EdFringe lottery will continue as long as opportunities remain limited for early-career artists

Shona McCarthy, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s outgoing chief executive who has always worn her emotions on her sleeve, has done an exit interview after 10 years. It landed as emails about Edinburgh-bound shows started arriving thick and fast. It is worrying then to note that the Keep It Fringe fund, offering 180 bursaries of £2,500 each, may not extend beyond this year if the monies cannot be found to fund it. The Fringe Society has just bagged £300,000 from the Scottish government but that is earmarked for data gathering and international opportunities.

Part of me wants to applaud the bravery and optimism of those early-career artists who have signed up for the fray hoping this year will be their year, making all the risks worthwhile. The other part wants them to stop a moment and imagine themselves this time next year if the show hasn’t sold as they hoped, the reviews were so-so and the programmers and producers failed to come. Some will still think it was worthwhile because they will have met an audience, learned much and met lifelong friends and collaborators. There are many ways to assess the value of the fringe to an artist.

What’s undeniable is that the potential benefits come with a rising price tag, one that means that while the festival may be open access, it is not available to all. So, it was good to hear Fleabag and Baby Reindeer producer Francesca Moody stating firmly that producers who have found success at the Edinburgh Fringe should give something back to support up-and-coming theatremakers. Don’t draw up the ladders behind you, instead lower them for others.

I have always admired those who have been generous after finding success in the industry and given something back, whether that is Michael Grandage’s MGCfutures scheme or octogenarian Ian McKellen touring the country, donating the profits to venues and theatre charities. It doesn’t have to be money; advice, time and mentorship are just as crucial, too. Generosity and giving away information costs nothing.

Moody is right that the Edinburgh Fringe is a great learning curve for anyone intent on a career in theatre, but also wise to point to the fact that it is becoming increasingly available only to the few. However problematic it may be, it will remain the go-to option for many, as long as there are so few alternatives available.

Richard Jordan’s recent dispatch from the Adelaide Fringe probing whether a fast-growing global fringe circuit might dim Edinburgh’s spotlight is pertinent, but Australia is only an option for more established UK-based artists and unlikely to help those at far earlier stages of their careers. Or those trying to limit their CO2

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