New funds are available for Scottish based artists, companies, producers and venues for touring live theatre and dance work from Summer 2022.
With support from The National Lottery as well as enhanced funding of £375,000 from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland’s £2million Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance eligibility criteria is now live and will open for applications on Tuesday 17 August.
Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth said: “It is fantastic to see the Touring Fund for Theatre and Dance re-open for applications. Delivered by Creative Scotland with an additional £375,000 of Scottish Government funding, the fund will help support a range of touring theatre shows for more people across Scotland to experience and enjoy in places which normally have fewer opportunities.
“Fulfilling one of our 100 day commitments, this fund will not only generate increased opportunities for new audiences to experience the best of Scottish theatre, it will provide artists, producers and companies with an opportunity to showcase their creative works after such a difficult year for the sector. I look forward to hearing more about the productions which will benefit from this funding.”
Since the Fund’s inception in 2018, £4.2million has enabled a wide range of new and topical re-stagings of acclaimed theatre and dance shows including circus for babies, gritty drama, and musical comedy capers exploring themes from international friendship to mental health to criss-cross Scotland.
From small, medium and large-scale venues pre-covid, shows have been specially created and re-imagined during the pandemic, to suit outdoor spaces and unconventional places such as allotments, woodland trails, garden centres, loch-sides, and people’s gardens.
Laura Mackenzie Stuart, Head of Theatre at Creative Scotlandsaid: “It’s with 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, that artists and companies can continue to re-connect with audiences as we slowly begin to emerge from the pandemic, bringing live in person performance back to communities throughout Scotland.
“Partnerships with established venues will play a vital role – being at the heart of the communities they work in year-round, every year. Whilst we have endured an incredibly challenging and disrupted period, those links have been kept vibrant and strong. They will be key as audiences begin once again to enjoy the uplifting experience of theatre and dance in person, and a physical reconnection with performing arts.”
HIDDEN Door have revealed plans to transform a disused warehouse into a vast exhibition and performance space as part of their 2021 arts festival in Granton this September.
The festival group is launching a crowdfunder to pay for use of the warehouse space. They explain:
This year’s five day festival is taking place outdoors, on land next to the Granton Gasworks, from 15 – 19 September. However, the open air venue isn’t suitable for visual art exhibitions, so we have now got the chance to make use of a nearby warehouse as well, if we can raise the necessary funds to make it happen.
The additional venue will double the footprint of the festival, allowing us to exhibit the work of recent art graduates whose degree shows were cancelled due to COVID-19. The graduates, proud parents and audience members alike will be able to immerse themselves in the exhibition experience whilst staying safe and covid-compliant.
To support the plans, we are set to launch a crowdfunder to raise £10,000, with supporters able to pick from a wide range of rewards including an immersive treasure hunt experience through the festival grounds, exclusive hand-printed T-shirts from Acorn Print Studio, VIP passes for the festival and limited edition prints by Hidden Door artists.
The visual artists will be chosen from Hidden Door’s Graduate Support Network, launched earlier this year to support recent graduates. These artists will be paid for their work through the proceeds raised from this year’s Crowdfunder. For many of them, it will be their first paid creative opportunity.
Hannah Stewart,Project Manager,said: “Graduates across Scotland have missed out on the opportunity to exhibit their work because of the onset of a global pandemic. This has greatly impacted their introduction to the industry and their subsequent livelihood.
“It goes without saying that the last 16 months have been challenging for everyone, especially the Arts and Culture sector. These artists are not only trying to establish themselves and their career, but to reinforce the importance and value of art and culture during these unprecedented times.
“As a festival that celebrates the artistic integrity of Scotland and the wider UK, it is Hidden Door’s duty to help alleviate these artists’ feelings of being devalued, discouraged and despairing.
“We at Hidden Door want to help give these emerging artists the exhibition they deserve. We also want to make sure Scotland doesn’t miss out on the fresh creativity and drive that enriches the country.
“We have the venue and we’ve found the talent; we just need the community’s support to make it happen!”
