Theatre Fest is GO

Nov 10 2021 | By More

Proposals now sought for May 2022 outdoor festival

The StagEHd Festival, a new theatre festival for amateur and grassroots theatre companies based in an EH postcode is to take place in the Ross Bandstand in West Princes Street Gardens in May 2022.

Organisers are now looking for performance proposals for the event on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May 2022 which they say will showcase the best of Edinburgh’s independent, grassroots and community theatre companies.

The Ross Bandstand yesterday. Pic: All Edinburgh Theatre

“StagEHd will show that art and performance can be woven into the fabric of the city without disrupting it,” according to festival founder and EGTG board member Hannah Bradley Croall. “It will be an open-air, free access event with social and environmental considerations at its heart.”

Originally proposed during lockdown by EGTG, (See: Fest of Theatre for 2021), StagEHd was born out of the conversation surrounding the commercialisation of events and public spaces in Edinburgh.

It has now secured a £5,000 Community Grant from the Edinburgh Council and put out an open call for applications from theatre companies and performing artists to perform at the inaugural event.

Applications

Applications will open on Friday 12 November, and close on Friday 17 December 2021. The Festival is open to independent, grassroots and community theatre companies, as well as collectives and solo performing artists, based in an EH postcode. Proposals can be for new, old, or original work from all realms of the performing arts. Full details here: StagEHdfestival.com.

The open-air StagEHd Festival will be free to attend, with residents and visitors encouraged to bring a picnic to enjoy the performances.

The Ross Bandstand seating area. Pic: All Edinburgh Theatre

The event planning and grant spending will be overseen by a community steering board which includes representatives from ten of Edinburgh’s community theatre companies including; the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group, Edinburgh Makars, Edinburgh People’s Theatre, East Lothian Youth Theatre, Leitheatre and Theatre Sans Accents.

The programme will be developed in collaboration with the community steering board, and will include a varied selection of performances from Edinburgh’s amateur and grassroot performing artists. The full programme will be announced in March 2022.

Bradley Croall added: “Edinburgh is world renowned as a festival city, but its local theatre companies and performers can often be overlooked during these large international events.

community-led event

“Thanks to the support from the City of Edinburgh Council’s Community Fund, we can put together a community-led event that champions the talented artists that live, work and make theatre in Edinburgh all year round and put them in front of a local audience.”

Although StagEHd is currently presented under the umbrella of the EGTG, the aim is to establish it as an annual fixture in Edinburgh’s festival programme, giving space and opportunity to performing artists to experiment and showcase their work to their local audience.

Listings and Links

StagEHd Festival 2022
Ross Bandstand, Princes St Gardens, 104 Princes St, EH2 3AA
Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 May 2022

StagEHd Contacts:
Website: https://stagehdfestival.com
Twitter: @stagEHd_Edi
Facebook: @stageEHd.
Instagram: @stageEHd.

Further details of how to put forward a proposal are available on the StagED website here.
Or email: stagehdfestival@gmail.com.

ENDS

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