Closing thoughts and 2011 statistics from the Festival Fringe Society
posted August 30th, 2011. updated August 31st, 2011.
The Festival Fringe Society issued its closing thoughts on the 2011 festival plus the usual selected set of statistics. 1.877m tickets were issued - I could be cynical and ask what "issued" means precisely. Anyway, the figure is marginally up (approximately 2.5%) on the 2010 figure. The Scotsman quotes provisional figures from the super venues, including: Underbelly with a claimed 19% increase in ticket sales (this excludes the McEwan Hall which was not available this year - not sure that this makes for a valid comparison), Gilded Balloon up 10%, Pleasance up 6% while Assembly expects the figures to be "marginally up" on last year. Everybody says that the figures would have been better if it had not been for the rain, particularly in the first week.
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Ideas sought to improve festival experience
posted August 29th, 2011.
The Edinburgh Festivals are seeking ideas to improve the festival experience. Ideas can be submitted and voted upon until the end of October 2011. Prizes will be awarded in late November for the best ideas. This is an initiative of the Edinburgh Festivals Innovation Lab.
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New Artistic Director for The Traverse
posted August 27th, 2011.
The Traverse has announced that Orla O'Loughlin, currently Artistic Director at The Pentabus Theatre, will replace Dominic Hill as its Artistic Director. Hill leaves in October to take over the reins at the Citizens in Glasgow. O'Loughlin will start in January 2012.
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Forest Café looking for alternative premises
posted August 26th, 2011.
The Forest Café Arts Centre, home to The Forest Fringe in August, has given up the unequal struggle to stay in its current premises. If you remember, the owners, Edinburgh University Settlement, were declared bankrupt and forced into administration in October 2010. The Forest Café has unsuccessfully tried to raise sufficient funds to allow them to stay in the building in Bristo Place. They have accepted the inevitable and are now looking for alternative premises. Read more here including their requests for donations.
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Equity survey on backstage conditions and pay at the Fringe
posted August 26th, 2011.
The Stage reports that Equity is conducting an online survey on backstage conditions and pay at this year's Fringe. It can be accessed until early September and is open to any UK-based performer.
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Fringe set to commence marketing for 2012 early
posted August 24th, 2011.
The Fringe is in talks with venues about commencing marketing for 2012 as early as March or April according to The Scotsman. In an attempt to compete with the attraction of the London Olympics The Fringe would promote the 2012 festival, including some shows, several months earlier than usual.
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Film Festival loses funding from British Film Institute
posted August 24th, 2011.
The Herald reports that the British Film Institute, the recently appointed lead provider of funding and support to the film industry, has told the EIFF that it is unable to provide any funding although other forms of support may be possible. The Film Festival had previously received a grant of £1.8m spread over 3 years, a funding package that ended last year.
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Fringe 2012 AGM
posted August 23rd, 2011. updated August 29th, 2011.
The Fringe AGM was held on Saturday August 20th, 2011. A brief summary follows. See the article in Whatsonstage,com for more information.
- concerns expressed over potential shortage of technicians next year due to the London Olympics
- £100K set aside in last year's accounts towards debts re the disposal of the failed Pivotal software system
- new back-office software "Fringeware" being developed - to help analyse the data that is held about participants and punters
- Tommy Sheppard (Stand) beat Charlie Wood (Underbelly) for a place on the Fringe board. See all Fringe election results.
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Warning on potential lack of availability of technicians for 2012 festival
posted August 23rd, 2011.
Venue
bosses are warning that the London Olympics in 2012 will suck up many
technicians, leaving a potential shortfall of these resources for
events such as the Edinburgh Festival according to The Stage and other media outlets.
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Possible home for Demarco's festival archive
posted August 13th, 2011.
Richard
Demarco is the 81 year-old veteran festival impressario who has been
responsible for bringing many International companies to the Fringe
over the years. He was also one of the founders of the Traverse back in
1963. The Herald reports
that he may have found a home for his festival archive which runs to
around one million pieces. Discussions are ongoing to use part of the
old Royal (Dick) Vet School building in Edinburgh (the Summerhall
campus).
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EIF 2011 ticket sales still a "challenge"
posted August 12th, 2011.
The Herald appears to be indicating
that ticket sales for the International Festival are not going as well
as they might, possibly due to this year's theme which is based on
South East Asian culture and its links with the west.
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Cheap EIF tickets for the under 26s
posted August 10th, 2011.
The International Festival will be offering £8 tickets for selected performances during the festival if you are under 26. Further details can be found here.
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Edinburgh Book Festival website working again
posted August 10th, 2011.
The website appears to be working ok this morning.
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Edinburgh Book Festival website unavailable
posted August 9th, 2011.
The
data centre in Ireland which houses the Book Festival's website was
affected by a lightning strike on Sunday evening. The website is
currently unavailable although tickets can still be purchased over the
phone and at the box office. The online brochure can be browsed here.
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Earlier date fails to boost Jazz Festival
posted August 4th, 2011.
The Jazz Festival was a week earlier than normal this year. The Scotsman reports
that the festival's expectations of increased ticket sales failed to be
satisfied. However, it is likely that the new date in the calendar will
be retained.
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Extended line-up announced for Amnesty's Stand Up for Freedom comedy night
posted August 3rd, 2011.
Further names have been announced by Amnesty for its famous Stand Up for Freedom comedy night which this year will take place on August 17th, 2011.
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National Museum of Scotland opens
posted July 29th, 2011.
Punters who like to mix up their festival activities with visits to Edinburgh's other offerings may like to know that the National Museum of Scotland fully opens today. It has been partially closed for three years for a major revamp. EdinburghGuide.com provides a useful article on the subject.
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Punter struggles to hear the music
posted July 28th, 2011.
An Edinburgh festival punter complains in The Herald
about the problems of trying to listen to a jazz performance in one of
the Spiegeltents in George Square above the sound emanating from
another jazz performance in the adjacent Spiegeltent.
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British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2011
posted July 27th, 2011.
The British Council Edinburgh Showcase
brings promoters and art managers from around the world to see UK
companies perform at the Fringe from August 22nd to August 27th. Whatsonstage.com provides a comprehensive summary of the 2011 showcase which will feature 27 artists and companies.
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Roxy Art House venue
posted July 27th, 2011.
Despite
Roxy Art House ceasing to exist last autumn the building will be used
as a Fringe venue this year under the Zoo venue banner. The Scotsman reports
that Zoo Roxy has just been given permission to stay open until 1.30am
during the festival although alcohol will not be served after 11pm.
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Amnesty International's festival programme
posted July 27th, 2011.