The crowdfunding campaign will be launched on Kickstarter soon.
The award-winning Grid Iron Theatre Company is pleased to announce further details for its hugely anticipated outdoor, site-specific staging of Doppler, an adaptation of the best-selling novel by Norwegian author Erlend Loe.
The world premiere will take place in the woods of Newhailes House on the outskirts of Musselburgh between 8th and 23rd of August (no shows on 10th, 17th and 19th) with previews on 6th and 7th.
Tickets go on sale today at 12 noon on edfringe.com.
The show will be staged in front of a small number of people to allow for social distancing and therefore audiences are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment. Tickets for Doppler will be released in batches to coincide with the changes in Covid-19-related restrictions with further ticket release announcements taking place on Grid Iron’s social media.
I am a man of my time. A failed man of my time. Or just a man of a failed time. Depending on how you look at it.
Doppler had everything. He thought. Wife, two kids, 23 hour working week, time to ride his bicycle. Until the accident. Now he lives in the forest with an elk… Doppler is a funny and subversive fable about existence, consumerism and trying to live life in isolation when nobody will leave you alone.
Adapted and directed by Ben Harrison from the translation by Don Bartlett and Don Shaw,with dramaturgy by Eszter Marsalko, Doppler is produced by Judith Doherty with a cast that includes Keith Fleming, known for his role of Lesley in Outlander, in the eponymous role with Grid Iron-regular Sean Hay and Chloe-Ann Tylor known to wider audiences from Citizen Theatre’s Trainspotting portraying all the remaining characters.
The Company is also working with several talented freelancers, including Fergus Dunnetwho is producing the puppets for the show, Nik Paget-Tomlinson on music and foley, David Pollock on music and Becky Minto who is responsible for design.
Judith Doherty, Grid Iron’s Chief Executive and Co-Artistic Director said: “Doppler is back and this time he is LIVE! We are beyond excited to finally be able to confirm the details for the world premiere of Doppler. It has truly been a roller-coaster of a ride and we are so delighted to now be on terra firma and able to welcome our audience in person.
“We also want to say a massive thank you National Trust for Scotland for hosting Doppler and to all the wonderful staff and volunteers at Newhailes House and Gardens. We look forward to welcoming our audiences to the beautiful, shady woodland of Newhailes on the 6th August!”
Doppler was originally planned to be performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2020 but had to pivot to a digital sharing in light of the Covid-19 related restrictions.
With only a few days of outdoor filming achieved due to Storm Francis, the Company decided to instead produce a documentary film charting the story of the show and its production, Doppler – The Story so Far, which was released for free in March 2020 and watched by almost 10,000 people worldwide. You can watch the documentary on the Company’s website.
Grid Iron, one of Creative Scotland’s Regularly Funded Organisations, is grateful to be one of a group of 15 shows and five venues awarded first ever Fringe Artist and Venue Recovery Fund.
This generous support goes toward presenting a BSL-interpreted sharing of Doppler which will take place on Saturday, 14th August at 2pm and on Saturday, 21st August at 6pm.
Tickets starting from £8 are on sale at 12pm on Thursday, 22 July via edfringe.com.
Dates, times, prices:
• Aug 6-7 14:00 – £8.00
• Aug 8-9,11-16,18,20-23 14:00 – £15.00 (£8.00 concession)
• Aug 14-15,18,20-22 18:00 – £15.00 (£8.00 concession)
Running time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Age recommendation: 14+
#DopplerShow
Facebook and Twitter: @GridIronTheatre
Grid Iron Theatre Company
Grid Iron are an Edinburgh-based theatre company who, following their incorporation in 1995 and their first show Clearance at the Traverse, Edinburgh, swiftly gained a reputation for creating high-quality, high profile shows.
The Company went on to specialise in presenting shows in unusual locations. They are a new writing company who work in challenging sites that lend themselves especially well to Grid Iron’s taut production style. Occasionally they create work for the stage or use theatre buildings in a site-specific, promenade manner.
