, online and on-demand shows

 In 2021, audiences will be able to access a wide range of amazing Fringe shows through socially distanced in-person events, scheduled online performances and on-demand digital shows. Tickets and information for all kinds of registered Fringe shows – live, online, paid and free – can be found at edfringe.com.

Around 440 shows are taking place in person. Many shows are taking place in new, creative outdoor locations across Edinburgh, including a football ground, a car park and a racecourse.

Familiar Fringe operators such as Acoustic Music Centre, Assembly, Dance Base, French Institute, Gilded Balloon, Laughing Horse Free Festival, Monkey Barrel, PBH’s Free Fringe, Pleasance, Scottish Storytelling Centre, the Stand, theSpaceUK, Summerhall and Zoo are all taking part in this year’s festival with physical spaces in the city.

All in-person performances will be fully Covid compliant, following the latest guidelines on social distancing, mask wearing, ventilation and hygiene.

Currently, live events must operate at one-metre distancing. On 09 August, Scotland moves to level zero and restrictions on distancing will be dropped.

Every Fringe venue operates individually. For up to date information on capacity and distancing at individual Fringe shows, please check with the relevant venue.

In an exciting move for the festival, more than 260 shows are taking place online, providing a global platform for artists, while enhancing the Fringe’s commitment to accessibility and sustainability.

There will be two kinds of online events available this year: scheduled and on demand.

With scheduled shows, audiences can buy tickets as they would to a traditional in-person event. Shows will have a dedicated start and end time and are treated as an ‘appointment to view’ event. For on-demand shows, audiences can buy tickets to watch at their leisure.

Audiences can view Fringe shows on online platforms including the new Fringe Player streamed by Brightcove (NASDAQ: BCOV), the global leader in video for business.

Available via edfringe.com, this bespoke digital platform offers an easy-to-use viewing experience for audiences whilst giving artists a platform to present and showcase their work digitally. The player will be accessible to audiences from 06 Aug, with auto-subtitling built in. Both on-demand and scheduled online shows are available on this platform.

Where other platforms (such as Zoom, YouTube and Vimeo) are being used to host online work, information on how to access these is clearly provided at the point of purchase.

Online shows will be available to watch from August but can be pre-booked from today.

Street events

The city’s world-famous street events are returning this year, with a scaled-back programme of live performances. 

A fantastic starting point for any Fringe-goer, events will run daily from 11.30am until 8.30pm in the High Street’s designated Fringe safe street performance area, West Parliament Square.

There will also be a programme of activity on the Mound, as well as additional opportunities for buskers and other street artists well known in the Fringe landscape.  

All performances will be delivered in accordance with current and relevant Covid guidelines. Limits on audience numbers will be introduced in line with social distancing, and event details will be published online to audiences in advance to allow them to plan.

Strict hygiene measures will also be in place, including masks and sanitisation, to help everyone enjoy the events safely.

Community, access and learning

We are continuing to work alongside communities, venues and artists to ensure the Fringe is as inclusive as possible.

Our Fringe Days Out scheme is a long-term commitment by the Fringe Society to reach out to communities that have not traditionally engaged with the Fringe. Through this programme in 2021, we have delivered Fringe vouchers, Lothian bus tickets and access support through our 30+ community partners, including The Welcoming, The Citadel Youth Centre, Lothian Autistic Society, Vintage Vibes and Capability Scotland.

In response to some groups being unable to visit the festival in person, or being hesitant about attending, we are also continuing our Fringe in Communities programme. This will see street performers going out to locations across the city to perform during July and August.

The Fringe’s commitment to improving disabled access remains a priority. Customers with access requirements can use our Access Bookings system and search specific shows which are accessible such as relaxed, audio described, captioned and signed performances. Plus, a free personal assistant ticket is available for anyone who needs assistance to attend the Fringe. Customers can also search for shows in performance spaces with wheelchair access.

This year, we are once again providing sensory bags for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Each bag contain a fidget toy, earplugs, water bottle and a stress reliever. These items are designed to help users relax and overcome stressful or intense situations and are distributed to select partners across the city.

Our street events offering will see BSL interpretation on the West Parliament Square Stage on Saturday 21 August, and there will be a wheelchair accessible viewing area on the High Street throughout the festival.