Details of Amnesty International's festival programme
can be found on its website. The ever-popular Stand Up For Freedom
comedy night will this year take place at the Edinburgh International
Conference Centre on Wednesday August 17th, 2011 at 9.30pm.
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Fringe venue chiefs talk up southern "hub"
posted July 21st, 2011.
The Scotsman's Tim Cornwell reports
on the work this week to convert the University area into what he calls
the Fringe's southern hub. Needless to say the chiefs of the venues
that will populate the area are busy talking it up. It will be the new
High Street says one of them?!? It is a discussion point this year
because the Assembly Rooms is unavailable due to refurbishment work and
so Assembly will be significantly adding to the venue population. My
own view is that this concentration of venues is not good for local
businesses, nor is it likely to prove an enjoyable space for
socialising / drinking between shows except possibly for the young.
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Edinburgh Book Fringe 2011
posted July 18th, 2011.
The
Edinburgh Book Fringe which started back in 2008 will run from Thursday
August 11th, 2011 to Thursday August 25th, 2011 at Word Power Books,
43-45 West Nicholson Street. Programme details can be found on its website.
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Campaign to save Stockbridge theatre
posted July 16th, 2011.
As
mentioned back in March, Theatre Workshop, a Fringe venue in
Stockbridge for many years, has been put up for sale after the theatre
lost its public funding last year. The Edinburgh Reporter indicates that there is a now campaign to save it. See this Facebook page for further information.
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Chairs announced for EIF Continental Shifts
posted July 14th, 2011.
Continental
Shifts is a series of talks and debates on the 2011 Edinburgh
International Festival theme of Asia and changes that are occurring in
the East. It is presented in association wih The British Council, The
Royal Society of Scotland and the Confucius Institute for Scotland. EdinburghGuide.com provides details of the programme along with the recently announced chairpersons.
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Art Festival website "launched"
posted July 14th, 2011.
As has seemingly become traditional, the content of the Art Festival website
has lagged the launch of this year's festival. It was eventually
published with the 2011 festival details today, some 7 weeks after the
launch.
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Earl of Harewood dies
posted July 14th, 2011.
The
Earl of Harewood died on July 11th, 2011 at the age of 88. He was
widely recognised as a giant of the opera world, fulfilling many key
roles in the arts world during his life. This included his roles as
managing director, and later chairman, of the English National Opera
(ENO), as editor and co-author of the opera-lover's bible, Kobbés
Complete Opera Book, and as chairman of The British Board of Film
Classification. He is remembered here as the artistic director of the
Edinburgh International Festival from 1961 to 1965. Possibly his
longest lasting contribution to the festival was his decision to form
the Scottish Festival Chorus in 1965, now of course known as the
Edinburgh Festival Chorus. Obits abound ... here are a couple ... The Guardian and The Telegraph.
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Cheaper Fringe tickets for locals
posted July 13th, 2011.
The Scotsman reports on a two-for-one ticket scheme for punters who live in the EH postcode area. Cheaper Fringe for Locals
alerts registered users to offers by email. The Scotsman indicates that
this voluntary organisation which was in operation last year currently
has 10,000 registered users.
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Deadline for nominations to the Fringe Society's board
posted July 13th, 2011.
The deadline for nominations to the Board of the Fringe Society
is Monday 18th July, 2011. Any member of the Society - and membership
is now open to all under the new constitution - can apply. Nominations
forms, signed by the person applying and his / her proposer and
seconder must be received in the Fringe office by lunchtime on Monday
the 18th.
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Film Festival to switch back to August?
posted July 6th, 2011.
The
Centre for the Moving Image, who are responsible for the Edinburgh Film
Festival, have issued a statement which can be found in this article on stv.tv.
It includes the following "Industry views regarding the dates of the
festival are being taken into consideration and a decision will be made
in due course". This has been taken by the media as a sign that it will
move back to August. We shall see. It also says that the Michael Powell
award, which was withdrawn this year along with other awards, will be
reinstated in 2012.
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31st Edinburgh Comedy Awards launched
posted July 1st, 2011.
Whatsonstage.com reports the launching of this year's Edinburgh Comedy Awards,
the 31st year that they have been held. This year's event will be
sponsored by Foster's for a second year. The shortlist will be released
on Wednesday 24th August and the winners will be announced at a lunch
on Saturday 27th August.
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Unbound returns to late night Book Festival
posted July 1st, 2011.
Unbound 2011 has been announced.
Unbound, the free late night programme of performance, music and
literature in the Charlotte Square Spiegeltent, was first launched in
2010. Held in association with The Skinny, it will make a welcome
return this year. Details of the full programme can be found here on the Book Festival website. The Skinny also contains details of the proramme as well as a number of related articles. Finally, an Unbound supplement can be downloaded from The Skinny.
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The Stand likely to use Assembly Rooms in 2012
posted June 30th, 2011. modified July 1st, 2011
Salt
'n' Sauce Promotions, the organisation behind The Stand venue, has been
announced as the preferred bidder to use the Assembly Rooms as a Fringe
venue in 2012 according to The Stage.
The deal, which is still to be agreed, will cover three years. The
tenant for the restaurant which will replace the old Supper Room
performing space will be Jamie Oliver who will open a branch of Jamie's
Italian Kitchen.
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Traditional first day booking fever for Book Festival
posted June 27th, 2011.
It
is becoming traditional that the initial hours of the first day of
public booking for the Book Festival sees a mad scramble for tickets,
causing the inevitable problems as the computer system struggles to
cope with the demand. According to EdinburghGuide.com it was the worst ever as booking commenced yesterday. The Guardian claimed
that by 6pm almost 40 events had sold out. They included: Alasdair
Gray's closing performance, AC Grayling's conversation with retired
bishop Richard Holloway, readings by Sarah Brown and Simon Callow, Tam
Dalyell with James Naughtie and the debate "The End of the Union".
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Mullighan set to be EIFF fall guy?
posted June 24th, 2011.
The Guardian and The Scotsman
both claim that a new artistic director will be sought for the Film
Festival as soon as this year's event finishes at the weekend. The EIFF
has had a mauling right from their abortive attempt to find an artistic
director to succeed Hannah McGill last year, through the shambles of
the supposed contributions from the Scottish celebrities, and on to the
poorly received festival which has had very little coverage in the
mainstream press. I feel quite sorry for James Mullighan who belately
ended up organising this year's festival. He has looked nothing other
than isolated from day 1 and is obviously going to be the fall guy for
the events of the last 9-10 months. In fact the blame rests largely
with The Centre for the Moving Image which is responsible for the Film Festival, and Creative Scotland's hands do not look particularly clean either.