In 1997 Grid Iron produced their first full-scale site-specific production, The Bloody Chamber, their adaptation of Angela Carter’s Bluebeard fairytale, which they presented in famously haunted underground vaults beneath Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile.
It was the company’s first appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and, by the opening night, the show had sold out for its entire three-week run. Awards: Herald Angel for Outstanding Contribution and Achievement in Theatre and Total Theatre Nominations for Best Newcomers and Best Design.
Two east of Scotland treasures will host a series of outdoor theatre performances, allowing visitors to enjoy both Shakespeare beneath the stars and the classic Treasure Island.
This summer, the National Trust for Scotland is hosting outdoor theatre and music shows at a number of their properties across the country, including Falkland Palace in Fife and Newhailes near Edinburgh.
Families and theatre lovers are invited to bring their blankets and chairs and enjoy the open air shows, set within the gardens and grounds of two of Scotland’s iconic properties.
Fans of Shakespeare can see Henry V at Falkland Palace on Sunday 15 August. Against the dramatic backdrop of one of the former homes of Mary Queen of Scots, the stirring tale of the charismatic king will be brought to life over a summer’s evening.
The Palladian country house of Newhailes will host The Tempest on Saturday 17 July and a production of Treasure Island on 21 July, will see pirates descend on the Musselburgh estate.
Open-air theatre goers are encouraged to bring blankets, rugs and picnics along to enjoy the alfresco entertainment.
All events can be booked through each of the individual properties on the National Trust for Scotland website at www.nts.org.uk
All events have been prepared to be as safe as possible and will follow COVID-19 guidelines and safety measures. The National Trust for Scotland is urging anyone planning to visit the events to check the latest government guidance around COVID-19 restrictions.
LISTINGS
Falkland Palace
Shakespeare’s Henry V at Falkland Palace & Garden Date: Sunday 15 August
Time: 7pm
Festival Players International bring you Shakespeare’s most popular history play: Henry V.
After a rebellious and spirited youth, carousing in the taverns of London, Prince Hal takes on the responsibility of kingship and leads his troops across the Channel to do battle with the French at Agincourt. Follow the charismatic King Henry V in this stirring tale of leadership, bravery, humour and love; two hours of exhilarating entertainment for a summer’s evening!
120 young people from Edinburgh create multi-artform production
Strange Town, one of Scotland’s leading theatre companies for young people, is delighted to announce that their large scale multi-artform project – theatre, movement, spoken word, film, sound – ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’, will culminate in a live promenade performance and video installation event at Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June.
Despite the challenges of Covid-19 restrictions throughout the five-month project, Strange Town’s most ambitious production to date has involved more than 120 of Edinburgh’s young people (aged 8 -18), with support from the company’s emerging playwrights (aged 18-25) and directors; and guided and mentored by industry professionals.
Using the stimulus, ‘Can Young People Change the World?’, ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’ has been created by, and will be performed by, members of the eight Strange Town Youth Theatre Groups from across the city.
The members of Strange Town Youth Theatre responded to the stimulus with work addressing a range of topics including isolation, technology, identity, generational division, Black Lives Matter, climate change, ideal society/world, protest, kindness, having your voice heard and Covid-19.
In order to maximise the opportunities audiences will have to experience the live performance and video installation, the 60-minute promenade event will be presented to 20 socially distanced audience members three times a night in three separate spaces.
The whole audience will come together to experience a live performance from just six actors before being split into two separate groups to watch film and listen to audio material.
Additionally, a site specific eight-minute video will be projected on a wall next to the St. Andrew, Ukrainian Catholic Church of Our Lady of Pochaev, on Dalmeny Street, which will include a specially choreographed movement piece. This will also be be a ticketed event for socially distanced audiences.
On 26 and 27 June there will be an opportunity to pay to view a film of the live event together with a variety of additional video, audio and written material developed by the groups.
