Global opportunities for Scotland’s creatives with Made in Scotland

27 September 2023

Funding applications open for Scottish dance, theatre and music artists to present work at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 and take up international touring opportunities

Onward Touring Fund: Applications open at 2pm, Wed 27 Sept 2023. The fund will remain open until it is fully allocated.
Showcase Fund: Applications open at 2pm, Wed 12 Oct 2023 with a deadline of 12 noon, Tues 22 Nov 2023
Online information session: Wed 4 Oct 2023 Made in Scotland 2024 Info Session (edfringe.com)

Scotland-based artists working in music, theatre and dance can apply to present their work as part of the Made in Scotland curated showcase at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024 and to take up new international touring opportunities, thanks to Scottish Government EXPO funding through Creative Scotland.

A partnership between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Creative Scotland, Federation of Scottish Theatre and Scottish Music Centre, the Made in Scotland programme has supported over 277 shows since it began in 2009.

Head of Theatre at Creative Scotland, Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, said:

“As international programmers flock to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August, the Made in Scotland Showcase spotlights successful applicants on the world stage, opening them up to exciting global opportunities.

“This international network continues to forge creative relationships and artistic exchange between Scotland and the rest of the world. The collaboration and unity of the programme continues to push the world-wide industry forward in creative development, diversity and accessibility.

“You only need to look to the success of previous awardees to see the meaningful impact of the Made in Scotland Showcase and Onward Touring funds, and successful applicants to the 2024 cohort will further demonstrate what Scotland has to offer.”

The well-trusted curated programme of excellent theatre, dance and music has highlighted the must-see shows from Scotland. A magical Made in Showcase selection for 2023, Isobel McArthur’s new play The Grand Old Opera House Hotel was the recipient of the prestigious Fringe First award this year. Another Made in Scotland success from 2022, Tom Pow and The Galloway Agreement, took their show The Village and the Road on a cultural exchange to Japan this month to discuss the issues of depopulation.

Culture Minister, Christina McKelvie, said:

“Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe is the perfect stage to showcase Scotland’s talent in dance, music and theatre to the world and the Made in Scotland programme has helped hundreds of creative professionals gain international exposure this way.

“The Scottish Government is proud to have invested £550,000 in this year’s Made in Scotland programme, through our £1.8 million EXPO fund to maximise opportunities for Scottish-based artists at home and abroad.”

Shona McCarthy, CEO of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said:

“We are very grateful for the support of the Scottish Government in their continued support of Made in Scotland. This strand of work ensures that there will be a range of Scottish theatre, dance and music within the Fringe programme in 2023.”

Applications to the Onward International Touring Fund open at 2pm, Wed 27 Sept 2023. The fund will support international touring opportunities for work seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe between 2017 and 2023. While the fund has no deadline, applicants should apply at least eight weeks before they are due to travel. The fund has an available budget in the region of £100,000.

Applications to the Made in Scotland Showcase Fund 2024 open at 2pm, Wed 12 Oct 2023 with a deadline of 12 noon, 22 November 2023. The fund has an available budget of £300,000 and is expected to support between 15-20 productions. Applicants will be notified of the decisions February 2024.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Creative Scotland will run an information session for potential applicants on Wed 4 Oct 2023. To sign up please visit the booking page. The session will be recorded and made available on demand after the session. For further information follow @MadeinScotShows.

Background

Tile image: Made in Scotland funded show by Tom Pow and The Galloway Agreement, Photography by Andrew Wilson

Full details about the programme including how to apply are available on the Creative Scotland website.

For more information about Made in Scotland, including details of previous showcases, visit the Made in Scotland website.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the charity that underpins the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, was established in 1958, eleven years after the birth of the Fringe when the first performers turned up uninvited to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival. The Fringe is an open access festival – any artist or company can take part regardless of their experience or success, and the festival is not programmed or run by an artistic director or any selection body. As a registered charity, the Fringe Society exists to support all participants, industry professionals, media and audience members who attend the Fringe from all around the world, and to produce accurate and up-to-date information and ticketing for audiences, and to raise the profile of the festival as a whole.

Made in Scotland is a curated showcase of high-quality performance from Scotland at the world’s biggest arts festival, made possible by support from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund. It is a partnership between Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Federation of Scottish Theatre, Scottish Music Centre and Creative Scotland. Find out more about the showcase at www.madeinscotlandshowcase.com.