PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOW CLOSED.
Our selected company are Right Lines Productions, who are bringing their play Man Shed to Pleasance Courtyard from 3 Aug to 29 Aug for Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Find out more by clicking here.
The Pleasance Trust and Eden Court Highlands
Edinburgh National Partnerships – Artist / Company Open Call
Introduction
Eden Court are delighted to be working with the Pleasance Theatre as part of their Edinburgh National Partnerships programme to support one Scottish artist or company who plans to take work to Edinburgh Fringe in 2022.
The Pleasance (Edinburgh) is working with partner theatres across the UK to identify and support exceptional artists and companies local to them who want to take work to the Fringe. Each partner has a commitment to supporting and developing new artists.
For 2022, Eden Court Highlands is delighted to be one of the partner organisations alongside York Theatre Royal, Bristol Old Vic, HOME Manchester, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Sherman Theatre and Leicester Curve.
Working with The Pleasance, we will identify dynamic artists at different stages in their careers, with the primary aim of the scheme being to uncover and support the best companies and artists based in Highlands (or connected to the Highlands) to present work at the Fringe! For this year, we are broadening the scope of our call out to Scottish artists outwith the central belt, who are often under-represented and face extra challenges to bring work to the Fringe.
Edinburgh National Partnerships – What is it?
After a successful pilot year in 2019, The Pleasance are continuing the Edinburgh National Partnerships, building on the opportunity by increasing the level of support offered and broadening its geographical reach. This initiative aims to identify and support exceptional artists and companies in different regions who want to take work to the Fringe. This programme recognises the extraordinary work being created all over the country, and hopes to provide tangible support to these companies to present at the Fringe. Together, we hope to make a substantial contribution to develop the next generation of leading theatre-makers and companies.
What we are looking for?
We are looking for artists or companies who are based outwith the central belt (Glasgow/Edinburgh) and particularly those who have a connection to the Highlands, who plan to bring a piece of live performance to the Fringe this year. The work does not need to be finished by the application stage, but you should have a clearly developed vision and idea for the show and be planning to present a complete piece of work (not a work in progress).
We are interested in hearing from both established and emerging artists and companies who have a genuine interest in presenting work at the Fringe.
In line with our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion ambitions, we encourage responses from artists and companies who: speak or create work in Gaelic; identify as being from a working class background and/or have experienced social and economic barriers to employment in the arts; identify as disabled; identify as members of the LGBTI+ community.
As a multi-art form venue we would be interested in a wide range of types of live performance.
What support can you expect?
- Up to £2000 financing from the Pleasance towards the costs of presenting your show at the Fringe
- Guaranteed inclusion within the Pleasance Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme
- Edinburgh Fringe registration covered by Eden Court
- One-week minimum of in-kind rehearsal and development space
- A programming option at Eden Court after the Fringe
- A programming option in the Pleasance London transfer run after the Fringe
- Support to deliver accessible performances as part of the Fringe run
- Mentorship, support and advice from both Eden Court and The Pleasance leading up to, and during the Fringe
- Support to build new touring relationships with other National Partnership venues
How to respond
We are interested in what you say, rather than how you say it. Please apply in whichever format feels comfortable for you. This could be in writing, an audio recording or a video.
In your response you should tell us the following:
- Your company/artist name
- Your show title
- A bit about yourself or your company, where you are based and whether you have any connections to the Highlands
- A bit about the show – the content, form, style, inspiration
- Who the target audience is and why
- What you’d hope to get from the opportunity and how it would help your development
- Links to any supplementary material in support of your application (this could include videos/trailers of previous work, R&D footage, scripts/excerpts, images, etc.)
- The name of your primary contact and their contact details (phone and email)
- · Your access requirements if invited to an online meeting
Please send submissions to producing@eden-court.co.uk by noon on Monday 21st March.
Selection Process
All responses will be reviewed by Eden Court and the Pleasance Trust together. We will invite a number of artists and companies to join us for a 30-40 minute informal conversation.
These conversations will be based on the information you have provided in your response. It’s a chance for you to talk to us about your work first-hand and will give us an opportunity to ask you questions, as well as answer any questions you may have.
If invited to join us for one of these conversations, we will ask you to bring a draft budget for the Edinburgh run of the show for us to look at. We’ll provide you with a template for this if you need one.
Timeline
- Call Out opens for responses: Monday 28th February
- Deadline for responses: noon, Monday 21st March
- Artists and companies advised if they are invited to meet us: Wednesday 30thMarch
- Selection conversations: week of 4th April
- Confirmation of successful artist/company: Friday 8th April
We are aiming to have all National Partnership shows confirmed in time for the Fringe’s early bird registration deadline which is 13th April.
Questions
If you have any questions you’d like to ask ahead of submitting your application, please get in touch with Susannah Armitage, Senior Producer, at sarmitage@eden-court.co.uk