At a reception on Thursday morning, Tony Lankester, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society (EFFS) said he would argue that “creativity is Scotland’s finest export”.
Mr Lankester said that for the shows taking part in the Made in Scotland Showcase it is a moment in their careers when they “get to be visible, not just on stage”. He explained that the visibility which is achieved through Made in Scotland runs deep: “It’s a moment where they get acknowledgement that they’re part of something bigger, something more impactful, part of a platform that resonates and echoes across the globe because of a partnership designed specifically to support them and to make them visible.
“That partnership between The Scottish Government through the Creative Scotland Expo Fund and the Edinburgh Fringe Society cuts to the heart of why we all do what we do.”
There are 71 countries represented on the Fringe programme all corralled into around 20 different international showcase events.
The Fringe CEO outlined the new partnerships which have been made with a range of organisations in Scotland to underpin the work of the Made in Scotland showcase. These include Eden Court in Inverness and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, as well as Dance Base in Edinburgh.
Made in Scotland has been running for 17 years offering support to Scottish artists and facilitating networking with other performers and with audiences, and after the formalities, there was music from the Tom Campbell Trio and a chance to network with other artists.
The Scottish Government supports the programme through Creative Scotland and it includes dance, theatre and music.
The Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Education and Gaelic, Màiri McAllan said it was a privilege to be in the midst of Scotland’s largest cultural event, and the world’s biggest performing arts festival.
She said: “It is the global aspect of your work that we’re here to celebrate today with Made in Scotland. For 17 years Made in Scotland has showcased the very best of Scottish theatre, dance and music to audiences and programmers and industry professionals from around the world. I think it’s one of the most successful examples of when artists and international partnerships with the right public funding and support can really craft something extraordinary and important. And the Scottish Government is really proud to support it.”
She continued: “The success of Made in Scotland is not just measured by what happens in this room across the city in the month of August, it is measured by the tours that follow, the international partnerships that are forged.”
One of the members of the panel which chose the showcase, Cat Sheridan, Senior Producer at Unlimited, spoke about the work to choose the shows for the showcase.
She said: “A massive thank you to The Scottish Government because this money makes a real difference. The Fringe will, to my mind, always exist, but the conditions and the care and the resource that Made in Scotland as a showcase, is able to give – not just to disabled artists, but to all the artists it presents, it’s invaluable, it’s incredible, and it’s not the destination – the Fringe is the launchpad.”
The Fringe is recognised as one of the best places for networking by performers and artists, and on Thursday morning EFFS invited everyone to Fringe Central on Infirmary Street for a reception event to celebrate the Made in Scotland showcase.
The Made in Scotland showcase is supported by the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund, Creative Scotland and the Scottish Music Centre.
Earlier in the year EFFS announced the eighteen shows form part of the showcase at this year’s Fringe:
40/40, Two Destination Language & Katherina Radeva
An inspiring and moving celebration of Katherina Radeva’s 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist. Claiming space on a dance floor, in 40/40 she dances with joyous abundance and presents stories of her past and present.
Arcana, Written, composed and performed by Fay Guiffo
A poetic coming-of-age story for all ages, Arcana blends spellbinding violin, immersive soundscapes, striking visuals, movement and multilingual storytelling. It celebrates the courage to overcome our fears and find our true voice, inspiring collective change through wonder, shared humanity and inner freedom.
Boys Don’t Dance, Marc Brew
A poignant dance theatre show by acclaimed disabled choreographer and dancer Marc Brew, Boys Don’t Dance draws on his experience as the only boy in a rural Australian town who wanted to dance, defying societal expectations.
Brrr, Hayley Earlam
A sensory installation and live performance by choreographer Hayley Earlam, Brrr is made for young audiences with complex needs aged 10 – 18 years. An immersive exploration of winter, Brrr features dance, sound, video and lots and lots of snow!
Float, a Starcatchers production by Kerry Cleland and company.
A beautiful and immersive world for babies from birth to 12 months old and their grown-ups. Float invites you to relax with your baby and enjoy a gently interactive performance in a beautiful, calm space inspired by the healing powers of water.
FLOWERCORE, by Siobhan Wilson, presented by Sufrecs
How a 2 cm wildflower changed an artist’s life. Through live music and immersive imagery, songwriter Siobhan Wilson celebrates Scotland’s often overlooked wildflowers, exploring themes of preservation, belonging and resilience with immersive imagery accompanied by acclaimed pianist Alexandre Saada.
