The world class shows will take place across nine venues, with funding from the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund
The ‘Made in Scotland’ programme was launched today, with 18 shows chosen from a range of companies and performance styles, including dance, music and theatre. The programme sees new Scottish work being given a springboard at the Fringe and helps the vibrant home-spun scene to reach international audiences.
Themes of the shows in this year’s programme include serious topics such as life and death, loss, violence and drug addiction; as well as everyday life through emerging parenthood and family. Other performances will explore how Scottish traditions embody our culture, whilst also questioning, what makes a country?
Some of the shows will be in year-round venues including the Traverse, Summerhall, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre, while in true Fringe style there will also be shows in Edinburgh’s Central Library, the National Museum of Scotland, St Vincent’s and the Gillie Dhu bar. There’s also Fringe-specific venues Greenside, ZOO and theSpace.
The Made in Scotland showcase begain in 2009 and has supported 259 shows, including an onward touring fund which has supported over 100 productions visiting over 40 countries.
It’s made possible through funding from the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund and is a partnership between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Creative Scotland, the Federation of Scottish Theatre and the Scottish Music Centre.
Christina McKelvie, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development said:
“This incredible programme – supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund –
celebrates the excellence of homegrown theatre, dance and music, giving Scottish talent a well-
earned opportunity to perform on the international stage. On top of being a world-class celebration
of arts and culture, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the most important arts marketplaces on
the planet, with industry members attending from around the globe; as such, performing at the
Edinburgh Fringe can result in further opportunities for our artists and their work, including onward touring overseas. And of course, that spreads awareness of Scotland’s vibrant cultural heritage even
wider. Together, the Fringe and Made in Scotland help nurture and encourage the exceptional
creative talent that flourishes in Scotland, showcasing the creativity and innovation that’s right on
our doorstep.”
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: ‘The Expo-funded, Made in
Scotland showcase, is the main mechanism through which Scottish government supports local artists
at the Edinburgh Fringe. It has been a vital platform for artists from Scotland to have their work seen,
promoted, and presented alongside their international peers. The works are chosen for the showcase
by an international panel of experts, and then presented at the Fringe to international arts industry
with a view to onward touring and a lifespan way beyond the Fringe. Every year I’m blown away by
the passion, ingenuity and creativity that make up the Made in Scotland showcase, it has become a
model of national showcasing that other countries have replicated. Above all it is a chance for the
rest of the world to see our finest performing talent, and Scotland continually punches well above its
weight artistically.’
For details of the full 2023 Made in Scotland programme visit: www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com