We are also continuing Teachers’ Theatre Club, our partnership with Imaginate, which brings Edinburgh teachers to the Fringe. Each show seen will be followed by a group discussion with some of the artists and creative teams who made and/or presented the work, covering both the content of the show and how it could enhance and inform teaching practice.

And we’re making sure that Edinburgh’s schoolchildren can also take part in the Fringe fun by working with Gracemount High and selected Edinburgh primary schools to make sure they see Fringe shows too. .

Support for artists and arts industry

This year, the Fringe Society is hosting two digital platforms for artists and industry professionals: Fringe Connect and Fringe Marketplace.

Launched last month, Fringe Connect is an exciting new year-round platform, designed to bring Fringe artists together with peers and members of the arts community.

Described as ‘part social network, part events space’, Fringe Connect gives users the opportunity to populate their own profile with information about their professional experiences and interests (both Fringe-related and otherwise).

Registered users will have access to exciting industry news and opportunities, alongside access to year-round digital events aimed at supporting and facilitating professional development.

Guests and speakers during the Fringe include Lyn Gardner, Andrew MillerAmy ConachanTarek IskanderJo Clifford and Richard Jordan, plus many more.

And after a successful pilot year in 2020, Fringe Marketplace has returned for2021. This dedicated showcase platform aims to connect arts industry delegates all over the world with professional and tour-ready artists.

The work that will appear on the platform has been selected by Fringe venue programmers and assessed by Fringe associates: an independent cross-genre industry experts who have experience and understanding of the Fringe.

Work with strategic partners

The Fringe Society is delighted to be working with three strategic partners this year: Something to Aim For, Parents and Carers in Performing Arts and Somewhere EDI. All three partnerships help us to better support and engage with significant groups of participants and understand the barriers they might be facing at the Fringe. 

Something to Aim For is the charity devoted to supporting public health and (re)building social fabric through the creative industries. 

Parents and Carers in Performing Arts work to promote best practice employment and support for parents and carers in the performing arts sector.

Somewhere EDI is a platform for positive LGBTQ+ culture, learning and activism, championing and empowering LGBTQ+ people to be out and visible in business, culture and in wider society.

Johnnie Walker

The Fringe Society is delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for a third year. 2021 sees the return of the popular Fringe Club, a dedicated bar space for visitors to the festivities for the entire duration of the festival. Located on the Mound, an exciting spot with live street performances, the bar will once again serve a number of delicious highballs, cocktails and drams for guests in the dedicated whisky lounge.

Festival-goers will also have the chance to win exclusive prizes through the Johnnie Walker Ticket prize giveaway. Prizes include complimentary highballs at the Fringe Club, bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, £20 vouchers for shows at the Fringe and tour tickets to Johnnie Walker Princes Street. With each ticket bought via the Fringe, customers can click on the ticket banner in their booking confirmations to be entered into the prize draw.

Edinburgh Gin

2021 is the first year of our exciting new partnership with Edinburgh Gin, who are working to support Fringe artists affected by the pandemic.

The team have collaborated with Fringe Society president Phoebe Waller-Bridge to create a special limited-edition bottle, which captures the wonder of Edinburgh through the lens of Fleabag.

Every penny of profit will go towards a new fund, being run in partnership with the Fringe Society, which will support artists to create and bring work to the Fringe. More than £150,000 is hoped to be raised.

Sponsors and supporters

As a charity, the work of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society would not be possible without the valuable support of our partners, sponsors and funders. We are delighted to be working with Johnnie Walker for the third year running as our official whisky partner.

We are proud to be partnering with the newly opened St James Quarter and are excited to be working with them this year and beyond.

We are excited to be partnering with Crowdfunder again through our FringeMakers fundraising platform, supporting Fringe artists and venues with vital fundraising efforts.

We have teamed up with Rare Birds Books to a create a limited-edition book bundle with books selected by the women behind three of the Fringe’s most iconic venues; Rowan Campbell, the General Manager of Summerhall, Dani Rae, the General Manager of Assembly and Katy Koren, who co-runs Gilded Balloon. Proceeds of the sale of this bundle will support go directly to supporting Fringe artists bring work to the Fringe.

We would also like to thank Lothian Buses for their continued support of our Fringe Days Out programme.

