Exclusive:Edinburgh Festival Fringe: The producer who contacted 100 firms for 'missing out' Scottish comedians

The fund to help with performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is sponsored by Red Bull UK.

A comedy producer has told how she contacted over 100 Scottish companies looking for Edinburgh Festival Fringe funding for local comedians “missing out” on fame.

Katie Palmer, of Brass Tacks, decided to create a fund to pay for the costs of performing at the Fringe after realising Scottish comedians were being under-represented at a national and international level, in part due to the rocketing costs of performing at the event.

After sending out a sponsorship proposal to around 100 Scottish companies she believed might be a good fit to support local comedy, Ms Palmer heard back from only ten - with all of them refusing to fund the idea.

Jack Traynor is from Cumbernauld but still felt he could not afford to perform at the Fringe. | Jack Traynor

Eventually, she sent out a letter on spec to drinks giant Red Bull UK, which offered her £4,000. She has since managed to find match funding from Glasgow comedy club Blackfriars of Bell Street to allow her to sponsor two comedians Jack Traynor and Ayo Adenekan, who were among more than 50 applicants.

“We had over 50 applicants, which was incredible to see,” she said. “But [it was] also devastating to see that 50-plus Scottish comedians felt like they could debut this year, but couldn't afford it.”

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The idea for the fund was born during last year’s Fringe.

Ms Palmer said: “It really came to light in my head during the Fringe last year of the lack of support for Scottish comedy. It just feels as though there's very rarely a Scottish comedian who will be nominated for any awards or get big TV opportunities off the back of the Fringe, despite the Scottish comedy scene being genuinely incredible.”

Ayo Adenekan is to receive money from the Brass Tacks Debut Fund. | Colette

Ms Palmer added: “At this point, it feels as though the comedy industry in the UK should be over-represented by Scottish acts, but it’s not. People who watch Live at the Apollo or go to comedy in London or Birmingham should be thinking ‘how come so many of these people are Scottish?’ Because we have the biggest festival in the world on our doorstep and Scottish comedians should be over-represented in that. But I think in many ways, it's the opposite, they’re missing out.”

Ms Palmer started Brass Tacks Comedy in January last year, and has produced a range of successful shows at the 2024 Fringe, including Amy Annette’s sell-out run with extra shows added, and Grace Mulvey, who was named one of the top 12 shows of the Fringe by Rolling Stone.

The producer said: “The fact that Jack Traynor felt the Fringe was not on his horizon and he was completely priced out of it, despite living in Scotland, was unbelievable. He lives in Cumbernauld and he just wasn't planning to ever come here. It just wasn't - and couldn’t be - in his plans.”

Katie Palmer of Brass Tacks. | Katie Palmer of Brass Tacks.

Mr Traynor said: "There’s no two ways about it - if I didn’t have the backing of Blackfriars and Brass Tacks, I wouldn’t be doing the Fringe.

“The Fringe is a different beast and trying to compete with the finances … even though I live in Scotland, it’s easy to just get left behind.”

Mr Adenekan said: “I applied because this was an amazing opportunity - being able to make my Fringe debut without having to bear the financial burden was a major factor for me.

“The fact the fund was created for Scottish acts, by a Scottish company, made me even more eager to apply because I feel the Scottish scene is often overlooked, even on our own doorstep.”

The Brass Tacks Debut Fund will pay for the comedians’ upfront costs associated with the Fringe, including registration, venue, paid PR support, street team, poster and flyer printing, as well as for a technician and bespoke marketing costs. Brass Tacks Comedy will also act as the performers’ Fringe producer to guide and support acts through the experience.