Summerhall is announcing two exciting initiatives that will happen at the Festival Fringe in August. A new scheme to directly help participants with the increasing costs that are part of presenting work in Edinburgh and a new space for building on and increasing cross pollination and collaboration on work in progress when artists from across the world are all in one place, for one month, in August.
Support the Artist Ticket. Summerhall is introducing a third price option onto the box office which is £2 more than a standard ticket price, designed to give the opportunity for audiences to give a little extra that will go straight to artists. All of that additional £2 goes to the artist. No ticket commission, no venue split, no fee will be taken from that £2.
Summerhall are asking audiences to be part of the scheme and they can do that simply by selecting the Support the Artist Ticket at the point of purchase – it is voluntary and can be for as many shows as the ticket buyer likes. This direct top up could really help those companies presenting work at the festival that are taking a huge risk to bring their work to Edinburgh. Summerhall hopes in this way to contribute to the founding spirit of the festival – that it’s open access and there for all. This brand new ticket scheme will only be available through the venue’s own box office.
The beauty and simplicity of having no membership cost is that any venue can do it – as long as the principle of the artist receiving all the money is honoured. Summerhall’s hope is that it is adopted by those artists that really need it, and that it is seen to be a vehicle to nurture, protect and invest in future talent.
Summerhall also announces a new ‘Surgery Series’ – events taking place during the Fringe. An opportunity for creative practitioners to have an outlet for showing unfinished work to an audience of like minded peers and artists. The concept of scratch performances or outside eyes is a major part of developing work and connections outside the festival but we want to bring that into the Fringe, in August to widen the possibility of peer to peer collaboration and feedback, to globalise it. Meetings happen across the Summerhall courtyard and in venues all day every day of the festival through happenstance, this initiative will just help build on those organic connections and give more room for ideas to breathe.
Sam Gough, Chief Executive of Summerhall commented: “I am delighted to be back at Summerhall in this new role as Chief Executive – I am very much looking forward to the challenges AND to announce these exciting new projects.
“Since returning I have been looking closely at the mix of everything we do at Summerhall. In this impossibly difficult time for the creative sector, I want to be doing more to support the individual artists. These two new initiatives are the beginning of that work. I am looking at how we can support the creative community and make multiple clear pathways that concentrate on developing the early career and emerging artists with real and meaningful support.
“We already have so much to offer, but I want to be able to do more for our creative communities.”
As part of this pilot year Summerhall is looking to bolster ‘The Surgery Series’ by working with Eclipse again on The Eclipse Award 2023 – their team will also be running sessions that will support the development of artists through a series of creative meet-ups.
Other venues are keen to be part of the ‘Support the Artist Scheme’ and follow suit, with Gilded Balloon, Zoo Venues and Pleasance to offer this to their artists, Gilded Balloon commented: “We’re keen to offer this initiative to our artists too this summer to help support them through continued challenging times which we hope will be a relatively simple support mechanism to allow those that are in a position to, to give more to performers at the Fringe.”
Going into 2023 – Summerhall continues to support artists, and aims to cement its role in the artistic ecology as a safe space to express through all forms and be a springboard for the very best emerging and early career talent the world has to offer.