We’re thrilled to welcome Edinburgh Gin on board as Official Gin of the Fringe and look forward to working with them.

We are grateful for funding through the PLACE Programme, a partnership between the Scottish Government -through Creative Scotland -the City of Edinburgh Council and Festivals EdinburghScottish Government for Made in Scotland through the Festivals Expo Fund -managed through Creative Scotland -and the continued support of the City of Edinburgh Council. Thanks also to Scottish Government for funds from their Get into Summer campaign.

We are grateful for funding from the Pivotal Event Business Fund, the SCVO Adapt and Thrive programme, the Foyle Foundation and the UK Government to enhance our digital capabilities.

Our thanks also to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, the Pump House Trust and the Turtleton Charitable Trust.

With thanks to EventScotland and City of Edinburgh Council for supporting Street Events.

Thank you to Brightcove, our streaming partners, for their support in delivering the Fringe Player.

Our thanks also to our Fringe Angels, Patrons, Friends and supporters whose passion and generosity made a real difference this year.

World leading festivals begin bounce back from impact of COVID-19

Edinburgh’s world-leading summer festivals are back, with their recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic supported by more than £5.4 million from the Scottish Government.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe opens today, followed by the Edinburgh International Festival (EIF), with the Edinburgh Art Festival already open.

The Edinburgh International Book Festival will open a new chapter in a new venue on August 14, and the Edinburgh International Film Festival will welcome audiences from August 18.

The Scottish Government’s Gateway process has also allowed a small number of flagship events with national significance to take place in 2021, with limited numbers of spectators and subject to health advice, and both the EIF and the Fringe will stage events as part of the process.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertson said: “Edinburgh’s festivals are back – a significant moment for these landmark, world-leading events, and for our nation’s capital.

“The festivals were sorely missed last summer, and their return is a major step in the right direction as well as testament to the determination of festival organisers, along with the artists, venues and businesses involved.

“Already a huge amount of work has gone on behind the scenes to support the return of these globally significant cultural events and the benefits they bring to Scotland for our culture, for tourism, for trade and our place on the world stage.

“I’m delighted to welcome the Edinburgh Festivals’ return and see the world’s leading festival city come back to life in 2021.”

Chair of Festivals Edinburgh Sorcha Carey said: “The support of the Scottish Government and its agencies has been crucial to the very survival of our world-famous festivals, and we’re deeply grateful. 

“All those who’ve worked tirelessly and are now able to manage a careful restart will be delighted to reconnect the people of Scotland with the live culture they’ve so badly missed. 

“We want to support the vision of the First Minister and her team that culture will be at the heart of recovery, and we look forward with hope that Edinburgh’s peak festivals season can mark a turning point for Scotland’s culture sector.”

National Lottery funds support Edinburgh creative projects

Creative projects from Edinburgh artists and creative organisations are in motion thanks to National Lottery funding awarded through Creative Scotland’s Open Fund.

A new poetry project from Neu! Reekie!, a community arts project focusing on Edinburgh’s history and a 50th anniversary commission from Meadows Chamber Orchestra are among the 53 projects in total sharing in over £1.2million of National Lottery funding.

These funds aim to support creativity across Scotland for artists, organisations and creative groups as they seek to build sustainability while emerging from Covid-19 restrictions.

With new funding, independent publisher 404 Ink will be continuing their development of new and emerging Scottish voices, including new poetry, novels and memoirs.

Co-founder and Publishing Director Heather McDaid says: “As a small publisher trying to survive and thrive through the pandemic, this is an incredible opportunity to put real resources behind authors and titles we fully believe in, and create a large network of freelance opportunities, while also being able to develop our paid internship programme and look to 404 Ink’s long-term recovery and sustainability.”

Neu! Reekie!’s forthcoming The New Now! will draw focus on Scotland’s poets. From #NeuVoices publishing their first poem to Scotland’s new Makar making their mark, The New Now! will offer poets and audiences alike, a year-long series of live shows and broadcast-quality digital events.

Neu! Reekie! Co-founder Michael Pedersen says: “We’re elated to see this vital project taking flight — through it we hope to make sense of the last bewildering period and gather gusto for the future.”

ReDrawing Edinburgh is a community-led creative project from Edinburgh City Archives designed to commemorate the centennial of the 1920 Edinburgh Boundaries Extension and Tramways Act.