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Festival City Theatre Trust head resigns
posted June 17th, 2011. modified June 18th, 2011.
John Stalker, the Chief Executive of The Festival City Theatre Trust has resigned, reports The Scotsman.
The troubled trust which runs the Festival and Kings theatres on behalf
of the city council made a number of redundancies earlier this year and
has struggled over recent years to get the council to fund necessary
refurbishment at the Kings theatre. It was subsequently revealed that
Darrell William, head of sales and marketing, is also to leave his
post.
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2011 Edinburgh Book Festival programme launched
posted June 16th, 2011.
The final launch of the major Edinburgh summer festivals for 2011 took place today when the Edinburgh International Book Festival unveiled its programme.
Revolution is the major theme this year. Links to details, launch
articles plus early summaries of the programme in the media can be
found here.
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Details of 2011 Forest Fringe available
posted June 16th, 2011.
Details of the Forest Fringe programme in Edinburgh this year are now available here on their website. Further details and links to any relevant articles and previews will be posted here.
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Theatre Ninjas returns for 2011 Fringe
posted June 14th, 2011.
Theatre Ninjas,
the iPhone app and website, is set to return for this year's Fringe. It
enables theatre companies to give away selected numbers of tickets for
given performances up to 30 minutes before curtain up. The Stage reports that it plans to provide increased functionality this year on both the iPhone app and the website.
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C adds ECA to its list of Fringe venues
posted June 11th, 2011.
C,
the quiet man of the super venues, has added the Edinburgh College of
Art in Lauriston Place to its stable of venues this year, reports ThreeWeeks.
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BBC at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival
posted June 11th, 2011.
The Stage summarises the BBC's plans for this year's festival.
The BBC will have its own venue on Potterow near Bristo Square where it
will host live shows and acts. Apart from coverage on Radios 1 and 2,
there will be the usual live broadcasts and recordings of Radio 4
favourites such as Loose Ends and Just a Minute. BBC TV coverage will
be similar to last year with Sue Perkins presenting the three weekly
Culture Show specials and Kirsty Wark fronting the debates in The
Review Show on Friday nights. In addition, it will, as usual, cover the
Military Tattoo.
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2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival programme launched
posted June 9th, 2011. modified June 10th, 2011.
The
programme for the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival was launched this
morning. It currently comprises 2,542 shows. Details and links to
launch articles plus early summaries of the programme in the media can
be found here. By
default The Edge Festival was also launched at the same time, as many
of its concerts appear in the Fringe programme. Early articles in the
media can be found here.
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Edinburgh Book Festival in partnership with The Guardian
posted June 8th, 2011.
The Edinburgh Book Festival has announced a two year partnership with The Guardian. Needless to say, The Guardian makes a modest mention of this sponsorship deal.
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Princes Street tramworks to be delayed
posted June 4th, 2011.
Edinburgh City Council has decided to delay the resumption of tramworks on Princes Street according to BBC News.
They were due to start in July but, after local businesses expressed
concerns, they will not now commence until September, i.e. after the
main festival season.
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DF Concerts signs up with Fringe super venues
posted June 3rd, 2011.
The Scotsman reports
that DF Concerts who are responsible for the Edge Festival and other
music events have signed up with Assembly, Pleasance, Underbelly and
Gilded Balloon. This effectively means that Edge Festival shows will
appear in their joint programme. The Scotsman article also mentions
various festival pre-announcements from the super venues.
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Ailsa Purdie winner of 2011 Fringe Schools Poster Competition
posted June 1st, 2011.
The Fringe has announced the winner of the 31st Fringe Society School Poster Competition. She is 15 year old Ailsa Purdie from the High School of Dundee.
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2011 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival programme launched
posted May 27th, 2011.
The programme for the 2011 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival has been announced today. It can be viewed online here or downloaded from this page where you can also order a printed brochure. There is no media feedback so far. When it arrives it will be found here on the pre-festival stuff page.
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Details announced of 2011 Made in Scotland productions on the Fringe
posted May 27th, 2011.
Details of the seventeen productions on the Edinburgh Fringe that will constitute this year's Made in Scotland programme
were announced yesterday (Thursday May 26th, 2011) by Fiona Hyslop, the
Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs. Further details can
be found on the Made in Scotland 2011 website.
The Scottish Government's Expo fund supports Scottish productions at
all Edinburgh's festivals. Part of this funding is ring-fenced for the
Fringe - this is called the Made in Scotland showcase. It is managed by
the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Creative Scotland and the
Federation of Scottish Theatre.
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2011 Edinburgh Art Festival programme launched
posted May 27th, 2011.
The
programme for the 2011 Edinburgh Art Festival appears to have been
launched yesterday. I say "appears" because although it is mentioned by
several media outlets there is nothing on their website so far, nor
have I seen anything in email form. Initial information and links to
early media feedback can be found here on the pre-festival stuff page. I will update that page as more information becomes available.
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Festivals worth £245m to Edinburgh
posted May 23rd, 2011. modified May 25th, 2011.
The
Festivals Impact report by BOP Consulting, commissioned by the
Festivals Forum and funded by agencies including the umbrella group Festivals Edinburgh, Creative Scotland and Scottish Enterprise,
has found that they generate £245m in tourism revenue every year in
Edinburgh (£261m in Scotland as a whole). It is estimated that £41m
goes to hoteliers, B&Bs and residents who let out their properties
while £37m goes to bars, cafes and restaurants. The report, which is
based on questioning 15,000 people in 50 surveys, incorporates much
more, including what people get out of the festivals and their overall
cultural impact. I will comment on it when I have had a chance to read
it in full. The press release and the report itself can both be
downloaded from the media & downloads page of the Festivals Edinburgh website.
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Make-up of initial Fringe participants' council announced
posted May 19th, 2011. modified May 27th, 2011.
The Stage reports on the make-up of the Edinburgh Fringe Society's new participants' council.
There were only 11 nominations for the 12 available places, and so all
the nominees were declared elected. Therefore, the council will
initially consist of 4 members representing the venues, 4 representing
the producers and 3 representing the participants. The names of the
council members are given in The Stage article. The purpose of this
council is to promote and protect the interests of all those who
participate in the Fringe. It will meet face to face twice a year, the
first being in August, although they will probably be supplemented by
periodic video conferencing sessions. The Fringe announced details of the members of the council on its website on May 26th, 2011.
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2011 Edinburgh International Film Festival programme launched
posted May 17th, 2011.
The 2011 EIFF programme was unveiled this morning. Tickets go on sale on Friday 20th May, 2011. Initial information and links to early media feedback can be found here.
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2011 Magic Festival programme launch
posted May 11th, 2011.
