- Target:
- Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Participating venues, performers and audiences
- Region:
- United Kingdom
Most shows on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival lose money, or are completely out of reach financially for the performers and companies that make up the bulk of the attractions for the month of August.
Corporate sponsorship is rapidly replacing grassroots efforts to bring fresh talent to Edinburgh stages.
This proposal provides a few simple goals that would eradicate the cost-prohibition to the very talent the festival needs to perpetually attract.
Proclamation for Artistic Renewal & Petition for FRINGE REFORM
Whereas the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the original and largest performing arts festival of its’ kind in the world; and
Whereas the published purpose of the festival is to encourage and support new and original talent, productions and shows; and
Whereas the festival has become saturated with exorbitant fees, corporate sponsorship and non-performance based revenue initiatives:
We, the undersigned, strongly urge the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh Council, Offical Festival Fringe organizers, venues, and citizens of Edinburgh to find the means and take immediate steps to put in place the following measures to bring the original intended purpose of the Festival Fringe back to the forefront of festival efforts:
1. A ticket to any Fringe show should cost no more than 8 pounds.
2. All first-time shows should be listed in the festival guide free of charge.
3. The hire-fee guarantees, deposits and percentages of doors should be banned.
4. Rental fees for venues should be standardized based upon seating capacity and floor space, and officially administered through a neutral governing body with jurisdiction over all official Fringe venues.
5. Incentives for new talent:
Commercial businesses who profit as a direct result of festival activity should contribute 3.5% of their profits to a festival fund, which will be utilized to bring in new shows the following year; and,
10% of all available display advertising space should be donated to the new shows; and,
1 room from every major hotel in Edinburgh should be allocated for housing of members of the new shows.
The fund, ad space and housing allocations will be determined by impartial lottery.
We believe that these steps will insure the longevity of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and encourage participation on a grander scale.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
Martin Belk, Writer
Jim Haynes, Founding Member – Traverse Theatre & Edinburgh Fringe Festival "They should lose a sock, not their shirt"
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The EDINBURGH FRINGE REFORM petition to Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Participating venues, performers and audiences was written by Martin Belk and is in the category Arts & Entertainment at GoPetition.