Activities around this project will include the projection a short, commissioned archive multi-media installation onto five buildings in the five boundary extension areas, on five evenings during September 2021.

Henry Sullivan, Information Asset Manager says: “The heritage of each community will be displayed to local audiences in their own community spaces in an innovative and engaging fashion.

“The hope is that this will be a model for future collaboration between content custodians, community organisations and local artists.”

Meadows Chamber Orchestra will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the commission and Scottish premiere of an exciting new orchestral symphony by renowned composer Eleanor Alberga.

Principal conductor and musical advisor, Peter Evans says: “As the Meadows Chamber Orchestra prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in June 2022, the ensemble is particularly delighted to receive financial support from Creative Scotland for the commission of a new symphony from the Jamaican -born British composer, Eleanor Alberga. The new piece will be a joint commission with the Bristol-based Brandon Hill Chamber Orchestra.”

INTO THE ALTERED STATES is a year-long project by artist Benjamin Owen celebrating voices across Scotland and bringing together an intergenerational group of musicians alongside the voices of elderly individuals.

Benjamin explained: “This funding is a vital opportunity for me to develop as a participatory artist after a twenty-year career in arts education.

“It allows me to integrate all sorts of skills and experiences gathered in teaching into a more experimental and flexible environment.”

Joan Parr, Creative Scotland’s Interim Director of Arts and Engagement, said: “Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week, these vital funds are helping artists to continue to develop and present their work and to bring extraordinary creative experiences to life within our communities.”

A full list of recipients of Open Fund awards is available on the Creative Scotland website.

Joy as Fringe by the Sea programme announced

We’ve been working towards this momentous occasion for months now and it has been a herculean effort given the challenges we’ve faced putting on a festival that is both safe for our artists, staff and visitors and full of what we all need right now: joy.

We’re delighted to say that our FULL online programme has now gone live and you can leaf through it in your own time by clicking on the image to the right.

If you’re in East Lothian, our printed programme will drop with the next issue of the East Lothian Courier, out Thursday 8th July.

Tickets for all shows are on sale here.

WHAT’S NEW IN OUR PROGRAMME?

We’ve kept a few class acts up our sleeve until the big programme reveal and here are a few of them …

Mica Paris was an absolute sensation when she last performed at Fringe by the Sea in 2018 and she will be back this August after releasing Gospel, her first album in over a decade.

Fourteen year-old singer/songwriter from Bellshill, Connor Fyfe, is one to watch. His tour has completely sold out so get in quick! Connor will be supported by local indie band Bluetile.

The latest track from Edinburgh’s swim school ‘Anyway’ was featured in Spotify’s June New Music playlist. We’re expecting great things from this four piece whose debut EP will be landing next month.

Neu! Reekie! has been performing multi-arts extravaganzas around the world for over a decade and FBTS21 will see them joined on stage by a host of special guests including ex-Makar Liz Lochhead.

Maggie O’Farrell is the author of The Sunday Times no. 1 bestselling memoir I AM, I AM, I AM and eight novels including The Sunday Times bestseller HAMNET, ‘Immersive, at times shockingly intimate… ought to win prizes’ – Guardian. Maggie talks to Jennifer Crichton, editor and founder of The Flock.

It wouldn’t be Fringe by the Sea without a good dose of Phil and Aly! Together, they have established themselves as the epitome of excellence in the world of traditional music.

With their musical magic and quick-witted humour they will pull your emotional strings one moment and have you falling off the seat with laughter the next.

To be able to put on performances this year, we need more space than we usually would and so FBTS this year is spread out over the town in various open-air venues. How beautiful is this venue map, designed by our artist in residence, Eilidh Muldoon!

The North Berwick Trust Harbour Home is where you will be able to pick up tasty food and drink at our Streetfood Market and handcrafted wares at the Mactaggart & Mickel Makers’ Market. It’s also the place where a lot of the music will happen with the Lighthouse Live Stage hosting open mic talent daily from 12pm till late.

Up at the Lodge Grounds will stand the Belhaven Big Top and SSE Renewables Envirozone tent, the Glenkinchie Lowland Stage located at the library. Further afield, the newly-reopened Marine North Berwick Hotel will be putting on masterclasses on an array of subjects from crime-writing and brewing to baking and whisky.