The
2011 Edinburgh Magic Festival was launched on May 7th, 2011 at the
Festival Theatre. Artistic Director and magician Kevin McMahon unveiled
this year's programme. See the pre-festival page for further details.
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Film Festival's pre-announcements
posted May 6th, 2011.
The
Edinburgh International Film Festival has joined the growing ranks of
organisations who have developed a taste for pre-announcements. As mentioned in The Scotsman,
information on 9 films has been released. They include David Hare's
Page Eight and David MacKenzie's Perfect Sense. The complete
programme launch will take place on May 17th, 2011.
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King's Theatre limited refurbishment
posted May 6th, 2011.
The Stage details information on the upcoming limited refurbishment of the King's Theatre.
The £2.625m project will only cover emergency exterior work, front of
house and the auditorium. It will exclude any work backstage. The work
will be carried out between September 2011 and July 2012 with a break
in the middle to allow 3 weeks of drama, the Edinburgh Gang Show and
the pantomine. The Stage also reports that staffing levels have been
cut from 52 to 40.
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Underbelly - 2011 venue changes
posted May 5th, 2011.
As
previously reported, the large McEwan Hall venue (1000+ seats) which
was used by Underbelly in 2010 is not available this year due to
refurbishment of the hall's historic organ. Instead, The Stage reports
that Underbelly will add two venues to its traditional set - a 120
capacity room elsewhere in the McEwan Hall building and a 60 seater
venue in the Reid Hall courtyard.
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Assembly - details of 2011 venues
posted May 4th, 2011. modified May 5th, 2011.
As reported in January
Assembly Theatre has decided to base its operations in the George
Square area now that the Assembly Rooms is not available to it due to
the city council's refurbishment project. Further details have been
issued and can be found in The Scotsman and Whatsonstage.com.
The three spiegeltents in George Square gardens will be: Bosco Tent
(seats 180), Danse Palais (250-275) and Teatro SpiegelTent (400).
George Square Theatre (seats 520) and three other indoor venues will
bring the total number of performing spaces in the area to 7. New news
(at least to me) is that the Assembly Hall on the Mound will continue -
it will have three performing spaces, bringing the grand total to 10.
It currently appears unlikely that the Princes Street Gardens venue,
used for the first time last year, will be in operation this year.
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Fringe - nominations open for Participants' Council
posted April 29th, 2011.
The Stage reports
that the Edinburgh Fringe Society has opened nominations for its new
Participants' Council. It will consist of 12 members, four each from
the following categories: performers, producers and individuals
nominated by the venues. The purpose of the Council will be to “promote
and protect the interests of those members who actively participate in
the Festival Fringe.” It will advise the board of directors.
Nominations will close on May 6th, 2011.
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Fringe pre-announcements
posted April 22nd, 2011.
The
recent trend for the super venues to announce some of their bigger
names in advance of the official Fringe launch has continued again this
year - a trend which I for one do not agree with. Assembly has released
details of some of its star names, as itemised in The Scotsman.
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Final day for Fringe show registration
posted April 18th, 2011.
Today is the last day to register a show on this year's Fringe if you want the information to appear in the programme.
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Festival Cavalcade cancelled
posted April 16th, 2011.
The
Festival Cavalcade, which has heralded the August festivals for over 30
years, has been cancelled after the sudden resignation of its director,
David Todd. The Scotsman understands
that the city council is looking at a replacement for 2012 with the
possibility of a parade along the Royal Mile being organised by the
Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The money that was set aside for this year's
Cavalcade will be used for any replacement event in 2012.
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Swinton, Cousins and Myles leave Film Festival roles
posted April 6th, 2011. modified April 8th, 2011.
It appears that Tilda Swinton, Mark Cousins and Lynda Myles who were only appointed back in December 2010 to help shape the artistic vision of the Film Festival now appear to have left their roles according to The Guardian
and other media outlets. James Mullighan, originally appointed as
festival producer, appears to be morphing into a lot more than a
producer. The constant stream of changes simply seems to be hardening
the view in the media that the festival has lost its way. This is
probably an overreaction although this year's festival may suffer.
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Festival in the Sky to return
posted March 29th, 2011.
The
idea of adding to your festival experience by dining at a table hoisted
100 feet above Princes Street Gardens was available to punters last
year. However, the venture lost money, probably because the prices were
far too expensive. It is being tried again this year according to The Scotsman, but this time it will focus on performers and bubbly at lower prices in attempts to woo punters.
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Magic Festival returns despite lack of public funding
posted March 24th, 2011.
The Scotsman reports
that the Magic Festival will take place again this year despite its
failure to generate any public funding. Kevin McMahon, organiser and
full-time magician, reckons that this was because it is classed as an
entertainment and not as an art. This year's festival will contain 80
shows, as opposed to the 50 that were staged last year, and be spread
over 8 days (Jul 1-8).
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2011 Edinburgh International Festival programme launched
posted March 23rd, 2011.
The
2011 EIF programme was unveiled this morning by Jonathan Mills, the
artistic director. As rumoured back in the autumn this year's theme is
Asia. Initial information and links to early media feedback can be found here.
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Early interest in operating refurbished Assembly Rooms from 2012
posted March 20th, 2011.
Although
the 18 month Assembly Rooms refurbishment project has not long started
there is already a queue of interested venue operators according to The Scotsman.
Underbelly, the Stand Comedy Club and Gilded Balloon are all said to be
interested in operating the venue during the festival, along with
Assemby Theatre who operated the venue for 30 years. An official
tendering process will be held in due course.
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Artistic director Hill to leave Traverse
posted March 19th, 2011.
The Stage reports
that Dominic Hill, the artistic director at the Traverse, is to leave
and take up a similar role at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre in October.
Hill joined the Traverse in July 2007 from Dundee Rep.
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Scottish Government continues with Expo funding
posted March 16th, 2011.
The Scottish Government has announced the 2011-2012 allocations of its Expo funding
which began back in 2008-2009. It is primarily aimed at promoting
Scottish work at the Edinburgh festivals. £2m will be distributed with
Made in Scotland on the Fringe receiving the largest share with £440k.
Made in Scotland is a partnership between Creative Scotland, the
Federation of Scottish Theatre and the Fringe Society. Other funding
includes: Arts Festival £160k, Jazz & Blues Festival £140k, Book
Festival £110k, Film Festival £100k, International Festival £100k and
Mela £80k.
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Fringe venues - good news and bad news
posted March 9th, 2011. last modified April 29th, 2011.
