The EICC is set to provide hundreds of Edinburgh Festival Fringe tickets to the local community.
The venue is working with Festival Fringe partner The Pleasance Theatre Trust to provide the tickets through a number of Edinburgh charities. The
community ticket distribution scheme includes contributions from EICC’s
catering partner, Leith’s, who will be providing complimentary refreshments to
ticket holders.
EICC CEO Marshall Dallas said: “Our vision is to make our venue,
which is one of the main venues for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as
accessible to as many people within our local community as
possible. It’s also notable that, on the occasion of the Fringe’s
75th anniversary, inclusivity was one of the festival’s founding values.”
Anthony Alderson, artist director at Pleasance Theatre Trust, said:
"As a charity, it’s imperative
to us that we find ways to work with and support the local communities around
our venue. The arts are such an important place to hear stories that wouldn’t often be
told as well as spaces to provide sanctuaries for those who may need an escape
from the everyday. I really hope this scheme will allow us to continue to
broaden our audiences and welcome a whole host of people into these amazing
shows."
Local charities and social enterprises receiving
complimentary tickets for communities include North Edinburgh Arts, Eric
Liddell Centre, Invisible Cities, The Ukrainian Society, Grassmarket Project,
and Shakti women’s aid.
Julie Crawford, link up development manager at North Edinburgh
Arts, said: “We are delighted to receive tickets from the Edinburgh
International Conference Centre and The Pleasance, this offering
means lots of people from North Edinburgh are able to attend shows they
normally wouldn’t be able to afford. We’ve built up a
good relationship with the Conference Centre in the last few years and local
people are excited to attend the festival this year.”
Claire Ritchie, COO at Eric Liddell Community,
said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the EICC
on this initiative. Here, at The Eric Liddell Community our vision is to live
in a community where no one feels lonely or isolated and initiatives like this
help us to bring people together in their local communities to enjoy an event
they might not otherwise have access to. We know that people living with
dementia and carers are particularly at risk of loneliness and social exclusion
and are therefore extremely grateful for this support from the EICC to help
further enhance the support we offer these groups.”
Invisible Cities CEO Zakia Moulaoui Guery said: "We are very
proud to have partnered with EICC to be able to facilitate the distribution of
tickets through our own partners. Everyone deserves to enjoy the Fringe and
discover shows from around the world. The demand for tickets was great as we
are all excited to see the return of events!"
Audiences to Pleasance at EICC this August will be able to enjoy
shows including Cirque Berserk!, Ballet Freedom by the Freedom Ballet of
Ukraine, Black is the Colour of My Voice with Aoife Campbell, NewsRevue – the
World’s longest running comedy show, and local Edinburgh musicians – The
Sorries.
The Pleasance announced its original partnership with the EICC in
2017, with the partnership enabling the Pleasance to programme some of the most
technically challenging shows at the Fringe, including shows that would not
otherwise be possible without the space and facilities afforded by the
EICC.
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