The eight groups have met for weekly online digital drama workshops and face-to-face creative sessions, where possible, to explore the question and to create, write, film and record material. The groups have also worked together with members of the new Strange Town Young Writers Group who have both developed the work the groups have devised and written their own additional scenes.
As well as theatre, choreography and movement has played a big part in the project. 70 young people from the company got involved in a professionally choreographed movement piece, reflecting on the stimulus. This involved Zoom rehearsals and everybody recording their final performance on their mobile phones.
Rehearsals for the live performance are now underway with a drastically reduced number of actors working to strict guidelines, while video and sound design and editing is nearing completion
The Creative Scotland funding has also enabled Strange Town to employ a full technical team and additional production staff that include film editors, projection mappers, sound designers, a choreographer and production designer.
Steve Small, co-creative director of Strange Town and producer of ‘Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’, said: “The Gen Z project is a testament to the hard work put in by everybody involved in the company.
“Despite the challenges and difficulties of the pandemic, watching the enthusiasm, skill and pride with which the production team has undertaken this task and having seen how the young people have adapted and risen to the challenge, as well as the range and quality of the work they’ve produced, it’s impossible not to feel massively encouraged. Despite the dark days of the lockdown restrictions, we hope better days are coming. People will always find a way to be creative.
“Thanks to the funding from Creative Scotland, Generation Z: The Future is Unwritten’s mix of indoor and outdoor and digital work means that everyone will be able to enjoy it wherever they are. We hope it will create some much-needed hope and enjoyment for 2021.”
Live Music Now Scotland (LMNS) puts musicians centre stage with launch of new website
Heralding a return to live music and in person performance post pandemic the website features a roster of musicians available to book, alongside public performance listings
Live Music Now Scotland (LMNS) is putting musicians centre stage with a brand new website aimed at bringing live music back to venues across Scotland as we come out of lockdown.
Key to the redesign is a new and improved roster of the many and varied musicians that LMNS represents. Whether you’re looking for a jubilant jazz quintet, or a scintillating string ensemble, this comprehensive catalogue of artists includes the very best musical talent the country has to offer, and it is the only place to start your search.
Live Music Now Scotland is committed to giving access to music for all, including older people and vulnerable audiences, as well as children with additional support needs.
The musicians now listed on the LMNS website are specially trained and experienced in playing for these audiences and the LMNS team can support in planning such events, including in settings such as care homes and special schools.
The new website will also feature a performance page listing live and online events, including live public performances, that are beginning to take place across the country as things start to open up. Updated as and when new events are booked you can check upcoming performances and events here.
Instrumental in turning the ambition for the new LMNS website into a digital reality were the Scottish Tech Army and Mull based creative studio think.in.form. Set up in early 2020 to help bring creative, digital solutions to businesses and individuals across Scotland in the wake of the pandemic, the Scottish Tech Army supported LMNS in putting a website brief and tender together, which is when creative studio and consultancy think.in.form came on board.
Carol Main MBE, Director at Live Music Now Scotland, said:“We are delighted to be in a position to share our new website with everyone from audiences through to musicians, and we hope it enables everyone to get back to enjoying live music again, as soon as possible.
“We wanted our website to facilitate this return to live performance and music, which is why we have included have both an updated roster of the musicians we work with and a programme of upcoming performances.
“Whether you are looking to host a summer garden party for friends and family, or an event for care home residents in their own home, we encourage you to check it out and get in touch.”
A brand new production of The Cher Show will open next year, with book by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Peter andthe Starcatcher), direction by Arlene Phillips (Saturday Night Fever, Starlight Express, Grease), choreography by Oti Mabuse (two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion) and costume design by Gabriella Slade (Six, In The Heights, Spice World 2019 Tour).
The tour will open at Leicester’s Curve on 15 April 2022 and will continue through to 1 April 2023.
Arlene Phillips said of directing The Cher Show, “I have been a fan of Cher since I first heard I Got You Babe in the mid-sixties and cannot wait to direct her musical. I love stories about strong inspirational legends like Cher and I am proud to be joined in the creative team by two women who have already made a huge impact in their careers: Oti Mabuse as choreographer of the many different genres in the show and Gabriella Slade for the iconic costume designs.