The Stage reports
on two new Fringe venues this year. Remarkable Arts who run the Hill
Street Theatre venue have added St. George's West (Shandwick Place) to
their stable. St. George's West has operated as a Fringe venue on
previous occasions in the recent past, though not last year. In
addition, the Edinburgh Playhouse will run the Hawke & Hunter Green
Room (Picardy Place) as a venue. On the downside, The Scotsman reports
that the city council plans to sell the Theatre Workshop building in
Stockbridge. The Theatre Workshop was a fringe venue for many years as
well as being an all year round arts organisation. They moved out of
the building last year when they lost their public funding. In
addition, as reported back in November the Roxy Art House has been lost
and the Forest Cafe may also go
- the landlord of both buildings was Edinburgh University Settlement
who went bankrupt. The Forest Cafe hosted the Forest Fringe in August,
an event which is actually separate from the Fringe. In addition, The Scotsman reported
in late April that the McEwan Hall will be unavailable this year due to
repairs to the hall's historic organ - Underbelly used the venue last
year.
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Virgin Money confirmed as sponsor of fireworks concert
posted March 8th, 2011.
EdinburghGuide.com confirms
that Virgin Money is the new sponsor of the Edinburgh International
Festival's fireworks concert, taking over from the Bank of Scotland who
withdrew after sponsoring the event for 16 years. Tickets for the
concert will be available for purchase in two main tranches ... on
April 2nd and July 18th with a limited number being held back until
September 3rd. Prices for places in Princes Street Gardens will be
£12.50, a rise of £1.50.
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Fringe Society and Book Festival 2010 annual reviews available
posted March 4th, 2011.
The Fringe Society's 2010 review is now available on its website. It can be downloaded as a pdf file or read online. Similarly, the Book Festival's 2010 annual review is available in pdf form on its website.
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Festival & King's Theatres in cash flow crisis
posted March 1st, 2011. modified March 3rd, 2011.
The Scotsman reports
that in an emergency deal the city council has handed over £400k to The
Festival City Theatres Trust to help it combat a cash flow crisis. This
represents a forward payment of around half of its 2011-2012 grant from
the council. The trust runs both the Festival Theatre and the King's
Theatre on behalf of the council. The trust recently announced cuts in the programme at the King's Theatre and staff reductions due to a 15% fall in audience numbers. The Evening News speculates that money set aside for refurbishment may be used to combat the current cash crisis.
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Virgin Money in discussions to sponsor fireworks concert
posted February 24th, 2011.
The Scotsman speculates
that Virgin Money will become the new sponsor of the Edinburgh
International Festival's fireworks concert, taking over from the Bank
of Scotland who withdrew after sponsoring the event for 16 years.
Virgin Money makes it clear that no deal has been signed so far. If it
does come off then presumably the EIF will want to incorporate it in
the official announcement of the 2011 festival which is due on March
23rd.
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Discussions on funding Edinburgh's festivals
posted February 22nd, 2011.
The
city council and local businesses are in discussions about a possible
"city growth" tax which would be used to help fund Edinburgh's
festivals and the marketing of the city, reports The Scotsman.
Current ideas centre around an additional 1% levy over and above the
business rate for any firm with of rateable value of more than £50k. A
"bed" tax levied on hotels and B&Bs has been previously talked
about. The idea of a "bed" tax was recently seized on by the president of Unison's Edinburgh branch although he wants to use the money to offset cuts in Edinburgh city council's overall spending, not for funding festivals.
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Fringe posts £300k profit for 2010
posted February 16th, 2011.
The Scotsman reports
that the Fringe has posted a profit of £300k for 2010. This follows on
from the box office system debacle in 2008 when a loss of nearly £900k
required it to be bailed out by £250k of money from the public purse. A
small profit of £132k was subsequently achieved in 2009. The 2010
figures show income of £2.86m from ticket sales, sponsorship, grants,
etc against expenditure of £2.56m.
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EIFF guest curators announced
posted February 15th, 2011.
The Herald reports
on the latest news from the Film Festival, focusing mainly on the
announcement of guest curators for the 2011 Film Festival. They include
actress Isabella Rossellini, the directors Gus Van Sant and Jim
Jarmusch, author Alan Warner, songwriter Mike Skinner, composer Clint
Mansell, critic and writer Greil Marcus and the Thai film director
Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
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King's Theatre programme and staff reductions
posted February 10th, 2011.
The
Festival City Theatres Trust which operates the Festival Theatre and
the King's Theatre on behalf of the city council has made two
announcements. Firstly, the King's Theatre will only operate for 15 weeks in 2011-2012 as opposed to 24 weeks. The Festival Theatre programme is unaffected. Secondly, it is in consultations with the union BECTU about reducing staff numbers
across the two theatres in an attempt to cut the wage bill by £300K.
The trust cites the fact that audience numbers are down by 15% as the
major reason for these moves.
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First Fringe board members voted in under new constitution
posted February 9th, 2011.
The Stage reports
that in the first elections under the revised Fringe constitution Peter
Buckley Hilll, founder of PBH's Free Fringe, has been voted onto the
Fringe board. He won the vote in the category for candidates endorsed
by the venues. A second board position - voted on by all members of the
Fringe Society - was won by sitting board member Sally Cowling. No
nominations were received in the category for performers linked with a
Fringe show.
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The List criticises the Film Festival
posted February 9th, 2011.
Whatever happened to the Edinburgh International Film Festival? is a brief article by Eddie Harrison in The List which outlines the recent travails of the EIFF. It is worth a read.
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Contract of EIF artistic director extended to 2014
posted February 4th, 2011.
The
contract of Jonathan Mills, the artistic director of the Edinburgh
International Festival, has been extended to EIF 2014. This news has
been reported in various media outlets, including The Guardian.
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Virgin Money to sponsor "Fringe on the High Street"
posted February 3rd, 2011.
The Stage reports
that Virgin Money is taking over from RBS as the sponsor of the free
street performances and advertising which the Fringe Society has been
responsible for since 2000. The deal is said to be worth £500,000 over
three years. It covers the High Street and the Mound Precinct, and
includes the Half Price Hut on the Mound. It will be rebranded as
"Fringe on the High Street".
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Film Festival loses £70k sponsorship
posted January 24th, 2011.
Standard
Life, sponsors of the Film Festival since 1997, will not be renewing
the arrangement which has recently been worth £70K per annum, according to EdinburghGuide.com.The
EIFF is also having to come to terms with the end of their 3 year grant
from the UK Film Council which was worth a total of £1.9m.
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New job title at Film Festival
posted January 22nd, 2011.
James Mullighan who was recently appointed as producer of the EIFF has now been given the title of director
(note not artistic director). I assume that this is part of an attempt
to reduce the confusion that has surrounded the rebranding of the Film
Festival.
