Today, 05 February, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society receives the keys to the new home for the Fringe.
The former Southbridge Community Resource Centre on Infirmary Street will be a permanent home for the Fringe and Fringe Society, enhancing year-round artist services delivery, maximising accessibility for all, and reducing the Fringe Society’s carbon footprint.
The new home will secure the long-term sustainability of the Fringe Society and their services and operations, as well as provide the opportunity for a publicly accessible space for artists and the Fringe community (including long-term Infirmary Street resident youth group Canongate Youth), and much needed space in the city dedicated to supporting the performing arts.
This new home has been made possible through generous capital funding from the UK Government and additional funds through grants from the Foyle Foundation and SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund.
In the 2023 UK Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced £7 million of capital funding for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to develop its new home. The Fringe Society are incredibly grateful to them for recognising the opportunity that this exciting project offers and that it will be transformational for the year-round support services for artists from across the UK and overseas.
In addition to developing the new home, this funding will aid the Fringe Society in delivering the Keep it Fringe fund and investment in digital architecture which is essential to its services to artists, media, arts industry and audiences.
The Fringe Society are also delighted to today announce a major legacy gift of £1 million from the Foyle Foundation to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, and £250,000 from SP Energy Networks’ Transmission Net Zero Fund – a £5m pot set up to support community groups and organisations with their low carbon ambitions.
The project will focus on the renovation and restoration of a Grade B listed former schoolhouse (1885) in Edinburgh’s Old Town. Plans include preserving the building’s rich history while modernising it to maximise accessibility and sustainability.
This includes the installation of a lift and a Changing Places toilet; energy efficiency upgrades such as heritage-appropriate windows, improved insulation, and the replacement of gas heating with air source heating pumps which will significantly improve the building’s environmental sustainability.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “This is an exciting moment which has taken nearly two years of planning and discussion to get to this point.
“The conversion of South Bridge Resource Centre into a year-round Fringe home will allow local cultural and community organisations and Fringe artists the opportunity to utilise this space as well as being a new space for the Fringe Society team.
“It will allow a permanent home for our August community hub, known as Fringe Central, which artists, arts industry, media and international delegates access each summer for events, networking and industry gatherings.
“This is a significant moment for the Fringe in ensuring a permanent home for the festival. Our grateful thanks the UK Government, the Foyle Foundation and SP Energy Networks for recognising our vision and supporting us in bringing it to life.’
Arts Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “The Edinburgh Fringe is one of the UK’s finest cultural festivals, attracting audiences and performers from all over the world every August.
“But the Fringe is not just for August. This new permanent home means that the Fringe Society can have a secure and meaningful presence in the city all year round, to support artists and provide the local community with access to arts spaces.”
David Hall, CEO of The Foyle Foundation, said: “The Foyle Foundation was seeking a Scottish project of strategic importance and long-term transformational benefit to support.
“The new Fringe home answers perfectly and is our legacy project for Scotland. It provides a permanent base, stability and excellent new facilities for the Fringe Society, as well as a year-round additional resource for Scottish performers and artists. The Foundation is delighted to partner with the Fringe to enable this project to happen.”
Guy Jefferson, Transmission Managing Director at SP Energy Networks, said: “We’re proud to support the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society as they take their first steps in this exciting new venture.
“With our help, the team are creating a space where the local community can experience all of the cultural benefits of the city’s arts festival, year-round – using low carbon technology to reduce the site’s emissions by as much as 80%.
“Our Transmission Net Zero Fund was launched to support community groups and organisations across central and southern Scotland who are making bold strides towards their own net zero ambitions.
“It’s brilliant to see Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society reach this milestone and we’re excited to watch the project come to life.”
The fundraising for this project is a continuous effort and updates will be provided as the project progresses.