“This exciting show will be a non-stop journey of Cher’s rollercoaster life, bringing to the audience Cher’s iconic songs, glorious dance numbers, unique costumes and her epic drama. All they need to do is come along and Believe!”
Oti Mabuse said, “I cannot WAIT for audiences to see what we’re doing with The Cher Show. Cher’s music covers so many styles, genres and rhythms, which makes it so exciting to choreograph.
“Every song in the show is a hit and we are going full out with exciting routines and movement. It’s going to be a party! Cher has been such an inspiration to so many people and this musical is going to be a celebration of everything people love about her.”
Gabriella Slade added, “Cher is quite literally a style icon. Her fashion moments pushed the boundaries of the time and continue to do so. I’m so excited to be taking huge influence and inspiration from these looks as I embark on creating the costume design for this new production of The Cher Show.”
From a young child with big dreams, the shy daughter of an Armenian American truck driver, to the dizzying heights of global stardom, The Cher Show tells the incredible story of Cher’s meteoric rise to fame.
Cher takes the audience by the hand and introduces them to the influential people in her life, from her mother and Sonny Bono, to fashion designer and costumier Bob Mackie. It shows how she battled the men who underestimated her, fought the conventions and, above all, was a trailblazer for independence.
The musical is packed with 35 of her biggest hits, including ‘Turn Back Time’, ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘Strong Enough’, ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’ and ‘Believe’.
With over 100 million record sales, an Academy Award®, an Emmy®, a Grammy®, three Golden Globes® and an award from The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Cher has influenced popular culture more than most.
Her on-screen career started in 1971 with her weekly television show that attracted 30 million viewers a week, and went on to include starring roles in iconic films from Moonstruck, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress, to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, which prompted the New York Magazine to realise “every single movie—no matter how flawless—would be infinitely better if it included Cher.”
Her ‘Farewell Tour’ became the highest grossing music tour in history – in true Cher fashion, she followed up her ‘Farewell Tour’ with two further sell-out, worldwide arena tours. She is the only artist in history to have a number one hit in the Billboard chart for six consecutive decades; an achievement that caused Vogue to deem her “eternally relevant and the ruler of outré reinvention”. She became known as the Queen of Reinvention.
In the 1990s, she established The Cher Charitable Foundation to support causes around the world. She has been a long-time donor and supporter of Habitat for Humanity, The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Keep A Child Alive, an organisation that helps to combat the AIDs epidemic. Most recently, she co-founded Free the Wild to help rescue Kaavan the Asian elephant from Islamabad zoo.
Written by Tony Award-winning Rick Elice, The Cher Show made its debut on Broadway in 2018 in a production that earned two Tony Awards and delighted fans from around the world. This new production will be the European premiere.
The Cher Show UK & Ireland Tour will have lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Dan Samson.
Smith and Brant Theatricals and Ambassador Theatre Group Productionsare today delighted to announce a new production of Fatal Attraction, based on the classic Paramount Pictures Corporation film.
The thrilling new play will embark on a major UK Tour in 2022, opening at the Brighton Theatre Royal on Tuesday 14th January 2022, before touring to Theatre Royal, Newcastle; King’s Theatre, Edinburgh; Theatre Royal, Bath; Theatre Royal, Nottingham; Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham; New Theatre, Cardiff; Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham; Richmond Theatre, Richmond; Royal and Derngate, Northampton; Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury; Theatre Royal, Glasgow and York, Grand Opera House.
Fatal Attraction is the latest grip-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller from the producers of the acclaimed tours of Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight and Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train.
Fatal Attraction is written by James Dearden, who based the stage play on his Oscar-nominated screenplay, which in turn was adapted from his 1980 short film, Diversion.Loveday Ingram will direct the production with a full casting announcement to follow.