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Assembly plans to move to George Square
posted January 20th, 2011.
The Scotsman reports
that the Assembly Theatre proposes to centre its operations on George
Square now that the Assembly Rooms is not available in 2011. Current
plans consist of two Spiegeltents in the George Square Gardens (housing
450 and 200 people respectively), use of the George Square lecture
theatre (480 people) and two further 200-seater spaces. Burdett-Coutts,
the artistic director, says that he sees this as a permanent move. The
indication here is that he does not see a return to the Assembly Rooms
in 2012 after completion of the renovation work. We shall see. The move
to George Square is bad news for the New Town which will now have very
few performance spaces.
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Fringe News
posted January 11th, 2011.
The Fringe Society is in the process of organising the election of three members to the board.
The ballot will take place by post and Fringe members must return
completed ballot papers by noon on Monday 7th February, 2011. Also, the
Fringe has announced the dates for registering shows for Fringe 2011 and the dates of the 2011 roadshows.
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2011 Jazz & Blues festival a week early
posted January 8th, 2011.
The
2011 Edinburgh Jazz & Blues festival will be held a week earlier
than usual, starting on Friday July 22nd and finishing on Sunday July
31st. Its failure to stage its extremely popular "Jazz on a Summer's
Day" in Princes Street Gardens in 2010 due to the erection of
Assembly's Spiegeltent for the Fringe may have something to do with
this move.
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Final go-ahead for Assembly Rooms renovation
posted January 6th, 2011.
The Scotsman reports
that Historic Scotland, the national heritage watchdog, has decided
against calling in the city council's plans for the renovation of the
Assembly Rooms. Work will therefore commence on January 17th and the
building will be closed for 18 months. As a punter who will miss the
drama productions in the Wildman Room, Edinburgh Suite, Supper Room and
Drawing Room, I hope that Burdett-Coutts, artistic director of Assembly
Theatre, can now dedicate his energies to finding alternative venues
north of Princes Street.
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Five pound Fringe disappears
posted January 3rd, 2011.
As Chortle reports,
the concept of the five pound Fringe ticket has ceased to exist after
two years. The idea of promoters Lisa Keddie and Jon Briley was to
offer significantly cheaper tickets than other comedy venues. However,
the venture lost money as it struggled to compete with the two Free
Fringe organisations. In addition, as reported back in late October,
its main venue, GRV, is currently up for sale due to the collapse of
Edinburgh University Settlement, the organisation which also owns the
Forest Cafe and Roxy Art House.
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Potted history of the Assembly Rooms
posted December 31st, 2010.
For those who are interested in the histories of the festivals and Edinburgh the city, "A Potted History of the Assembly Rooms" in EdinburghGuide.com is well worth a read. It has been produced during the recent controversy surrounding the building's proposed renovation.
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New chief for the Military Tattoo
posted December 23rd, 2010.
BBC News reports that Brigadier David Allfrey MBE will take over as producer of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
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No artistic director for Film Festival
posted December 22nd, 2010. modified December 23rd, 2010
It appears that the CMI
which is now responsible for the Edinburgh Film Festival has decided
against appointing a new artistic director. Alongside other media
outlets BBC News reports
that it will operate with a string of curators who will work with a new
producer, James Mullighan. Former artistic director, Mark Cousins, will
be responsible for shaping the artistic vision for 2011. He will work
alongside Tilda Swinton, actress and a patron of the festival, and
Lynda Myles. A complete "reinvention" of the event is promised. The
Guardian subsequently covered some of the new ideas.
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Council votes in favour of Assembly Rooms renovation
posted December 17th, 2010.
It is reported in The Scotsman
that Edinburgh City Council has voted in favour of the Assembly Rooms
refurbishment project. Historic Scotland has still to give its final
go-ahead although it has previously indicated that it supports the
proposed plans.
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Another charity-owned venue to close
posted December 13th, 2010.
The Lot, a converted church in the Grassmarket, is to close
after the charity that runs it has decided that it is financially
unviable. The Lot has acted as a venue on various festivals, viz. Jazz,
Fringe and Magic.
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Council committee gives go-ahead to Assembly Rooms renovation
posted December 10th, 2010. modified 17th December 2010.
EdinburghGuide.com reports
that Edinburgh City Council's Development Management Sub-Committee has
given the go-ahead to the Assembly rooms refurbishment project.
Meanwhile, Kath Mainland, head of the Fringe, has called for the project to be put on hold pending an amicable solution between the council and Burdett-Coutts' Assembly Theatre organisation.
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Last ditch plea to stop Assembly Rooms renovation
posted December 7th, 2010.
William Burdett-Coutts, artistic director of Assembly, is making a last
minute attempt to stop the imminent renovation of the Assembly Rooms. He has an article in The Scotsman and has launched a website with a petition, www.savetheassemblyrooms.com.
The plan to build shops and a restaurant on the ground floor will mean
the demise of a number of performing spaces, viz. the Edinburgh Suite,
Supper Room, Wildman Room and West Drawing Room. This will just leave
the two large spaces, the Music Hall and Ballroom. Small and medium
productions, principally drama, will be the main losers. While this may
be a good move for Edinburgh as a city - though I struggle to believe
that George Street needs yet another restaurant - it is not good news
for the Festival. I have signed the petition.
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Attempts to save Forest Café
posted November 28th, 2010.
The campaign to save the Forest Café is benefiting from a fair amount of publicity. Impassioned pleas can be read in Ericka Duffy's guest blog in The Guardian and Honour Bayes's blog in FourthWall Magazine. In addition, more general coverage can be found in places like The List and The Guardian.
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Changes to the Fringe's constitution
posted November 22nd, 2010. last modified November 25th, 2010.
At
a meeting over the weekend changes were agreed to the Fringe
constitution, the first in 40 years. They follow a year-long project
which included a number of open consultation sessions. Initial
information on the changes was available in The Scotsman and EdinburghGuide.com:
no limit on the number of members of the society (there have been
around 200 in recent years); no restrictions on membership; a
"participants' council" for artists, producers and promoters to help
tackle major issues and lobby the board; reserved places on the board
for performers and venue operators; and the ability to appoint
individuals with specialist expertise to the board. The Stage subsequently supplied further detail.
"The make-up of the board will be four performer members, four members
nominated by venues and four members who have “an interest in the
furtherance of the charitable objectives of the society”. These 12 will
be able to co-opt a further four directors to take up any skills gap.
The new participants council will comprise a maximum of 12 society
members, with four each from members who are performers, producers of
Fringe shows or are nominated by a registered fringe venue. Council and
board members will be elected by all members of the Fringe."
