Edinburgh blog: Emerging artists on the importance of funding support

The Edinburgh Fringe may be an enormous beast these days but it remains, at heart, a birthplace of exciting new work.

Artist development programmes provide huge support for the talent of tomorrow. The Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund is one of them, supporting UK-based theatremakers and comedians in bringing their work to the Fringe.

Running for 20 years with generous investment each year, this flagship fund offers support to artists through direct cash investment, programming and mentoring. Here, this year’s supported artists share their views on the increasing challenges facing emerging artists at the festival…

Caleb Lee (For The Love of Spam, Pleasance Courtyard)

“The Charlie Hartill Award is pivotal at the Fringe, providing crucial support to emerging and underrepresented artists. Beyond financial aid, it serves as a catalyst for creative freedom, offering mentorship from the Pleasance team and networking with industry professionals. However, more needs to be done, as these awards are limited and extremely competitive for artists.

“To change things at the Fringe, we must address both financial and structural challenges. To enhance accessibility, the festival should offer subsidised accommodation, travel, and tickets, making it more inclusive. Simplifying the application process, reducing fees, and providing mentorship for new artists can empower participation and encourage innovative works. Marketing efforts should focus on diverse audiences, celebrating a wider range of voices. We must also advocate for sustainable funding models to reduce reliance on high-risk investments. Finally, prioritising mental health and wellbeing for artists is essential to help them cope with the festival’s demands.”

Sweet Beef (Crying Shame, Pleasance Dome)

“We couldn’t be doing it without the Charlie Hartill award and the support of the Pleasance. Their cash support, advice, and esteem means we can share Sweet Beef’s glitzy and wild style. We also received the Keep it Fringe fund, a much-needed initiative.

“The Fringe is unsustainable – we know this and have been talking about it for time. Despite all the support we’ve received, we’re still at risk. We’re footing a bulk of the bill, a mammoth task for our company’s scale, and can only afford limited resources. We can only imagine what it’s like for companies who haven’t received that support and are enraged when we hear of brilliant work being unable to head up.

“Artists at the Fringe need more financial backing and policy support. While brilliant for fostering programming opportunities, the Fringe cannot feel like the only space to do this. Artistic directors, programmers and producers need to make a conscious efforts to visit festivals across the country (and the world) so artists aren’t made to feel at a disadvantage if they can’t take their show to Edinburgh. The Fringe needs to return to being a space where unconventional, experimental, maybe a bit kooky, work gets to thrive.”

maatin (Duck, Pleasance Courtyard)

“This is my first time bringing a show to the Fringe, but prior to this, it’s not something that seemed within reach, given the many challenges and risks associated. The problems are inherently societal problems – a lack of access, funding, and information, which allows a small group to set the rules and squeezes everyone else. Fringe theatre is built on mutual support, and yet everyone is also forced to fight one another for scraps, so whatever ways we can change that relationship to one another as fellow artists, to share knowledge, resources, and build collective strength, would be my suggestions as to how to upend the current system.”

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