As comedians slam 'monstrous' decision

Edinburgh Fringe chiefs have defended plans to build a £7million new headquarters at a time many artists are struggling with the financial burden of bringing a show to the festival.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced £8.6million support for Edinburgh’s festivals in his Budget, with the lion’s share going to the Fringe Society.

Following the announcement, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: ‘Countless stars get their big break at Edinburgh Festivals and this funding will help us safeguard a future where upcoming British talent can capitalise on the opportunities on offer’.

But that talent was outraged that the money would not be helping them out, but going towards building a new ‘hub’ in the city.

Janey Godley tweeted: ‘Great, just what the Edinburgh fringe needs - new offices. As a regular fringe performer I can count in one hand the times I used the fringe office- we have to pay £300 odd to get listed in a brochure and social media has even made that obsolete - what a carry on.’

Rachel Parris added: ‘If they do this, that is monstrous. The Fringe is almost impossible for performers to afford now and therefore, will stop existing without them.  And you’re spending your gifted millions on a new office? Totally unnecessary, mad, infuriating.’

Freddy Quinne put it more bluntly, saying: ‘I am now convinced that the Edinburgh Fringe society is in fact a social experiment to see how hard you can fuck comedians up the arse before they do something about it.’

But festival chiefs say their hands are tied as the money was ‘ringfenced to be used against capital spending’ – so cannot be used to ease running costs.

And in a tweet they insisted: ‘We're not moving into plush new offices’ – later adding ‘This not about a new HQ for the Fringe Society; it is about the creation of a Fringe community hub in Edinburgh.’

In a statement heavy with public-sector buzzwords like ‘community’ and ‘partnership’,  the Fringe Society said: ‘Since 2017, in our published blueprint, we had set out an aspiration to have a central community-based hub to house all the services offered by the Fringe Society, and provide a space for our community partners, artists, visiting arts industry and media.

‘This is not about a new HQ for the Fringe Society; it is about the creation of a Fringe community hub in Edinburgh, and at its heart is to be a partnership with other community and creative partners in the city. It is a project that will be shaped in the coming years with city partners and Fringe participants on how the space can best support them at festival-time and throughout the year.’

The Society also pointed out that it  has lobbying for support for the Fringe on several fronts,  ‘including every possible route to sourcing more affordable and available accommodation’ – a cost which is spiralling beyond the reach of many performers.

It also recently announced an artists’ support fund, largely supported by Phoebe Waller-Bridge streaming the live theatre version of her Fleabag one-woman show,

The statement added: ‘We are acutely aware of the enormous challenges facing the whole Fringe community and indeed the wider arts sector, and will not stop in our advocacy for more resource and support across all the vital areas of need. We have had nothing in writing from the UK Government at this point, and need to understand fully what the capital funding offer is; we will then provide a fuller update. 

Published: 17 Mar 2023