Solid support behind the scenes
Artist Services is a small team focused year-round on supporting the Fringe community – artists, industry professionals, venues and workers. We provide free-to-access services that support career development, offer guidance and advice, and help facilitate opportunities for Fringe shows to have a future life.
In August, we offer all our services from an in-person home called Fringe Central – this year in the Grassmarket Centre, in partnership with Grassmarket Community Project. Fringe Central will be open every day of the Festival, from 10am to 5pm, for artists and street performers, industry professionals, and media to attend networking events and panels, connect with each other, or simply have a space to work over a cuppa, with access to a printer and Wi-Fi.
If you’re taking part in the Fringe this year, please drop in and meet the team!
The Fringe Society receives over 25,000 enquiries from artists each year, contacting us from all over the world with questions or looking for advice.
Bringing work to the Fringe can be daunting, and to make it the most rewarding experience possible, we always encourage artists to identify a core goal for taking part. Whether that’s to generate reviews, connect with venue programmers, or to use the Fringe to hone your craft, having a clear goal – and then structuring your whole Fringe strategy around it – is crucial.
No matter what that goal is, the Artist Services team can help advise artists in succeeding whether by giving feedback on your press release, offering marketing tips, or by helping you connect to industry professionals.
We’re now in the second year of a partnership with Health In Mind, a mental health charity which offers free and confidential one-to-one mental health and wellbeing support for artists; in person, online or over the phone.
The Fringe can be a challenging time for artists, who are often taking significant financial risk to take part, and it’s so important to be able to offer this service to support them.
Appointments can be booked by dropping into the Fringe Central hub, or by emailing [email protected].
Developed during the pandemic, Fringe Marketplace is our online tool for professional shows who are using the platform of the festival to look for onward opportunities, such as touring, screen development or presentation at other events or festivals.
Fringe Marketplace allows accredited industry professionals the opportunity to discover shows that fit their programming requirements, and make sure they’re making the most of their time at the festival.
As an impartial organisation, the Fringe Society can’t recommend specific shows, however, our team of Industry Associates will be on the ground to provide bespoke insights and recommendations to visiting industry.
If you’re an industry professional using the Fringe to discover work, please get in touch with us on [email protected] to find out how best to connect with them. Accrediting is free, and we can help you get the very best out of your time at the Fringe.
Collaborations are crucial for the continued success of the festival, and we work closely with other festivals, including this year the TV Foundation, to ensure that we’re providing every possible version of support and opportunity for Fringe artists.
With the TV Foundation, and in partnership with Universal Studios Group, we’re supporting the delivery of two comedy showcases of independently selected artists, to be presented to an audience of senior TV industry professionals as part of the 49th Edinburgh TV Festival this August.
We recognise the enormous challenges facing Fringe artists, venues, and the fragile arts and cultural sector more widely. This year and next, we’re distributing 180 bursaries to Fringe artists, thanks to funding from the UK Government, to try to relieve some of the financial pressure, and we’ve also secured affordable accommodation through our partnership with Queen Margaret University.
I started my career in the arts as a Fringe producer, and many others on the Artist Services team have similarly worked on countless shows over the years. We understand the challenges and the pressure that artists face, and are here to help in any way we can.
When I started out as a producer, I didn’t fully engage with the Fringe Society’s services – and I know now how significant the support could have been.
Last year over 2,000 artists accessed Fringe Central, and this year I’d love everyone to have it on their to-do list to come and see us, collect an artist, industry or media pass, and access our support.