FringeMakers is making the best of the Fringe that wasn’t – Shona McCarthy

It’s hard to believe this is the first Monday in August. Back in Edinburgh BC (Before Corona), this day might have been spent watching the first, excited previews of a brand-new show, meeting long-missed friends in a pop-up beer garden or taking stock on an ever-growing diary of plans for the month. I don’t think any of us imagined we’d be here today, reflecting on what it means to stand in the city with its arts venues in darkness. With artists and audiences kept apart. With silence on the streets.

Over the last few months, and in extraordinary circumstances, so many venues and artists have come together to create new work – from live streamed shows to socially distanced performances – and now they need your help to keep it going.

On the back of an estimated £21m blow to the Fringe ecosystem we’ve teamed up with Crowdfunder to launch FringeMakers – a Fringe-wide fundraising initiative which is designed to help Fringe artists and venues raise vital funds in the absence of a physical festival in 2020. In exchange for donating, you can access a range of rewards, from access to shows to merchandise.

Every participant on FringeMakers can also sell access to AJ Bell Fringe on Friday – a digital smorgasbord of Fringe talent streaming every Friday evening at 9pm during August. Through this, you’ll be able to enjoy some classic Fringe talent, with performances from the likes of Abandoman, Magical Bones, Daniel Sloss, Fern Brady, Briefs, Bernie Dieter, Craig Hill, Michael Odewale, Sadia Azmat. The first edition will be hosted by the brilliant Suzi Ruffell, with Nigel Ng, Jayde Adams and Courtney Act also confirmed to host later editions.

We know so many people will be delighted to see a return of some Fringe fun, but the best part is that the cost of every ticket sold (£9 – less than your average Fringe tickets) goes directly to Fringe artists, venues and creatives.

You can buy a ticket by donating on the page of your favourite Fringe artist or venue or through the central FringeMakers site. All the information is at crowdfund.edfringe.com.

I’m holding on to hope, today. When I look back to where we were in April, when we called a halt to festival planning, I remember how uncertain everything felt. Things are far from back to normal, but just being able to share something concrete, optimistic and rooted in creativity today is encouraging. It’s not the Fringe as we know it, but hopefully it’s the first step on a long journey towards a better future.

At this moment in time, none of us know exactly what the future looks like, or where we’ll be next August. We only know that, as we plan to rebuild a Fringe we can all be proud of, we want to hear from as many voices as we can. We’re looking for new members right now – particularly those from diverse backgrounds who may never have been engaged in the Fringe before – to help us shape the future of our charity and indeed the wider festival. If you’re interested in signing up, Please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Shona McCarthy is chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society