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Expensive saga of the Usher Hall project
posted November 17th, 2010.
The Scotsman "reveals" that the total cost of the second phase of the renovation of the Usher Hall was £27.5m,
three times more than was originally estimated. The project was dogged
by problems, including the discovery of structural problems in the
building. It has seen the announcements of a series of completion
openings which were often not met, the most recent being the
development and pedestrianisation of the "arts quarter" which was
supposed to be ready in time for the 2010 festival but has only
recently been unveiled.
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Debate on issues facing the festivals
posted November 16th, 2010.
The go-ahead has been given for a third debate on the issues which face the Edinburgh festivals, according to The Scotsman.
The first two were obviously not well advertised and I have been unable
to find any reports on them. Have you? I would like to know if you
have.
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More on Asian Pacific theme for EIF 2011
posted November 15th, 2010.
Further information on the proposed Asian Pacific theme for the 2011 Edinburgh International Festival has appeared in The Guardian and The Scotsman.
Proposed productions include: the National Ballet of China's Peony
Pavilion (a 500 year old love-story akin to Romeo and Juliet); an
adaptation of Hamlet by the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe; the Seoul
Philharmonic Orchestra; and a Vietnamese production, Drought and Rain,
which looks at the human cost of war. The full programme will not be
revealed until late March.
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Film Festival to have earlier launch in 2011
posted November 11th, 2010.
Edinburgh Film Festival ticket sales were 10% down in 2010. BBC News reports
that the very late launch of the 2010 festival - only a matter of weeks
before the festival itself - is blamed for the decrease. The 2011
launch will happen earlier, probably before the programme has been
finalised.
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Summary of 2010 festival statistics on ticket sales
posted November 11th, 2010. modified November 12th, 2010.
From BBC News:
Film Festival ticket sales down 10%; Book Festival down 5%; Mela up
30%; while the Military Tattoo, International Festival and Jazz &
Blues Festival were broadly similar to 2009. The Scotsman subsequently published the actual figures.
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New chairman for Art Festival
posted November 9th, 2010. modified November 10th, 2010.
Art Daily reports
that Robert Wilson, founder of the sculpture park Jupiter Artland
outside Edinburgh, is to become chairman of the Edinburgh Art Festival,
taking over from Tessa Jackson. Meanwhile, the organisers estimate that
there were over 500,000 visitors to the 2010 Art Festival.
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New leader for Mela Festival
posted November 6th, 2010.
The Scotsman reports
that Stephen Stenning has been appointed to take charge of the
Edinburgh Mela Festival. He replaces Liam Sinclair who has run it for
the past three years.
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Three Fringe venues at risk
posted October 30th, 2010. modified November 4th, 2010.
Several media outlets, including The Stage, report that the charity EUS (Edinburgh University Settlement)
has gone into administration with debts of over £300K and a loss of 40
jobs. The charity owns the Roxy Art House (a Fringe and general arts
venue), the Forest Cafe & Arts Centre where the Forest Fringe
has taken place in recent years and The GRV in Guthrie Street. It
appears that the Forest Cafe & Arts Centre and The GRV were put up
for sale early last month. The Scotsman subsequently claimed that total debts may be up to £4m.
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One-stop shop ticketing system put on hold
posted October 29th, 2010.
The Scotsman "reveals"
that Clicket, the one-stop shop website which should allow tickets to
be booked across multiple festivals, has been put on hold indefinitely.
The system was due to be trialled during the summer but this never
happened. The parent company of Ticketswitch, the software supplier,
subsequently went into administration and Ticketswitch is currently
undergoing a management shake-up. The Audience Business,
a development agency for the arts around Edinburgh that is project
managing the system, has indicated that they are in the process of
renegotiating the contract with Ticketswitch. The general view, true or
false, seems to be that the system may not be rolled out for the 2011
festival, while some cynics doubt that it will ever see the light of
day. We shall see.
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IdeasTap - call for 2011 applications
posted October 27th, 2010.
The Stage reports that IdeasTap,
the independent arts charity for young people, has opened applications
for its 2011 "Ideas Fund Edinburgh". Two companies will each be awarded
£10K towards the cost of taking productions to next year's Fringe. The
main criteria are that there must be 4 or more players on stage and
that the lead applicant must be aged between 16 and 25 on the closing
date for applications - November 29th, 2010.
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Asian Pacific theme for EIF 2011?
posted October 21st, 2010.
The Scotsman claims
that the main theme for the 2011 Edinburgh International Festival will
be the culture of the Asian Pacific region. It reports that artistic
director, Jonathan Mills, leaves today for a fact finding tour of India
and China. One of the attractions of this region must be its wealth and
the potential for governments in the region to fund performances in
Edinburgh, which would obviously help to offset reductions in the EIF's
UK subsidies.
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EIFF chairman steps down
posted October 15th, 2010.
Iain Smith, the chairman of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, has stood down
after two years in the role. This follows on from the recent
resignation of artistic director, Hannah McGill. The Edinburgh Film
Festival, Edinburgh Filmhouse and Edinburgh Film Guild all now come
under the control of the newly formed parent body, The Centre for the
Moving Image.
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Latest on Assembly Rooms refurbishment
posted October 12th, 2010.
The on-off saga of the refurbishment of the Assembly Rooms appears to be back on according to an article in The Scotsman.
After the previous failure to obtain a £2.7m grant from the Heritage
Lottery Fund for a proposed £12m project it now seems that HLF will
back a reduced £9.3m project and is prepared to provide £471K towards
the total cost. If the project does go ahead it is likely to start in
early 2011. The major changes will include: new seating in The Music
Hall, retail units on the ground floor, a restaurant and additional
bars throughout the building.
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Made in Scotland 2011 - Call for applications
posted September 27th, 2010.
Made
in Scotland is a showcase of Scottish theatre and dance at the
Edinburgh Fringe. It is a joint initiative between Creative Scotland,
the Edinburgh Fringe and the Federation of Scottish Theatre, and it is
supported through the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo
Fund. Applications are now being requested for 2011. Surgeries are
being held in Edinburgh on 5th October 2010 and in Glasgow on the 15th
October. The closing date for applications is 22nd November 2010. Full details can be found on the Creative Scotland website.
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New seating for the King's Theatre
posted September 23rd, 2010.
The Scotsman reports
that the King's Theatre is looking for a contractor to replace the aged
and very uncomfortable seats in the stalls and grand circle. This will
form the first phase of a limited £2m project; the original plans spoke
of a £12m renovation project. It is expected that the theatre will be
closed for 12 weeks, starting in April 2011. The King's currently acts
as one of the main venues for drama and opera during the International
Festival.