The show simply wouldn’t go on without all our amazing supporters, from our sponsors to our volunteers and to everyone who buys a ticket and shows up.

So thank you one and all and we look forward to seeing you seaside next month!

Edinburgh projects share over £145,000 for creative development

Nine Edinburgh-based projects are sharing over £145,000 Scottish Government and National Lottery funds through Creative Scotland in the latest round of Open Fund awards.  

A digital drag show from Edinburgh drag queen, Mystika Glamoor; an exciting wave of music making focused on the arrival of COP26 on our shores from Oi Musica; a new writer mentoring programme from Wildfire Theatre;and new music from traditional music ensemble, The Whistlebinkies are among 45 projects across the country to be awarded over £732,000 last month.  

These funds are supporting a diverse range creative people, projects and organisations across Scotland to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances brought about by Covid-19 and helping to sustain creative development at this challenging time. 

Featuring a variety of experimental local drag performers and LGBT+ performance art, GLAMOOR, THE KWEER KABARET which originated at Edinburgh’s The Street bar is moving online.  

Oskar Kirk Hansen, who will be hosting as his alter ego Mystika Glamoor, said: “This funding from Creative Scotland allows me to support myself as a full-time artist, and most importantly to give back to the wider community of LGBT artists in the line-ups of my shows throughout the rest of the year. 

“I truly hope this is part of a turning point in Scottish drag that will make our community stand up for what it’s worth, so we can truly start to see ourselves as professionals.” 

Building on work in 2020 with musicians including Karine Polwart and Heather Macleod, Let it Grow is a new musical response to COP26 from Edinburgh-based artist-led music organisation Oi Musica

Oli Furness, Co-Director of Oi Musica said: “We are particularly excited about supporting youth creativity, about building connections across communities and creating a focus for grassroots and lifelong learning projects as they emerge from lockdowns and COVID restrictions.” 

New Voices from Wildfire Theatre is a digital project that will see the professional performance of up to ten pieces of new writing from new writers who will receive professional mentoring.  

Director Pauline Lockhart says: “This project will encourage untapped creativity and provide an exciting outlet for that talent. 

“It’s imperative that we give opportunity to these new voices and I’m really excited about the talent this project might uncover!” 

Unlocking John Cage’s Scottish Circus will see the world-premiere release in audio and video of American composer John Cage’s 1990 work Scottish Circus featuring the musicians of The Whistlebinkies for whom it was written.  

Whistlebinkies’ fiddle and concertina player Stuart Eydmann says: “It was an honour for the Whistlebinkies, and for Scottish music, when the distinguished 20th-century American composer John Cage created the work featured in this world-premiere DVD recording.”  

Iain Munro, CEO, Creative Scotlandsaid: “We are committed to supporting a diverse mix of artists and creative groups through the Open Fund, in communities throughout Scotland.

“Many of the projects supported will spark a timely discussion over issues such as climate change, as well as a commitment to greater inclusion of underrepresented groups in the arts.

“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week, and funding from the Scottish Government, these awards play an important part in enriching the lives of people throughout Scotland.” 

A full list of recipients of Open Fund awards is available on the Creative Scotland website

Climate Challenge: 1.5 Degree films to launch Summer 2021

Youth groups, schools, community organisations, activist groups and individuals of all ages, abilities and filmmaking experience will soon be invited to take part in a major Challenge to create 90‑second short films in response to climate change, to be screened in and around this November’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

Led by Film Access Scotland with support from Screen Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful, the Climate Challenge: 1.5 Degree Films project will invite people to make films to share their thoughts and ideas about climate change and how it is affecting us as individuals, our surroundings, families and communities.

Local filmmaking training and support will be provided to groups in Scotland from film educators based in community hubs and within partner arts and cultural organisations. Regardless of background, age or filmmaking experience, anyone anywhere can submit a film to the Challenge, with resources available online to help people get started.

Films must be short, only 1.5 minutes long – like the hoped-for maximum limit on global warming of 1.5 degrees – and can be made using any technology, including smartphones and tablets.

Films will be available online, providing a platform for sharing views on climate change. Many will go on to be screened at fringe events in Glasgow during COP26 and there will be a special celebratory event in December where films will be awarded commendations and prizes.

