Edinburgh Festival organisers have fun success of ‘vital’ Fringe
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rganisers have hailed this 12 months’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe as “one of the most vital and memorable” because it attracts to a detailed on Monday.
The programme featured greater than 3,000 exhibits, with 288 venues internet hosting a various choice of work from Scotland, the remainder of the UK and international locations world wide.
Artists, arts business representatives, media and audiences from practically 170 international locations have been in Edinburgh for the August occasion with 2,445,609 tickets issued throughout the pageant.
The themes and points tackled by artists within the 2023 programme included psychological well being and wellbeing, incapacity, queer lives, working-class illustration and the local weather disaster.
Benny Higgins, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society chairman, mentioned: “The discussions and debates held at this year’s festival have made it one of the most vital and memorable – and one of the loudest conversations was the one around affordability.
“Certainly artists are facing some of the most severe challenges ever, and while the Fringe Society will continue to do everything in its collective power to support artists, this will become harder and harder without finding support commensurate with its contribution to the economy.
“We will continue to make the case for funding, to protect what the Fringe represents – an unrivalled outpouring of creative expression.”
Entertainment was not confined to venues as virtually 500 avenue performers, buskers and avenue artists carried out on The Mound and Royal Mile as a part of the Fringe avenue occasions.
This 12 months’s Fringe additionally attracted practically 1,400 accredited producers, programmers, bookers, expertise businesses, festivals and others from 49 international locations, who come to Edinburgh seeking to discover expertise and exhibits.
As a part of efforts to enhance entry and group engagement, 35 native faculties, charities and group teams took half within the Fringe Days Out scheme, which gives free Fringe vouchers and Lothian bus tickets to individuals who wouldn’t usually get to expertise the Fringe.
In addition, greater than 800 schoolchildren and lecturers got here to the pageant as a part of the Fringe Society’s faculties outreach work.
Shona McCarthy, chief govt of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, mentioned: “This year’s Fringe has been one that’s felt fresh, brave and energetic, and has sparked joy, discussion and provocation in equal measure, tackling the prevalent issues of our times and looking at them afresh through the creative lens and ingenuity of the performing artists.
“People come from all over the world to perform here, to see shows and to commission work. This festival remains a beacon for people to share and discuss ideas – I want to express my heartfelt thanks and admiration to everyone who makes it happen.
“Congratulations to the whole Fringe community of Fringe 2023; we will be relentless in our ongoing work to ensure that the Edinburgh Fringe lives up to its mantra – to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat.”
Next 12 months’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe will run from August 2 to 26 2024.