One of the most iconic films of the era, Fatal Attraction was one of 1987’s highest grossing US Box Office release, securing six major Oscar nominations at the following year’s Academy Awards, including: Best Actress for Glenn Close’s mesmerising depiction of urbane sophisticate Alex Forrest, Best Supporting Actress (Anne Archer), Best Writing Adapted Screenplay (James Dearden), Best Director (Adrian Lyne), Best Editing, and Best Picture.
Michael Douglas – at the peak of his Hollywood powers – was omitted from the list only as he was nominated elsewhere in the Best Actor category for his role as Gordon ‘greed is good’ Gecko in Wall Street, which he went on to win.
Fatal Attraction’s success was such that the film inspired a generation of psychosexual thrillers in the years that followed.
When happily married New York attorney Dan Gallagher, meets charming editor Alex Forrest on a night out in the city, they both commit to a night of passion they can’t take back. Dan returns home to his family and tries to forget the mistake he has made, but Alex has different ideas. Dan’s about to discover that love is a dangerous game, and Alex has only one rule; you play fair with her, and she’ll play fair with you.
Loveday Ingram trained with John Barton at the RSC and was previously Associate Director at Chichester Festival Theatre. Loveday’s credits include: The Rover, The Merchant of Venice (Royal Shakespeare Company); Henry V, Julius Caesar (Storyhouse); Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery (Liverpool Playhouse/National Centre for the Performing Arts, China); My One and Only (Piccadilly Theatre/Chichester). Nominated for 4 Olivier Awards and Evening Standard Award); The Blue Room (also Chichester), When Harry Met Sally (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Bedroom Farce (Aldwych Theatre); Three Sisters, Pal Joey (nominated for TMA and Barclay Best Musical Awards), Dead Funny, Insignificance (Chichester Festival Theatre); Macbeth (Theatre Severn); Richard III (Nottingham Playhouse/York Theatre Royal); These Shining Lives (Park Theatre); Rockabye (Beckett Centenary Festival/Gate Theatre Dublin/Barbican); Boston Marriage, Hysteria (Irish Times Award) (Project Theatre Dublin); Outlying Islands, Lettice and Lovage (Bath Theatre Royal); The Messiah (National Theatre of Brent/Bush Theatre). Opera credits include All About Love (Linbury Studio); Brittain’s Rape of Lucrece (BAC) and Barber’s Vanessa (Lyric Hammersmith). Music Video includes This Time It’s Forever (Women’s Aid).
Tipped to be provocative and gripping in equal measures, Fatal Attraction is a tale of seduction and suspense that asks the question; what happens when desire becomes deadly?
Renowned talent management and theatre training programme, Stagebox, will be hosting its Edinburgh auditions at Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, on Sunday (16th May 2021).
If you know a young performer aged 8-18 years old who is looking to take their talent to the next level, Stagebox is inviting auditionees to take to the stage at this weekend’s in-person audition workshops.
Successful talent will enjoy the exclusive award-winning performance training programme during the school holidays, as well as benefitting from the talent management at Stagebox.
For the first time, auditions are free of charge, with Stagebox founders keen to encourage everyone with a love of theatre to come along and audition.
Stagebox recently released a video featuring its Edinburgh cast performing an original medley from Disney’s The Little Mermaid on YouTube, so hopeful auditionees can envision just what it’s like to be part of the Stagebox world. The video has already amassed an impressive 5,000 views in less than a week.
With Stagebox alumni starring on stage and screen, many securing lead roles for Disney, Netflix, in the West End and beyond, Stagebox offers rising stars the chance to train smart, build industry connections and gain unrivalled opportunities in theatre, television and film.
Stagebox’s General Manager, Jasmine Quinlan Gardner, said: “It’s been a turbulent period for the performing arts industry to say the least, and we’re so delighted to be holding the free auditions in Edinburgh.
“Stagebox is about opportunity, and we’re thrilled to be celebrating the country’s budding talent.”
