World’s biggest Arts festivals work better together as Adelaide and Edinburgh team up for promotion - Angus Robertson

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and the Adelaide Fringe have signed a Memorandum Of Understanding to boost business, exchange and joint initiatives with both festivals working to encourage the development of artists and their career trajectory and festival workers to the benefit of festivals internationally.

According to the festivals: each organisation will recognise their positions as major tourist attractions in their respective regions for both local, national and international travellers; and the benefits of working collaboratively in the development of skills for festival workers, along with the importance of business opportunities that are created at festivals via industry programs for artists to secure future bookings for their work. In addition each partner is committed to the development of their staff, which will in part see the implementation of an exchange program between the two major festivals.

The agreement was signed by the director and CEO of Adelaide Fringe, Heather Croall and the chief executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Shona McCarthy with the backing of the Scottish and South Australian governments. It was a pleasure to host the Adelaide Fringe delegation at Scottish Government HQ, St Andrew’s House and co-sign the MOU with South Australian Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels.

She said, “This MOU brings together the wealth of talent, experience and creative ideas that exists in both Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe Festivals. It represents the two largest festivals in the world joining forces to harness that extraordinary skill and create exciting opportunities for artists and arts workers to work at these two internationally renowned festivals and beyond.”

For my part, it is clear that the Edinburgh Fringe is an inspiration to many festivals around the world and this formal agreement between the Edinburgh Fringe Society and the Adelaide Fringe is a fantastic initiative that will bring many benefits to both organisations. In particular the opportunity to share knowledge and skills, grow new audiences and provide platforms for performers will help the business development of both festivals.

The Adelaide Fringe, which is the biggest festival in the southern hemisphere, is held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide between mid-February and mid-March each year. Featuring over 7000 Australian and international artists, with more than 1300 events, it has become the first festival in Australia to sell 1 million tickets.

Meanwhile, his year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe Fringe includes: 3,600 total shows in 248 venues, involving 45,182 performances, with performers from 67 countries, including 798 based in Scotland. The Edinburgh Fringe offers artists an unrivalled platform for career development and many participate in the festival with the desire to be seen, to be recognised for their work, and to benefit from areas such as onward touring or broadcast opportunities.

It is really fitting for the world’s two largest arts festivals should work together. The Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe Festivals are not just world class and world leading arts events in two great cities, but they are hugely complementary. It is great to see this cultural cooperation between Scotland and Australia.