Summerhall to have new schemes supporting Fringe performers

In a new initiative announced ahead of this year’s Festival, Summerhall will try to help participants with the increasing costs of presenting work in Edinburgh. Separately, the venue will also introduce a new event called Surgery Series to allow peer reviews of unfinished work.

The Support the Artist Ticket is a third price option which is £2 more than a standard ticket price. All of the additional voluntary charge will go to the artist. Summerhall is hoping that this will help companies who take a major financial risk when bringing shows to Edinburgh and bring back some of the founding spirit of the festival.

Summerhall is also introducing a new ‘Surgery Series’ – events which will take place during the Fringe. It will be an opportunity for creative practitioners to have an outlet for showing unfinished work to an audience of like minded peers and artists.

The concept of scratch performances or outside eyes is a major part of developing work and connections outside the festival but Summerhall want to bring that into the Fringe in August to widen the possibility of peer to peer collaboration and feedback and to globalise it.

Meetings happen in the Summerhall courtyard and in venues all day every day of the festival through happenstance, but this initiative will help build on those organic connections, and give more room for ideas to breathe.

Sam Gough, Chief Executive of Summerhall commented: “I am delighted to be back at Summerhall in this new role as Chief Executive – I am very much looking forward to the challenges AND to announce these exciting new projects. 

“Since returning I have been looking closely at the mix of everything we do at Summerhall.  In this impossibly difficult time for the creative sector, I want to be doing more to support the individual artists. These two new initiatives are the beginning of that work. I am looking at how we can support the creative community and make multiple clear pathways that concentrate on developing the early career and emerging artists with real and meaningful support.

“We already have so much to offer, but I want to be able to do more for our creative communities.”

Gilded Balloon may also introduce a Support the Artist Scheme similar to that being pioneered by Summerhall.