Performing Arts Survey
Grassroots group seeks to evaluate theatre in Edinburgh
A new grassroots grouping has put out a survey, aimed at all of Edinburgh’s theatre companies and theatre-makers, in an attempt to find out the size and nature of the city’s theatrical community as well as the resources available to it.
The survey will be open until Sunday March 15, 2026, and is available to fill in here.
The Fruitmarket Group was set up following a series of meetings of community and amateur companies in August 2025, initially focusing on whether the Church Hill Theatre was meeting the needs of companies across the city. The group quickly realised that their first job would be to evaluate the existing state of theatre in Edinburgh.
The Church Hill Theatre is a major Edinburgh theatre community resource, but not the only one. Pic: Thom Dibdin.
The survey is aimed at community theatre or musical theatre groups, grassroots companies, early-stage aspiring professional companies, professional companies and independent theatre makers operating in and around Edinburgh.
The group say they want to quantify the size and nature of the theatre community, understand the resources that are available to it, and identify the challenges it is facing.
Their current aim is to use this information to make the case for better, more affordable resources to Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council, while ensuring that the contributions of the performing arts community to the city (irrespective of size) are recognised and supported.
The Fruitmarket Group’s Andy Moseley told Æ: “We know that there is a large and diverse performing arts community in the city, from community theatre groups through to independent theatre makers and professional companies just starting out.
“We also know that the resources available are limited and often the cost of them is beyond what theatre makers in the city can easily afford.
better understanding
“The aim of the survey is to get a better understanding of how the cost of developing and staging shows is affecting the number and types of shows being made and in turn affecting the opportunities for new talent to emerge from the city.”
The other three members of the Group are Hannah Bradley Croall, Gregor McElvogue and Helen Schofield. All four are involved in the Edinburgh performing arts community and believe that it is a strong creative force in the life of the city which “provides fantastic opportunities and benefits to the people of Edinburgh outwith the Festivals”.
The survey goes beyond the scope of the existing Edinburgh Performing Arts Development, EPAD, which is aimed at professional companies and practitioners. EPAD is a skills and resource-sharing project that supports Edinburgh’s independent performing artists to thrive throughout the year.
253 shows made in Edinburgh
It is also clear that while performing arts community is large, there is no one quantifying exactly how large it is. At EdFringe 2025, All Edinburgh Theatre counted 253 shows made in Edinburgh by amateur, grassroots, student and professional companies across theatre, musical theatre and cabaret.
The survey is timely, coming just after the city council has agreed the broad terms of how to use the Visitor Levy, 35% of which will be set aside for culture. It is an opportunity which the Fruitmarket Group is clearly aware of.
“The benefits of a vibrant arts scene for individuals, communities and the city as a whole go way beyond its contribution to the local economy,” says Moseley.
“The introduction of the visitor levy can provide an opportunity for the council to support theatre at grassroots level, helping to make sure that Edinburgh isn’t just a place that the arts come to in August, but is a place where people can engage with, and benefit from, the arts as creators or spectators all year round.”
Fill in the survey here.
The link to the survey is https://bit.ly/EHArtsSurvey.
ENDS