Submissions from young people aged up to 25 years will automatically be entered into Film Access Scotland’s film festival in November.

Chief Executive of Film Access ScotlandNatalie Usher said “Global leaders will come together in Glasgow at COP26 to discuss urgent climate action to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

“This Challenge invites you to make 1.5 minute films to join the climate debate and help us create a collective snapshot of this response to climate change. Through the filmmaking support offered by the project, we want to connect people with arts and community organisations across Scotland in order to facilitate public engagement and awareness about climate change.”

Scott DonaldsonScreen Scotland’s Head of Film Education said: “We all have a huge stake in the outcome of COP26 and everyone has a story to tell about their relationship with the environment and climate crisis.

“Film Access Scotland’s open access Film Challenge will inspire people to learn more about the climate crisis, promote greater public engagement with environmental issues and support people across Scotland to make films and have their voices heard at the COP26 and beyond.”

Barry Fisher, CEO of Keep Scotland Beautiful said: “To become a Net Zero Nation, the people of Scotland need to be supported to understand the Climate Emergency and identify actions we can take as individuals and as a nation to tackle it.

“Our experience working with people across Scotland is that ordinary citizens are some of the best climate change communicators, sharing messages in culturally relevant ways that resonate with their own friends, families and communities.

“That’s why we are delighted to be a partner in this project, giving a voice to people across Scotland and encouraging action on climate change at every level.”

If you are a representative of a group based in Scotland that would like to submit your expression of interest in participating, email info@filmaccess.scot.  To keep up to date with latest developments, use #90SecondClimateFilms and visit Film Access Scotland.

Full details about the Climate Challenge: 1.5° Films project including eligibility criteria and submission deadlines will be announced in July 2021.

Hidden Door Festival heads to Granton Gasometer

MAIN PICTURE: Fabio Scalici Photography

Hidden Door Festival 2021 is heading to Granton Gasworks, with the festival taking place in the shadow of the historic gas holder. The site at West Shore Road will be transformed into an outdoor celebration of music, visual art, theatre, dance and spoken word from 15 – 19 September 2021.

Organisers plan on building two stages for music performances, lighting up the gas holder to create a dramatic backdrop, with sculptures displayed throughout the site.

The large, open space will allow Hidden Door 2021 to be flexible, adapting to comply with the  coronavirus restrictions in place at the time.

Over five days, the event will showcase the work of at least 30 graduates, four site artists, eight dance groups and two theatre companies, highlighting some of the best emerging talent in Scotland.

An old pencil drawing of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza sitting on their horses, by Wilhelm Marstrand.

David Martin, Creative Director of Hidden Door, said: “Taking on the site of the Granton Gasworks is an exciting opportunity for Hidden Door to adapt, as we need to, in order to start bringing live events back to the city. We are used to working in the nooks and crannies of disused buildings, so moving to a big open site like this is really liberating!

“We are designing the event so that there will be enough space for everyone to be safe and to be able to accommodate social distancing if we still need to work with those restrictions, but the epic nature of the site, with the incredible gas tower landmark looming over us, means we will be able to create a spectacle and an atmosphere, and bring about the wow-factor that our audience expects from a Hidden Door venue. 

“We can’t wait to get on site and start turning it into a creative and joyful showcase of Scotland’s emerging talent. Early career artists and performers have been so badly affected by the pandemic, so they are front and centre for this event, and we are looking forward to showing how much talent there is to celebrate.”

Edinburgh College, who occupy the area close to the Gasworks where the festival will be held, are enthusiastically welcoming the festival on to the site. As well as opening the gates to Hidden Door, they hope to use the festival as a training opportunity for students on a number of courses.

Jakki Jeffery, Head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said: “It’s fantastic that Hidden Door have chosen this site close to the iconic Granton Gasworks to host their 2021 festival.

“It will be wonderful to see the space transformed to showcase creative talent which we hope our students can play a part in, and take inspiration and experience from to boost their future careers.” 

Tickets

Tickets are available via www.hiddendoorblog.org/tickets or from Citizen Ticket. Once the full programme is announced, ticket holders will be able to select which days they would like to attend.

