Edinburgh Showcase programme launched
10 / 06 / 2009
(Edinburgh) 12 years on from its inception, the British Council’s biennial Edinburgh Showcase will this year stage more than 30 productions across the Fringe. These range from young unknowns to established artists and encompass new writing, physical and visual theatre, live art, and mixed-media installations.
From 22-29th August up to 250 international programmers, venue and festival directors from more than 50 countries will attend this year’s Showcase in the middle of the world’s biggest festival of performing arts. Companies programmed in the Showcase are deliberately chosen to represent the more unusual and cutting edge British work that might never otherwise have the chance to be seen by this group of prestigious programmers. The added benefit for Edinburgh audiences is the presence of a fantastically diverse range of British companies on the Fringe.
Two of the more eclectic choices in this year’s Showcase are Bootworks Theatre Collective who are bringing their ‘Black Box’, a five minute show staged within a portable, fully functioning miniature theatre for an audience of one and Blast Theory whose work ‘Rider Spoke’ will take their audience on bicycles through the streets of Edinburgh to hidden locations where they can eavesdrop on the thoughts of other riders or commit their own secrets to tape.
British Council Director of Drama and Dance, Sally Cowling, said: ‘Over the last 12 years the Edinburgh Showcase has provided a unique platform for a huge variety of artists, many of whom were included at the very beginning of their careers. The Showcase gives them the opportunity to experience the fantastic madness of Edinburgh at festival time and, crucially, to connect with influential international promoters in a supported environment.
'The Showcase is an important marketplace for British theatre makers looking to build an international profile for their work, but, as well as the immediate commercial opportunities they also get a chance to build creative relationships that bring benefits over a much longer period of time. For example, Adrian Howells who travelled to Israel and Singapore following the 2007 Showcase returns this year with a new piece inspired by his tour,’ she said.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Chief Executive, Kath Mainland said: ‘The British Council’s Edinburgh Showcase remains a true benchmark of quality that inspires international promoters and ensures that performers continue to return to the Fringe. Everyone in the industry is aware of the extraordinary benefits the Showcase brings to the artists involved, what is less widely articulated is the bravery of the programming choices that are made by the British Council. The Edinburgh Showcase highlights the best of the UK’s theatre and alongside Made in Scotland is a brilliant opportunity to profile our leading performers and productions.’
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For further information or images please contact Eleanor Hutchins on +44 (0) 20 7389 4981 or email eleanor.hutchins@britishcouncil.org
Notes to Editors:
· The Edinburgh Showcase brings an estimated £1m to the UK theatre industry annually and is curated by British Council arts staff with an advisory network of leading UK performing arts professionals. The full list of performers is outlined below. For further descriptions regarding specific shows please contact the Press Office as above.
Action Hero- A Western
Adrian Howells- Foot washing for the sole
Bill Atichison- 2012
Blast Theory- Rider Spoke
Bootworks- The Black box
Cartoon de Salvo- Hard Hearted Hannah
ETT / Young Vic- Been So Long
Fire Exit- Susurrus
Gecko- The Overcoat
Grid Iron- Barflies
Inua Ellams- The 14th Tale
Lemn Sissay- Why I don't hate White People
Melanie Wilson- Iris Brunette
Mem Morrison- Ringside
Michael Pinchbeck- The Post Show Party Show
Miss High Leg Kick- Fashion Bus
New Art Club- The Visible Men
Oxford Playhouse- One Small Step
Richard DeDomenici- Plane food café
Reckless Sleeper's- The Pilots
Rotozaza- GuruGuru
Sharpwire- Johnny's Midnight Goggles
Simon Chatterton- Power Plant
Sound and Fury- Kursk
Stan's Café- Home of the Wriggler
Stacy Makishi- STAY!
Station House Opera- Mind Out
subject to_change - Home Sweet Home
Traverse - Midsummer
Traverse / B'ham Rep / Paines Plough- Orphans
Volcano - i-witness
Billy Cowie- In The Flesh
Forward Motion
Stan's Café- 49 Steps
· The Edinburgh Showcase has been made possible by the generous support of the Scottish Arts Council, Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Wales Arts International. This year the Showcase is collaborating with Made in Scotland, an initiative funded by the Scottish Government’s Expo Fund..
· Celebrating 75 years in 2009, the British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in over 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK though the exchange of knowledge and ideas. We work in the arts, education, science, sport and governance and last year over 128 million people benefited from our projects. We are a non-political charitable organisation which operates at arm’s length from government. Our total income in 2007/8 was £565 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the British government was £197 million. For more information please go to www.britishcouncil.org
· Since 1997, the British Council has presented more than 180 productions with 90 per cent going on to tour globally as a result. Recent examples include Traverse’s production of David Greig’s play, ‘Damascus’, which was staged in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Palestinian Territories and Russia. Still currently touring world wide following the 2007 Showcase are Tim Crouch’s ‘England’ & Ray Lee’s ‘Siren’.
· For more information about the Edinburgh Fringe Festival visit: www.edfringe.com
