Help to recover from Covid
Edinburgh venues including Monkey Barrel and The Pleasance have received grants from the Fringe to help their post-Covid recovery.
Monkey Barrel Comedy has been awarded funding to help set up streaming of its shows, as well as staff training and development.
The Pleasance will get help providing 16- and 17-year olds from the local community with training and work experience.
And the Scottish Comedy Festival, based in the Beehive Inn during the festival, has won funding to help expand Fringe opportunities to local performers.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, which co-ordinates the festival, also made awards to C Venues to help under-represented groups bring work to the Fringe and Summerhall to improves accessibility.
Festival boss s dire warning
The entire future of the Edinburgh Fringe is under threat if the Scottish government does not ease social distancing rules soon, its organiser has warned.
Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, has called for the current two-metre rule for indoor venues to be relaxed within two weeks.
She said the first signs of trouble were already visible for this year s festival with big fringe names booked up for August in London or other parts of England, because they’re allowed to perform there .
McCarthy told The Times Scotland: Within another two weeks, it s going to be impossible for any [Edinburgh promoter] to put on anything.