UK Government’s million pound grant will guarantee fresh talent at the Fringe - Susan Dalgety

Edinburgh’s cultural community must be very grateful for the UK Government’s commitment to the arts in the Capital. Only last week, the future of the historic Filmhouse was secured after the UK government stepped in with a £1.5 million grant.
By Susan Dalgety
Published 8th Apr 2024, 07:00 BST
Street entertainers perform on Edinburgh's Royal Mile during the 2023 Fringe.Street entertainers perform on Edinburgh's Royal Mile during the 2023 Fringe.
Street entertainers perform on Edinburgh's Royal Mile during the 2023 Fringe.

Ginnie Atkinson, a former chief executive of the Filmhouse, and one of the people spearheading the move to save the cinema, said when the money was announced: “When we applied for UK Government funding the amount we went for was aspirational. To get this will be absolutely transformational for the Filmhouse.”

And a new pot of money from the UK Government looks set to transform this year’s Fringe. It has just promised a million pounds to support hundreds of performers from across Britain to appear at this year’s Festival Fringe.

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Last year, President of the Fringe Society, Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, launched a scheme “Keep it Fringe” in an effort to “nurture the next generation of British artists” by providing them with bursaries for the costs involved in putting on a show. But Creative Scotland – the Scottish Government’s creative arts agency – twice turned down requests for funding for this worthwhile scheme.

On hearing the news that UK ministers had stepped in, Waller-Bridge said it was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. And she thanked the UK Government for “recognising the cultural importance of the Fringe and the artistic freedom that defines it”.

I know that Creative Scotland, like many other public bodies, is strapped for cash. But only last month it was revealed that the agency had given nearly £100,000 to a Glasgow-based artist to produce a porn film. The agency has since withdrawn its support for the “non-simulated” sex performance, but questions must be asked about how Creative Scotland reaches its funding decisions.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the world’s greatest arts festivals and one of the reasons for its continued success is the variety of its performances each year, but the cost of appearing gets higher every year. If the Fringe is to be more than a platform for famous comics and publicity-hungry politicians, then it needs new blood. The UK Government’s million pound grant will guarantee that injection of fresh talent.

Related topics:Scottish GovernmentUK Government