News

10 March 2017

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world and the greatest platform for creative freedom on earth. The Fringe also aspires to be the most accessible arts festival in the world, ensuring that anyone who chooses to take part can. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society’s Access Fringe strategy is our commitment to make this a reality. 

Since 2015, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has been working with Attitude is Everything, a charity dedicated to improving access to live music and cultural events for Deaf and disabled people. In collaboration with Attitude is Everything the Society has developed Venue Access Awards for venues at the Fringe to work towards, and have signed up to being an Attitude Champion.

The Venue Access Award Toolkit is designed to guide Fringe venue managers through a range of topics to help them make their venues more accessible. Venues will ultimately be awarded level one, two or three for accessibility, clearly indicating to audiences and performers how accessible that venue is. In 2017, the Fringe Society aims to have ten venues signed up to level one of the toolkit.

As an Attitude Champion, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is committed to championing accessible practices and wants to make sure that disabled visitors and performers know what to expect when experiencing the Fringe and that all Fringe Society events are as accessible and inclusive as possible.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society wants everyone to know about its accessible services and is pleased to be taking part in Disabled Access Day 2017.

The edfringe shop and Box Office at 180 High Street, Edinburgh will be open on Friday 10 March from 14:00 to 18:00, Saturday 11 March from 12:00 to 15:00, and Sunday 12 March from 12:00 to 15:00 for customers to find out about the services we offer to those with accessibility requirements. BSL interpretation will be provided. Customers can meet our Access Bookings team, find out about accessible performances at the Fringe and discover more about the Venue Access Toolkit and the commitments we have made as an Attitude Champion.

Notes to Editors

For more information, please contact the Fringe Media Office
[email protected] / +44 (0)131 240 1919

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is committed to community engagement and access. The Access Fringe Strategy led to the appointment of a Community Engagement and Access Manager in 2016 to drive this strategy forward. The Access Fringe Strategy aims to create a Fringe that is for everyone. The Fringe Society is working with a range of partners to make the Fringe as accessible as possible.

The Fringe Box Office and shop are located at 180 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QS

About Disabled Access Day

Taking place from 10-12 March 2017, Disabled Access Day is all about You and Somewhere New. With hundreds of places holding events over the 3 days, disabled people, their families and friends are encouraged to visit new places and try new activities over the weekend by discovering accessible museums, theatres, cafes, shops and more. They can also provide helpful feedback to participating venues about their accessibility by writing reviews on Euan’s Guide.