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The fund will award grants of up to £2,500 to 180 artists bringing work to Fringe 2024. 

29 April 2024 update: Please note that applications for the 2024 Keep it Fringe fund have now closed.

Applications are now open for the 2024 Keep it Fringe fund. Any artist bringing work to this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe can apply for one of the 180 awards of £2,500, which can be used against any cost associated with bringing a show to the festival. 

Not every artist has the same start in their career, but we believe that shouldn’t prevent anyone having access to a stage to showcase their talent at the Fringe. There is no Fringe without artists, without risk-taking or experimentation. Rooted in our vision to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat, this fund sets out to protect artists’ prospects by removing some of the growing barriers to performing.  

This fund is part of the Fringe Society’s wider fundraising efforts for the Fringe, and our ambition is to provide direct financial support for Fringe artists every year. We recognise that these funds won’t make or break a show but should provide a little financial help to those who want to take part in the Fringe.  

We’d like to thank the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) for providing funding to allow us to increase the value of Keep it Fringe and extend it for two years. 

What is the fund?   

The total fund available for 2024 is £450,000, which will be made up of 180 awards of £2,500. The remaining funds will be used to deliver support services for the successful artists through our Artist Services team throughout the year and at festival-time, as well as fees for assessors and administration. 

Bursaries are designed to help artists on their Fringe 2024 journey and can be spent on any costs associated with their show. The Fringe Society will award £2,000 of the fund up front, with a further £500 to support admin and reporting, to be paid after the Fringe upon receipt of reporting. 

Who is the fund for?   

The fund is for individual artists and companies bringing work to the Fringe in 2024.   

Eligibility criteria: 

• Your show must be registered in the 2024 Fringe (registration will be confirmed before funds are paid, but does not have to be completed when you apply – the show must however be registered by 01 August to receive the funds). 
• The applicant must be a UK-based artist or company, or applying on behalf of a UK-based artist or company. 
• The show (specifically its run at Fringe if part of a larger project) must not be in receipt of any Arts Council England, Arts Council NI, Arts Council of Wales or Creative Scotland funding. 
• The applicant must be presenting live and in-person performance. 

What’s the deadline to submit an application? 

Applications must be submitted through the SmartyGrants website by 10:00 GMT on Monday 29 April. If you’d like to apply using an alternative method, please get in touch with [email protected] as soon as possible so we can explore which options would work best. 

How do artists apply for it?   

The Fringe Society anticipates there will be an excess demand for funding which will require assessments to be made. The application will ask the following questions:  

1. Tell us about your show and what stage you’re at in your plans for Fringe 2024. (200 words max)  
2. Tell us about your budget and how this funding will help. (200 words max)  
3. Tell us what you hope to achieve in Fringe 2024 and your ambitions for your show. (200 words max) 

We want everyone to be able to apply and have recorded an online information session to support those who don’t have experience of applying for funding. The application itself has been kept as simple as possible and access support is available where needed.   

Applications open at 12:00 on Thursday 11 April and close at 10:00 on Monday 29 April. Award recipients notified week commencing Monday 13 May. 

What are the assessment criteria?  

• Applications should demonstrate how the show captures the defiant spirit of the Fringe, taking advantage of the Fringe as a unique platform to tell untold stories. 
• The fund aims to support professional performers / artists / creators or individuals with professional ambitions for their work who can demonstrate an existing level of planning for Fringe 2024. 
• Applicants should set out clear ambitions for the future life of the work being funded and / or their career. 
• While no budget is required and there are no ineligible costs, the details of the spend should be clear, specific and informed costs relating to bringing your show and the value added by the funding. 
• Funding will be prioritised to artists who don't have an existing high profile and artists who face barriers to funding / the arts more generally. 

Applicants will be assessed by external specialists to identify those that demonstrate the greatest need and the boldest ideas. Should the assessment panel identify a greater number of applications deserving of funding above the 180 bursaries available, we reserve the right to apply a random selection method to the pool of those successful applications. 

How can artists find out more? 

The Fringe Society team hosted an online webinar on Tuesday 09 April, where artists had the opportunity to find out more and ask questions. You can watch the recording below; if you have any further questions, please get in touch with our Artist Services team on [email protected]. 

Thumbnail photo credit: Circus Abyssinia – Tulu (2022), Underbelly. Photographer: David Monteith-Hodge.