If I can’t dance I’m not coming, Karl Jay-Lewin & Matteo Fargion
A new collaboration by choreographer Karl Jay-Lewin and composer Matteo Fargion. If I can’t dance I’m not coming reframes Fritz Lang’s 1927 cinematic masterpiece Metropolis, translating silent cinema into a rigorous choreographic score. Performed by an eclectic ensemble of eight, the work rejects virtuosity in favour of dignity, threading humour, rebellion and flashes of tenderness through a democratic creative process. Extending Jay-Lewin and Fargion’s acclaimed Extremely series, this ambitious work resonates with quiet political force.
The Masquerade, Jj Fadaka
Nightclub meets archive in this live performance by Jj Fadaka and DJ ALADJI, who reimagine Nigerian and Scottish myths. A masquerade dances through sound, poetry and ritual as a living legend of resistance, ancestry and queer memory on the dancefloor.
Mayflies, Grid Iron
Grid Iron present the world premiere of Mayflies, a site-specific adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s best-selling novel. Everyone has a Tully Dawson: the friend that defines your life. A joyous and heart-breaking elegy to 80s youth and facing mortality in middle-age.
Elsa McTaggart: Capturing the Light, sruth-mara
Hebridean storyteller and songwriter Elsa McTaggart reflects on her great grandfather William McTaggart’s journey from the son of humble, Gaelic-speaking crofters to becoming one of Scotland’s most famous and influential painters. Produced by the team behind Precious Cargo.
The Raft of the Crab, Ninon Noiret
When a crustacean gatecrashes your birthday party and drags you into an odyssey of the mind, recovery becomes anything but ordinary. This striking true story from Ninon Noiret explores her experience with Cancer and her journey to recovery. Told through ‘nasty’ puppetry, contemporary dance and gravity-defying stunts on a 5-metre Chinese Pole, The Raft of the Crab is a powerful exploration of the individual nature of physical illness and what it really takes to recover.
Sand, Silt, Flint, Fiona Soe Paing
Sublimely powerful…” (Songlines) Myth, music and moving image converge in a mesmeric performance rooted in Scotland’s darker ballads and folklore. Hailed by Iggy Pop as “advanced and beautiful”, voice, electronica and visuals fuse in an intoxicating twist on tradition.
Shotgunned, Matt Anderson
Equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking, Matt Anderson’s *Shotgunned* is a relatable and intimate piece of theatre about how the people we lose can shape who we become. Telling the story of Dylan and Roz – a couple who unexpectedly fall out of love – *Shotgunned* takes the audience on a non-linear journey through their relationship in a collection of fragmented scenes, like photographs in a shoebox or memories of a bygone age.
Tell Me, Sadiq Ali Company
Two timelines collide in this bold fusion of dance and circus offering a fresh perspective on HIV. When Grace is diagnosed, she’s transported to the 80s alongside Michael, a gay man navigating a very different reality.
Transmission, Nelly Kelly and Sanctuary Queer Arts
Hilarious, curious and deeply human, Transmission is a darkly comedic and tender-hearted performance by playwright and drag artist Nelly Kelly, satirically exploring Scotland’s shift from world-leading in LGBTQ+ rights to becoming fertile ground for the anti-trans movement.
Through the Shortbread Tin, National Theatre of Scotland
A witty, musical and multilingual journey through Scotland’s myths, language and identity. Writer-performer Martin O’Connor unpacks the clichés of Scottish identity in a bold blend of spoken word, Gaelic song and Scots humour. From the National Theatre of Scotland.
Tongue Twister, Greg Sinclair
One man’s attempt to say tongue twisters in as many different languages as possible! Featuring dazzling costumes and innovative visual design, Tongue Twister is a delight for the eyes and ears, and a celebration of the musical beauty of language.
Tùs / Origin – Brian Molley Quartet, Brian Molley Quartet
Glasgow’s BMQ present an innovative celebration of the Scottish roots of jazz. Drawing from traditional folk, sea shanty, gospel, fugue and hornpipe, this world-travelled, multi-award winning quartet perform a unique and exhilarating blend of jazz and folk music.
