Exclusive:The 'free ticket' youth centre that has become an Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue in Leith

The youth centre is now to become a Edinburgh Fringe venue, hosting two shows

When Citadel youth centre was handed its first free tickets for shows under the Fringe Days Out initiative, youth worker Andy Thomas knew it would not be an instant fix in breaking down barriers to the arts for the community he served.

Now, eight years later, the centre has decided to host its own Fringe shows in a bid to “bring the Fringe” to the local community in Leith.

Comedy night Punchline on Leith and a music show called Storm in the Citadel, featuring three bands, are to run in the first week of the Fringe.

The centre’s links to the Fringe began seven years ago, when the centre first distributed tickets through the Fringe Days Out programme. The scheme was run by the Edinburgh Fringe Society - and has now distributed a total of 19,000 tickets since its launch in 2017.

“It's a toe in the water for us to see what it's like to be a Fringe venue, which is the culmination of quite a few different years of building up a relationship with the Fringe,” says Citadel’s deputy manager Mr Thomas.

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However, he says it took time to convince users of the centre to take up the offer.

Juggler Kevin Armour performs at the launch of this year's Fringe Day Out initiative. | Fringe Society

“The tickets have got more and more popular every year,” he says. “The obvious barrier is cost, and you deal with that by offering free tickets. But then you realise there are a lot of other barriers that maybe you haven't thought of. People think ‘OK, but how do I get there? And what will it be like? Will my family enjoy it and will I feel comfortable? Is this sort of thing really, for me?’

“You realise cultural inclusion is not just about money, it's about a lot more.”

Andy Thomas of the Citadel Youth Centre. | Fringe Society

Mr Thomas says the attempt to make the Fringe an integral part of the centre had removed the psychological obstacles for many users.

“This outreach work is really what's needed to then make the kind of vouchers really worthwhile.,” he says. “That's what breaks down the barriers and that's what gets people really making use of [the tickets]. Folk have got more and more confident about actually going to the Fringe.”

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Last year, the Citadel offered its premises to an Australian children’s comedian, Coach Mon, as a rehearsal base before the start of the Fringe. In return, she performed a free show for families who use the centre.

The youth centre created a Fringe-style atmosphere, with chairs and tables outside and a food van.

“Sometimes it's about the show, but also about sitting, having some lunch outdoors, and that kind of atmosphere,” he says. “We get some of our parents to travel up there [to Bristo Square]. It's also nice to be able to recreate that atmosphere in Leith as well.”

The idea developed from the pre-Fringe show for the Citadel to become a full-blown venue this year.

The events will also utilise skills of the young people who use Citadel to do ticketing and marketing for the venue’s shows.

“A lot of the young people we work with have left school with no real sort of qualifications and are lacking a bit of confidence and not really ready to go straight into the job market,” says Mr Thomas. “This sort of experience, where they can put something on their CV that says they've been involved in events like this, is really a valuable opportunity for them.”

Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society., said: “Engaging and helping our local community is a high priority for the Fringe Society, and Fringe Days Out is a vital part of that work.

“That 19,000 Fringe visits have been made possible through this programme is incredibly heartening and encouraging – here’s to many more in the coming years.”