Open Fund awards support for creative Edinburgh-based projects

27 Edinburgh-based projects are sharing in over £607,000 of National Lottery and Scottish Government funding through Creative Scotland in the March and April rounds of Open Fund awards.

Designed to support creative people, projects and organisations across Scotland to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances brought about by Covid-19, awards made through the Open Fund are helping to sustain creative development at this challenging time.

Edinburgh-based artists and creative practitioners include:

The Cymera Festival – an annual celebration of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (SFFH) writing, bringing together writers and readers to share ideas, create stories and share insights.

Cymera is the first of its kind in the UK, and 2021 is its third instalment.  Due to the ongoing pandemic, the programme will once again be digital.

Festival organiser Ann Landmann said: “We are excited to return to the digital space from 3rd to 6th June 2021. Thanks to the funding from the Creative Scotland Open Fund, #Cymera21 is a jam-packed weekend and our most international programme yet, with speakers joining us from all around the world.

“From internationally bestselling authors to Scottish debuts, our programme is a smorgasbord of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror writers to suit all tastes.”

The Dance Audition! is a new interactive online performance piece. Inspired by A Chorus Line, the 1985 American musical drama film, The Dance Audition! will be choreographed by Dance Ihayami’s Artistic Director, Priya Shrikumar using popular Indian dance forms.

Audience members will be encouraged to follow the journey of performers, learn the choreography and participate as a judge to identify the dancers for the final 5-minute dance creation, choreographed by Priya.

ChoreographerPriya Shrikumar (top) said: “Now is the best and in a way a positive time for this form (Indian dance) to be viewed and enjoyed by a larger audience – something accessible and enjoyable.

“It will bring colour and wonder to a world which is a bit colourless at the moment, due to the pandemic.”

Re·creation: A Creative Opportunity for Queer Poets is a new work from Edinburgh-based writers Éadaoín Lynch and Alycia Pirmohamed, with independent publisher Stewed Rhubarb Press.

This project will identify and commission Covid-affected queer creatives to write poems, develop their craft, build a community of poets, and be published in a landmark poetry collection.

The project leads are also the co-editors of the anthology, planned for publication in summer 2022. Éadaoín Lynch is an early career researcher with a PhD in poetry from the University of St Andrews; Alycia Pirmohamed is co-founder of the Scottish BAME Writers Network, and winner of the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award 2020.

The collection is planned to include 30 poets: 10 commissions, and 20 selections from an open call for submissions. Workshops, 1-to-1 mentorship, and a round-table feedback session will be provided as part of the project. More information can be found on the website here: https://recreation-anthology.co.uk/ 

Project lead, Éadaoín Lynch says: “The project title has its roots in play, refreshment, recovery, restoration, invigoration, and creating, all of which are long overdue in a Covid-affected world, particularly for those in the LGBTQIA+ community.”

Funding has also been awarded to Edinburgh-based visual artist Alison Grant for a period of research to develop a new body of work looking at coastal communities across the 11,000 miles of Scotland’s shores.

From Viking graffiti artists who anchored in the best fishing areas to the contemporary work of today’s Blue Carbon visionaries, the project will look at best practice from the past to inform how we consider our coastlines in the future.

Visual artist Alison Grant says: “I am delighted to have received funding from Creative Scotland for 11000 Miles, a project conceived during lockdown this winter.

“It is important at this time of climate crisis to look locally to our own coastline for sustainable solutions to some of the problems we have created. I want to engage with these issues to use my creativity to communicate ideas, not just to as wide an audience as possible but also to our local communities, to look anew at our relationship with the sea.”

Strategy: Get Arts. 35 Artists Who Broke the Rules is a new work from Studies in Photography (part of the Scottish Society for the History of Photography).

Edited by Christian Weikop, Senior Lecturer, Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), this book will be the first print publication to consider the formation of the ground-breaking exhibition Strategy: Get Arts (SGA), staged at ECA in 1970, when thirty-five German post-war artists (including Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter, Blinky Palermo, Klaus Rinke, and Günther Uecker) staged a provocative takeover of ECA, transforming the college into a ‘total work of art’ through their ‘actions’ and installations.

Featuring essays by academics, senior National Galleries of Scotland staff, and those involved in curating the exhibition, the publication will include photographs by Monika Baumgartl, George Oliver, and Richard Demarco, many never seen before.

