We’ve published our Review of the Year 2020
24 February 2021
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has published its Review of the Year 2020.
The review, published annually in February, typically reflects on the previous year’s Fringe and the year-round achievements of the Society, as well as reporting on our organisation-wide ambitions, innovations and developments.
The 2020 edition is understandably a little different. For the first time in Fringe history, no live performance took place, and the festival happened in a purely digital space. It's been a tough year, with more challenges still to come, but looking back at the past 12 months has left us determined to learn from our experiences while simultaneously feeling proud of what we’ve managed to achieve.
Some key points:
- We established the FringeMakers crowdfunding platform for artists and venues, which collectively generated an amazing £360,000.
- £76,000 of that total was raised for our artist and venue recovery fund. We’re currently working to distribute this in line with our Fringe Blueprint commitments to equity, diversity and inclusivity; a percentage will be reserved for artists based in Edinburgh.
- Our Fringe Central and Fringe Exchange virtual event programmes (respectively aimed at Fringe artists and arts industry professionals) were a great success, with 1,700 registered attendees for Fringe Central and 2,500 attendees for Fringe Exchange. These events ensured that important conversations could keep happening and helped us continue to foster strong relationships between artists and industry at a difficult time for both.
- We continued (and continue) to work with governments in both Scotland and the UK to ensure the arts community is supported.
The work covered in this year’s review would not have been possible without the support of a wide range of individuals and organisations – we offer our sincerest thanks to all who made it possible.
Looking ahead, we can say with certainty that there will be a Fringe from 06 to 30 August 2021, though it’s still uncertain what it will look like. Whatever shape it takes, the Fringe Society will be here to support artists, venue staff, audiences, arts industry, media and everyone else who makes this fantastic festival what it is.