Edinburgh Festival Fringe

The Edinburgh Festivals are a crucial visit in the theatre calendar. Every year, house brings a delegation of venue representatives from across the network for four days in August. This year we're arriving on Monday 19th and departing on Friday 23rd August 2024.

This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow programmers from across the southeast of England, see new and exciting work, and meet with artists and companies performing at the festival. We also use the trip as a way to see work that could potentially tour across the region and to your venue.

house arranges 4 nights of subsidised accommodation, including breakfast for a select number of member venues, staying at Pollock Halls, a student accommodation complex situated in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat and a short walk from Edinburgh Old Town.

We also host a welcome dinner on Monday night to give delegates a chance to get to know each other, and this year we will also be organising a networking breakfast with artists and companies who are interested in touring their shows in the southeast. Attendance at both events is essential.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings we arrange informal meet-ups at the end of the day giving delegates a chance to swap recommendations and talk about the work they’ve seen – and on a more practical note, find people to walk back to the accommodation with. We also stay connected through an optional WhatsApp group.

Buddy Scheme

We love taking first-time attendees to Edinburgh but know that the scale of the festivals, and even the layout of the city, can be overwhelming. To make the experience less daunting, we have a buddy scheme that partners first-time visitors with more experienced Edinburgh go-ers. If you are offered a place and would like a buddy, we’ll put you in touch with someone who can talk you through ways to put together your schedule, what programming the venues specialise in, and where you’ll find everything.

Sustainability

The house team has pledged to travel up to Edinburgh in a more sustainable way. A five-hour train journey from Kings Cross to Edinburgh only emits 23.62 KG CO₂ e, compared to 145.07 KG CO_{2 e} emitted during the same journey via a commercial flight. This year we’re asking delegates to join us in a commitment to travel by train, coach, or car share.

How to apply

Applications are now closed.

Q&As

Who can apply?

Any representative of a venue registered with the house southeast theatre network can apply for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe subsidy.

NB we cannot support more than one attendee from any organisation – this includes those that run more than one venue. Before applying, please decide upon the most appropriate person to attend.

My venue is an NPO, can I still apply?

Representatives from NPOs are welcome to apply though please explain in your application why your funding would not cover the cost of the accommodation.

When is the deadline?

9 am, Monday 15 April 2024

When will I find out the outcome of my application?

All applicants will be contacted by the end of April. If you are not offered a place but decide to still come to Edinburgh between 19th and 23rd August do let us know. You are most welcome to attend the networking events including the Monday night dinner and to join the WhatsApp group.

Where is the accommodation?

We’re staying at Pollock Halls, a large student accommodation complex to the South of Edinburgh city centre.

While we can’t guarantee a specific room in a specific block, each delegate will have their own single room with en-suite facilities. If you have specific access requirements, please let us know in your application so that we can make arrangements beforehand.

What's included in the accommodation?

A self-service breakfast is available each morning in the conference centre and there is 24-hour reception and free Wi-Fi throughout. The halls are very close to Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat as well as the Commonwealth swimming pool. It’s a 12-minute walk to Summerhall, a 20-minute walk to George Square, and a 30-minute walk to Waverley station.