Alex Hamilton says: “As Chair and Co-Editor of Studies in Photography, I am delighted to be able to publish this book. The exhibition held for me, particular importance as one of the gallery assistants.

“It changed many people’s lives… After 50 years and during the anniversary of the birth of Joseph Beuys we are delighted that the amazing stories behind this ground-breaking event can finally be revealed.”

The work is due to be published later in 2021.

These examples are some of the 105 projects in total that have been awarded over £2.3million of National Lottery and Scottish Government funding through Creative Scotland in the latest rounds of Open Fund awards. 

A full list of recipients of Open Fund awards is available on the Creative Scotland website.

Iain Munro, CEOCreative Scotland said: “Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week, alongside equally welcome funding from the Scottish Government, these Open Fund awards are helping artists, creative organisations and communities to develop and share their work, and to keep culture and creativity at the heart of people’s lives as we look to recover from the challenges of the pandemic.”  

Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is back!

The Edinburgh International Children’s Festival is back, from 25 May – 6 June.

This year’s hybrid Festival consists of a digital programme (available to watch 25 May-6 June) and a mostly outdoor programme presented over the Festival’s two weekends (29-30 May and 5-6 June). 

The Digital Programme includes a mixture of streamed performances which you can watch at any time during the Festival and innovative digital interactions presented live over Zoom (book now).

Family Encounters programme presents FREE innovative performances and activities mostly outdoor. 

Events will take place in the stunning Royal Botanic Garden (book now), as well as in site-specific venues (book now).

You can find out what to expect at this year’s Festival here.

Collective re-opens

All of Collective’s indoor spaces have re-opened!

We’re excited to present new We’re excited to present new exhibition  Boredom>Mischief>Fantasy>Radicalism>Fantasy by Christian Newby in our City Dome (no booking required).

In the Hillside exhibition space, Satellites Programme participant Holly McLean’s film If you get the knees right the rest should follow re-opens (pre-book here).

All of our grounds, shop, takeaway coffee Kiosk, and restaurant The Lookout will also be open so make some plans and let us welcome you back to Calton Hill. Opening hours are 10am-4pm Thurs-Sun throughout May, and 10am-5pm Tues-Sun from 1 June.

Collective’s events programme also resumes this month.

Join us on Zoom, at 7pm on Thursday 20 May, for a screening and discussion with Holly McLean and Frances Stacey on Holly’s evolving series of filmed portraits of women.

On site we are hosting our next Collective PLAY event – Warp/Weft, 22-24 May. Tickets are free but limited and selling fast!

We’re really looking forward to fully opening our doors to visitors again.

Social distancing measures will be in place to keep you safe – if you have any concerns or questions about visiting Collective drop us a line at mail@collective-edinburgh.art

News from the Fringe

We are pleased to announce that show registration for Fringe 2021 will open on Wednesday 05 May

Artists and venues will be able to register Fringe shows right up until the end of the festival. The Fringe’s world-class programme will be available to browse and book at edfringe.com, with tickets going on sale for audiences in early summer.

As Scotland navigates its roadmap out of lockdown, much is still unknown about what the Fringe will look like this August. However, a range of scenarios are being prepared for, from socially distanced live events to digital offerings. 

The Fringe Society is supporting artists and audiences to find and book work online across a range of platforms, including the brand-new Fringe Player.

This online platform aims to bring some festival magic into homes across the world, while providing a secure platform for artists, companies and venues to host their shows. The platform is available to any registered 2021 Fringe show or venue to use if they wish.

Any live performance registered as part of the 2021 Fringe will be expected to adhere to public health guidance from the Scottish Government. 

Audiences can search, browse and buy tickets to both online and in-person work through edfringe.com. More details on individual shows and Fringe 2021 will be available in early summer.

Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Fringe Society, said: “We’re delighted to be able to open registration for 2021. Of course, we’re still very much in planning mode as we await further updates from the Scottish Government, but this feels like a hugely positive step in the right direction.

“Through the work being created across the various digital platforms, including the Fringe Player, artists have a brilliant opportunity to reach audiences and communities all over the world. I look forward to seeing how our Fringe creatives use these platforms in 2021 and beyond.”

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will take place from 06 – 30 August 2021.