Looking for an Edinburgh Fringe venue?
Although our roots are in Comedy, we have expanded in the last few years to include Theatre, Spoken Word, Cabaret, Children’s Shows ,Music, Science & Rationalism and Dance. We will consider any show that we don’t deem offensive or not good enough, so long as you adhere to our Ethos and Conditions. But the main two things you need to remember are:
1) You must help out above and beyond your own show. The Free Fringe is an entirely voluntary organisation. We believe that remaining entirely voluntary gives shows the best chance of succeeding on their own merits.
Nobody gets paid, including Peter himself, they do it because they know it works; that performers, audience, venues and even advertisers get the best deal. Read how you can help here.
2) Since the creation of the Free Fringe, other organisations have sprung up claiming to be free. Needless to say, they aren’t. They either charge a fee to the performers or are in hock to sponsors, often both, and all of them now ticket shows for audiences giving a clear advantage to those that can afford it. These include Laughing Horse, Heroes of Fringe and Just The Tonic. If you apply to us, then you, or any regular member of your cast, must not have agreed, be in negotiations, or applied to perform with any of these organisations.
The Free Fringe is the most rewarding and supportive environment you could hope for as a performer in Edinburgh. Everyone helps set up the venues and we all promote them together. The voluntary aspect actually helps you as you network with more performers, share tips on getting audience in, celebrate successes and commiserate when things aren’t so good.
Applications usually open around October, with the first allocations made in the New Year. Although you may not specify a particular venue (“it’s that or nothing!”), you may express a preference, so try to be organised and get in early. Instructions on how to apply are in the Ethos and Conditions on the next page.
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