Before the Show -
Fringe Artist Event
The Producing and Dramaturgy Fellows at the National Theatre of Scotland are delighted to open expressions of interest for Before the Show – Fringe Artist Event, a free one-day professional development opportunity for writers, directors, producers and artists interested in taking new writing to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Designed for 12 participants, the event combines practical learning, industry insight and the chance to experience two exciting Fringe productions. With a fantastic workshop led by playwright Jack MacGregor and director Fraser Scott, winners of this year's Assembly ART Award for Prophets, the day offers a unique opportunity to explore what it takes to develop, produce and present new work at the Fringe.
Travel bursaries, lunch and refreshments throughout the day will be provided.
Supported by Assembly Festival.
The event will take place on Tues 18 Aug, Edinburgh, venue TBC.
Who is it For?
This event is for writers, directors, producers and artists from any discipline who are interested in developing or supporting new writing for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
It is particularly intended for artists who would not ordinarily be able to attend these performances due to the cost of tickets, providing an opportunity to experience new work while learning more about the realities of taking a production to the Fringe, and meeting likeminded artist.
Access
The workshop and lunch will take place close to Assembly Roxy, exact venue TBC.
Access support is available on request, including support for caring responsibilities BSL interpretation and notetakers. The expression of interest form includes space to tell us how we can best support your participation, upload an access rider and share any dietary requirements.
The afternoon performances will take place at Assembly Roxy. You can find information about the venue's accessibility and facilities on the Assembly Roxyaccess page.
If you have any questions about access support for the event, please email fellows@nationaltheatrescotland.com.
How to Apply
Applications close on 30 July.
Please submit an expression of interest using the Jotform linked below. The form will ask you to confirm your availability, provide a short statement about why you would like to attend, and share any access requirements or dietary needs.
Places are limited to 12 participants. If we receive more expressions of interest than available places, participants will be selected at random through a lottery process.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome on Tues 4 Aug.
Frequently Asked Questions
The time, date or format of this event isn't accessible for me. Is there other support available?
We recognise that festival scheduling and the structure of the day may not work for everyone.
If this event isn't accessible for you, we encourage you to explore the National Theatre of Scotland's wider artist development opportunities and resources through our For Artists page.
If you have any further questions about this, please get in touch at fellows@nationaltheatrescotland.com
Why am I not being paid for my time?
This event is part of the National Theatre of Scotland's free learning opportunities, designed to support artists in small but meaningful ways and to share organisational resources as widely as possible.
These free events are offered alongside the Company's core work of paying artists to develop and produce work for our programme, as well as other paid artist development initiatives and employment opportunities.
If you're interested in learning more about how we work with artists and our paid opportunities, please visit the For Artists page.
What is the travel bursary?
To help reduce financial barriers to attending, travel bursaries are available for participants travelling to the event:
£20 for journeys of 25–50 miles.
£40 for journeys of more than 50 miles.
These figures refer to the distance of a one-way trip, not a round trip.
If you have any other questions about Before the Show – Fringe Artist Event, please get in touch at fellows@nationaltheatrescotland.com.
Event Schedule
11:00am – 1:00pm Workshop: Taking New Writing to the Fringe
Join Jack MacGregor and Fraser Scott for a practical workshop exploring the process of developing and presenting new work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
1:00pm – 2:30pm Lunch and Creative Team Q&A
Enjoy a complimentary lunch followed by an informal conversation with Jack MacGregor, Fraser Scott, members of the creative team, and staff at the National Theatre of Scotland, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
2:30pm – 4:00pm Networking and Break
Take time to connect with fellow participants, reflect on the day's discussions and enjoy an informal break before the performances.
From 4:00pm Participants will make their way to Assembly Roxy to attend:
Approximately 4:20pm:Bear Girl by Emery Schaffer
Break
Approximately 5:45pm:Prophets by Jack MacGregor, produced by National Theatre of Scotland Producing Fellow Leah Byrne
Performance times are approximate and will be confirmed with participants ahead of the event.