Highlights from house and caravan at Edinburgh festivals this August
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Finding the best new theatre to bring to Farnham and the southeast
It’s been another fantastic August at the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the house and caravan teams checking out the best in new contemporary theatre from across the UK and internationally. For over 10 years, Farnham Maltings have been able to offer bursaries to members of the house southeast theatre network, whether they be venue programmers, Artistic Directors, Theatre Managers or producers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to send a member of their staff up to the festival. From this experience of scouting the vast range of shows on offer, we hope these venue representatives will in turn find some amazing new theatre to programme back at their southeast based venues.
It’s tough work booking tours for theatre across the UK, so this year house launched their first Networking Breakfast, bringing together venues and artists to spark conversations and build stronger relationships between the two.
Delegates from venues across the southeast at the house welcome dinner
“I had THE BEST time at the networking event yesterday, thank you - I've never felt so comfortable in an event like that.”
“It was, I think, the most fun and lovely networking event we've attended! We made a tonne of great connections.”
In between looking after the venue delegates, the house team got to work watching as many shows as they could fit into our week – trying to find the very best shows for touring across the Southeast and reaching eager audiences across the region. Spoiler: they found lots of them.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival never fails to deliver on unbound creative energy and inspiration around every corner. And this year, it didn’t let us down.
Fostering friendships and exchange at the International Producers’ Breakfast
caravan once again hosted their annual International Producers' Breakfast this year in partnership with the Edinburgh International Festival. The event brought together 200 producers and arts professionals from over 25 countries, offering them a valuable two-hour networking opportunity at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh.
The breakfast welcomed both international and UK delegations attending the Edinburgh festivals, including those with the British Council, Momentum, Made in Scotland, and the house network, as well as representatives from various country showcases and cultural seasons.
"I have met people with whom I already had ongoing conversations, others I have discovered could be potential partners in existing projects, and new people that I intend to pursue a relationship with."
Farnham Maltings Director Peter Glanville and Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) Programme Manager Emma Hay opened the event with a heartfelt and hopeful address. Magician Scott Silven then captivated guests with the magic of human connection and what we are capable of together with impressive illusions created in collaboration with the event's guests.
International touring for the climate conscious
The next morning, the delegation gathered at Fringe Central for a discussion with Olga Drygas (NOWY TEATR, Poland), Ahmed El Attar (Orient Productions, Egypt), and Tom Bailey (Mechanimal, UK). The conversation focused on the creative and operational challenges of international touring and collaboration, with an emphasis on environmental responsibility. They explored various approaches to touring, presenting work, and engaging audiences on the topic, while also addressing the expectations and responsibilities between presenters and artists.
As part of the session caravan partnered with Theatre Green Book to produce a top tips resource for "what to consider when making your work greener"
Congratulations to caravan assembly 2024 artist SUBJECT OBJECT, whose show Instructions won a Scotsman Fringe First Award at this year's festival following their assembly showcase performance at the Brighton Festival earlier this summer.