I wrote the first of these messages in the winter of 2020, as a way of checking in with the Fringe community amid the uncertainty of covid, lockdown and the rest. As time has passed, these annual updates have charted a course through unsettled waters: our community emerged from the pandemic only to encounter the inexplicable hikes in the cost of everything, partnered with the decreasing availability of affordable accommodation in Edinburgh and a bleak funding landscape for artists. But the catastrophic events unfolding in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Syria – they put our tribulations into stark perspective. The dark shadow cast by war and inhumanity affects us all and weighs heavily as we try to do the best we can. My greatest hope is for more peaceful times in 2025.
As for the Fringe… It’s faced some difficulties, as have the people who make it – many of them continue to do so. It’s the festival’s innate Fringe-ness, however, that’s kept me going. The colossal effort that artists put in to bring their work to this festival – to share a part of themselves that resonates with strangers across a darkened room – is one of the most inspiring things in the world. The venues, producers, promoters, the workers, the supporters, and all those who give so much to making the Edinburgh Fringe happen every single year: the Fringe Society will continue to celebrate you and advocate for you. The message of inclusion at the heart of the Fringe is “to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat” – that’s a wonderful thing and worth championing. Our stages should always offer a voice to those who need to be heard.
This job, that I’m nearing the end of – it’s not the easiest job in the cultural sector. Whoever picks up the baton will face ongoing challenges – but they’ll also have the privilege of being involved in one of the greatest celebrations of creative freedom on the planet. I have no doubt they will take on the role with passion and commitment, because it’s impossible not to – you get swept away by it. It’s one of those jobs that you live and breathe, and it deserves it, because ultimately everyone involved in the Edinburgh Fringe is just trying to do a good thing.
Whatever you get up to over the festive period, I hope you get a chance to see a show, or watch a movie, or read a book; I hope you hear a song or encounter a piece of art that touches you, replenishes you, and helps you face whatever the next year will bring. Because 2025 will certainly bring challenges, but it will also undoubtedly bring some creative thinking, joyful times, amazing art, new ideas and voices worth hearing if you listen carefully.
Particularly around August time.
All the best,
Shona.
