Get Involved
If you’re interested in hearing more about how we advise UK theatre and dance companies to prepare for overseas touring, we’ll be live tweeting from our briefing meeting on Wednesday 19 June, 1300–1500 GMT. Join the conversation on Twitter at @UKDramaDance #EdShowcase
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With only eight weeks to go until the Edinburgh Showcase begins, the pressure is on for everyone. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe has officially launched its programme with 6% more shows than last year. Our overseas delegates are scrambling to get the early-bird registration rate and select their shows. Participating companies are in full Edinburgh prep mode. And we’ve got 30 company trailers to film, a Showcase website to launch and 6,000 tickets to book. But first there’s the company briefing day.
It’s on this day in June before every Showcase that our Theatre and Dance team gets together with the theatre companies in the programme for the first time. For the companies it’s an opportunity to understand more about the way we work, the potential for overseas touring, the quirks of international producers and the tastes of different audiences around the world.
It’s our job to get them as prepared as possible before they meet the international promoters and producers, which can feel intimidating for even the most experienced networker. We coach them on how to make the most of the week – how best to do business and talk about their work in an international context; as well as the nuts and bolts of visas, freight, budgets, security and cultural sensitivities.
This year we’re presenting 30 companies in the main programme from a broad range of disciplines with more dance than ever before. What’s more, we’ll have at least 16 companies promoting their work in our Trade Fair. The programme is a snapshot of what’s going on in the UK right now. But it’s not just about selecting excellent work. It’s also about the potential for international touring. We’ve worked hard to curate a programme that will appeal to young people across different cultures.
Competition is fierce. Over 180 companies applied this year to be included in the Showcase. This highlights the growing UK interest in international touring and collaboration. It also means we have been extremely busy. We’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country seeing work for consideration, and we’ve locked ourselves away in programming meetings for days debating the quality of work and its international relevance.
To see the fruits of our labour, have a look at the final programme we’ve curated and read about some of the artists and their shows. ‘Check out everything in this programme, particularly if you plan to be at the festival in the final week,’ says Lyn Gardner in her Edinburgh Fringe 2013 top tips for The Guardian. We hope you like it too. And if you’ve seen any of the Showcase programme or other works by Showcase companies, tell us what you think.
And now we’re almost here! It’s briefing day on Wednesday 19 June. Follow us on Twitter at @UKDramaDance for live tweets and future updates as we get closer to #EdShowcase itself.
