Artists, performers, creatives, and their communities from across Scotland will have their work presented as part of this year’s Made in Scotland Showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The 2024 programme will welcome fourteen shows from all over the country across a range of dance, music, theatre and interdisciplinary work. With international audiences, industry and media visiting the artists and performers will enjoy a unique opportunity to present their work with the potential of taking it to audiences across the world.
Established in 2009, this essential programme of work has supported 273 shows to date, has nurtured and encouraged international creative dialogue, and has been the catalyst for many exciting international collaborations. The onward touring fund component has supported over 100 productions in visiting over forty countries, providing an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Scottish work around the world.
This year’s showcase reflects the changing landscape of expression across the nation with traditional forms like theatre, which Scotland is known for, to new multidisciplinary works where voices in new forms are finding emerging audiences. Themes explored include international music collaboration, a musical love story, a Wild West dance spectacular, intergenerational ideas of masculinity, deforestation tackled in a miniature opera and life in the community after incarceration.
The selected works will be performed across ten venues throughout Edinburgh, including the Traverse Theatre, Summerhall, Assembly@ Dance Base, the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Assembly Roxy. Other spaces include live music venue The Queens Hall and club La Belle Angele. Fringe-specific venues also include ZOO Southside, Assembly George Square and New Town Church.
The Onward Touring fund component has supported over 100 productions in visiting over forty countries, providing an unparalleled opportunity to showcase Scottish work around the world. This level of engagement would not have been possible without ongoing support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO Fund through Creative Scotland. Through this support, the vibrancy and vitality of Scotland’s cultural landscape will be proudly on display during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August. From established, and award-winning companies, to new work from world class performers, audiences will be captivated by this year’s Made in Scotland programme.
The full programme can be found here
Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture said:
“Scotland has a rich, internationally-renowned cultural heritage, and in bringing some of our best new talent to audiences around the world, the Made in Scotland Showcase highlights how that legacy continues to evolve in new and inspiring ways.
“The Scottish Government is committed to enhancing the international presence of our culture sector and we’re therefore proud to have supported this year’s showcase with £550,000 funding through our Expo fund, which is designed to help festivals innovate and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists who contribute to them.”
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said: “The Made in Scotland showcase is a chance for our finest performing talent to be seen internationally and is an incredibly important platform for Scottish artists to have their work performed and promoted. All the works are chosen for the showcase by an international panel of experts and then presented at the Fringe to arts industry professionals from across the globe with a view to future touring and a life beyond the Fringe. Every year I’m amazed by the talent and creativity that make up the Made in Scotland showcase and I am proud that it has become a model of showcasing talent that other countries have recreated.”
Head of Theatre at Creative Scotland Laura Mackenzie-Stuart said:
“This year’s Showcase features exceptional Scottish talent, compelling writing and breathtaking staging, ready to captivate audiences at home and abroad. The Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund is at the core of the incredibly valuable Made In Scotland initiative enabling the development and international reach of Scottish dance, theatre and music through unique networking opportunities with promoters, increasing the diversity of international promoters at the festivals, fostering creative dialogue, and supporting international collaborations. As a proud partner with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Federation of Scottish Theatre and Scottish Music Centre we’re confident that this year’s broad spectrum of productions, representing a variety of age and audience, will broadcast the high-quality work from Scotland far and wide on the global stage.
Fiona Sturgeon Shea, CEO of Federation of Scottish Theatre said:
“International collaboration and the vibrant exchange of ideas have always been cornerstones of the performing arts in Scotland. At FST, we’re delighted to continue our partnership in Made in Scotland, which shines a light on just some of the innovative, entertaining and meaningful live performance created and produced by artists living and working here. The valuable work of these artists enriches the global conversation at a time when this is more essential than ever.”
Gill Maxwell, Executive Director, Scottish Music Centre said:
“We are proud to partner in the Made in Scotland Showcase again presenting an array of music shows and styles that highlight the talent and aspirations of composers, songwriters, musicians and artists working in Scotland today on the world stage.
There is an incredible selection of work on offer this year from across Scotland, from a collaborative project between international musicians based in Scotland who have experienced displacement and migration, music that explores the challenge of returning home from prison and re-integration to uplifting and inspirational Orcadian music.”