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EIF ticket revenue 3% up
posted September 6th, 2010. modified September 8th, 2010.
As the firework display
brought the 2010 Edinburgh International Festival to a close, a very
limited set of statistics were released: ticket revenue was £2.67m, 3%
up on last year; and almost 50% of tickets were purchased by people
with EH post codes. The Herald subsequently revealed
that net ticket sales (omitting guest tickets, special offers etc)
stood at 135,793, a very marginal increase over the 2009 figure of
134,444. The Stage followed a day later with the most comprehensive item on this topic.
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"Lies, damned lies and Fringe statistics"
posted September 3rd, 2010; previous August 31st, 2010.
As alluded to in an article in The Stage on the recently announced Fringe statistics, The Scotsman has revealed
that ticket sales for 2009 and 2010 have included an estimate of people
who attended free non-ticketed shows that come under the suspices of
the promoter Laughing Horse. The revised sales figures excluding these
elements are 1.74m in 2009 and 1.83m in 2010 - the 2010 figure is
120,000 less than previously announced. While on the subject of playing
games with numbers, there are not 259 venues as the Fringe likes to
trumpet ... 259 performing spaces perhaps (though I doubt even that)
but certainly not 259 venues.
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Festival in the Sky fails to attract
posted September 1st, 2010; previous June 1st, 2010.
Festival
in the Sky, the opportunity to dine at a table perched high above West
Princes Street Gardens suspended from a crane, failed to take off according to The Scotsman. Organisers were disappointed with the response despite slashing prices in an attempt to attract punters.
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Book festival 2010 visitors down marginally
posted August 31st, 2010; modified September 2nd, 2010
The Bookseller reports
that the ticket sales for the 2010 Edinburgh International Book
festival are down by 3% on the 2009 figures. Visitor figures, at around
200,000, are on a par with 2008.
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Fringe 2010 ticket sales and statistics
posted August 31st, 2010. modified September 1st, 2010.
Initial
statistics have been put out by the Fringe Society for the 2010
festival. The headline figure is a new record of 1.95m tickets sold.
This beats the previous record of 1.85m in 2009 by 5%. Other stats
include: 40,254 performances of 2,453 shows in 259 performing spaces;
comedy made up 35% of the overall programme, theatre 29% and music 16%.
Articles on this topic can be found in The Scotsman, Guardian and Herald, although I found the one in The Stage slightly more objective.
As
reported yesterday, some venue chiefs have expressed concerns about low
attendances in the last week of the festival. As this coincided with
the start of the school year, there are views in some quarters that
this points to fewer tourists visiting the Scottish capital for the
festival. There are also concerns that ticket sales have reached a
natural limit, coupled with a certain degree of apprehension that 2011
will be tougher due to the recession.
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Fringe venue chiefs report mixed success
posted August 30th, 2010.
While we wait for the Fringe statistics, The Scotsman fills the void by gauging reaction among the venue chiefs.
While some are (unsurprisingly) eternally optimistic, others express
concerns about low attendances in the final week and signs of the
recession having a greater effect this year.
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RBS Fringe sponsorship in doubt
posted August 27th, 2010.
RBS sponsorship of free entertainment on the Royal Mile and the Mound expires next week and according to The Scotsman
it is in danger of not being renewed. The backing for the Fringe,
including the provision of bins, poster towers and stages, is reputedly
worth £100K.
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Film Festival artistic director to step down
posted August 25th, 2010.
EdinburghGuide.com reports
that Hannah McGill has decided to step down from her role as artistic
director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. She has been in
the role since 2006.
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Fringe Society 2010 AGM
posted August 24th, 2010.
The Stage summarises the Fringe Society's 2010 AGM
which was held on Saturday August 21st, 2010: a profit of £125,905 was
recorded for the year ended November 30th, 2009; a final consultatation
meeting on proposed changes to the constitution will be held on October
14th, 2010; followed by an extraordinary general meeting on the subject
on November 21st, 2010 - both meetings will be held in Edinburgh.
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Half-hearted cries of "dont reduce our subsidies"
posted August 16th, 2010.
There are several articles floating around at the moment - for example here and here and here
- which complain that grants and subsidies to the festivals should not
be reduced. While I understand the thinking which says that the media
and the punters are here in Edinburgh now and therefore we should shout
our case from the rooftops, it is in fact neither the time nor the
place. Everybody - administrators, the majority of the media,
performers and punters - are far too concerned with the arts themselves
at the moment. The cries are in fact relatively weak and lack
conviction. I am not sure when would be the best time to go on the
offensive, possibly after the festivals have finished but when the
subject is still fresh in peoples' minds? Of course, it could be that
the lack of conviction simply reflects the probable and inevitable
futility of any lobbying.
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Some angry performers at the Fringe Society's open meeting
posted August 11th, 2010.
Both The Herald and The Scotsman
report on anger expressed by performers at the Fringe Society's open
meeting yesterday to discuss potential changes to its constitution. The
topic which caused the trouble is the subject of who should be allowed
to become a member of the society. The Fringe's decision earlier in the
year to suspend membership pending decisions on the constitution
appears to have upset many people at the meeting although a Fringe
spokesperson said that they only had records of 14 individuals being
affected. The performers - it is estimated that around 100 were present
- voted overwhelmingly against the scrapping of The Fringe's current
"open door" policy. The Fringe was at pains to indicate that this is
not a final vote but just part of its general consultation process. The
board is currently due to decide on a date to decide the way forward
later this month - it will probably be in the autumn. The Stage subsequently provided a slightly more measured account of proceedings, indicating a more constructive debate on the subject of board membership.
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Edinburgh bed tax plans?
posted August 9th, 2010.
The Herald writes
that Edinburgh may be planning to impose a hotel bed tax (possibly 2%)
to provide funds to market the city and its festivals. This idea was
first mooted in the Thundering Hooves Report
(2006) and has been discussed several times since. It is not clear if
any definite moves are afoot or if this is simply a newspaper filling
space during festival time. See Future Threats for my thoughts on some of the issues that Edinburgh faces.
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Initial roll out of one-stop festival ticket outlet delayed
posted August 6th, 2010.
The Scotsman reports
that the long awaited one-stop festival ticket facility that was due to
be introduced by Festivals Edinburgh, the overall umbrella organisation
for marketing all the city's festivals, has been delayed. It is now
hoped that it will be introduced later in the year.
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Number of official festival flyposting sites to be doubled
posted August 2nd, 2010.
Illegal
flyposting during the festival has always a huge problem for the city
council. Last year's trial of legal sites was considered successful
enough that this year the number of sites will be doubled to 900. There is a fee. One deal provides space for 10 A3 posters for £50.
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