Kirsti Bagger, Head Agent at Stagebox said: “We’re looking to meet new performers with passion, ambition and star quality.
“We’re very passionate about accessibility and inclusivity which is why we’re removing audition fees this May – we welcome children from all backgrounds, from newcomers all the way up to advanced level and we can’t wait to see what the young people of Edinburgh have to offer!”
These auditions are guaranteed to fill up fast and limited spaces apply. To register your spot for the Edinburgh audition date, please visit Eventbrite.
Last week, we announced to Fringe participants that we’ll be opening show registration – for both online and in-person performances – on Wednesday 05 May, in advance of the Fringe taking place from 06 – 30 August.
This is an exciting moment for the Fringe Society; it means all the preparatory discussions we’ve been having – with artists, venues, government and all members of the Fringe community – can finally be translated into action, with visible results.
The positive response we had to last week’s announcement only confirms what I knew in my heart – that there are many people out there who are just as excited and eager as we are to see the Fringe return!
Of course, opening registration is only the start of this process – we are acutely aware of how difficult the last year has been for artists, and we’re doing everything we can to support them in making work this year and beyond.
We’ve reduced registration fees across all tiers by 25%, and removed the top tier entirely.
We’ve also announced the opening a Fringe Artist and Venue Recovery Fund: a £75,000 funding pot which is available to Fringe companies, creatives and venues to support projects that will enable a return to the Fringe in 2021 or 2022.
The fund will prioritise projects that seek to improve opportunities for access on the Fringe by underrepresented groups – you can find out more at edfringe.smartygrants.com.au/recoveryfund.
There’s certainly a lot more still to be done, but we feel this is the first of many steps we can take to support artists returning to the Fringe.
I recognise that any eagerness to restart the Fringe must be tempered by a sense of caution and responsibility.
We continue to work closely with Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council, and keep a close eye on official guidance as it emerges and develops, using it to inform every decision we make.
The most recent news indicates some easing of restrictions by the end of June, which is definitely encouraging, but if the last year has taught us anything it’s that things can change at very short notice, so for those dreaming fervently of a fun-packed summer in Edinburgh, we strongly recommend an attitude of cautious optimism at this stage.
It’s also important to remember that this year’s Fringe won’t be the same as it was. Even as restrictions relax, we still expect to see some form of social distancing and other safety measures in Edinburgh this August.
Again, we’ll work with venues and other partners to figure out how best to use this information as it develops, creating clear guidance for audiences and participants. We also know that it will not be possible to produce our usual printed programme this year, though we are exploring alternatives.
While it is right and appropriate that we manage our expectations about a return to live performance, I am full of positive anticipation to see how Fringe artists channel their extraordinary creative energy into digital work at this year’s festival.
As happens with any seismic change in society, artists have responded to online life in brilliant and inventive ways, and I think it entirely correct that the Fringe – with its longstanding reputation for unleashing the creative spirit – showcases the best in digital inspiration as well.
Silver linings to the past year’s events are few and far between, but the increased availability of innovative, imaginative work – work that can be accessed virtually anywhere – is surely among them.
With this in mind, we’ve put a lot of time and energy into developing our digital infrastructure for this year’s Fringe. We’ve ensured that, whichever online platforms artists and venues want to use, we can support them to do it; they’ll also have access to our own innovative Fringe Player.
In addition, we’re creating an exciting new online events programme and meeting space to help artists and industry connect and collaborate, which we’re hoping to launch in summer.
With the seeds of carefully laid plans now blooming into life, our goal – as ever – is to support Fringe participants.
As mentioned above, registration (and the wide range of benefits and services that come with it) will open in May, and will remain open right through to the end of the Fringe with no deadlines attached.
We’re also continuing to invest in our website so that audiences can search, browse and book shows as easily as ever, helping them find the artists whose work will resonate with them for years to come.
All of our plans are being made cautiously but optimistically, and as ever, public health will be our priority. But we can take heart in the fact that the Fringe is happening. And, whether online or in a venue, I can’t wait to see you there.
