August. Edinburgh. Largest arts festival in the world: Fringe.
If you’re thinking that it just sounds like any other festival, you’re entirely wrong and here’s why: Not only does it provide the availability of any show you can ever think up, it’s located in the very center of inspiration for the arts. Why? Scotland is gorgeous. The mere presence of so much astounding architecture creates incentive for people to do great things. And because the sun never shines, an eerie, mystic fog surrounds it all. Let that seep into your imagination for a little bit and see what you come up with.
The History:
After World War II (1947), and coincidentally during the rise of the existentialist period, much of the artwork was destroyed. Everyone was sad, so they wanted to bring their forms of expression back. Thus, the Edinburgh International Festival began. Theater groups, orchestras, and dancers from all around the world were invited to reintroduce art to the people. Some, however, weren’t invited, so they decided to show up anyway. People picked up on this festival on the outskirts of an already existing festival and dubbed it the “Fringe.” Get it? It’s the fringe of the actual international festival. Amazing enough, the festival stayed and has been growing every year. It is now considered to be the largest arts festival in the world. It’s certainly much larger than the Edinburgh International Festival, which is ironic because that’s how it all started.
Since then, baby Fringes have been popping up in all corners of the world in cities like Hollywood, Montreal, Adelaide, Budapest, Philadelphia, Prague, Seoul, Dublin, and about a million others.
The Impressive Description:
Do you enjoy any type of comedy? Film? Adapted classic literature set on stage? Magic? A cappella? Soap bubbles? Puppets? How about a classy combination of all the above? Anything you could ever imagine (and even what you can’t) is going on in Edinburgh during the month of August. Every one of them is phenomenal and full of pure talent. Is your mind blown yet? The festival is completely open access, so anyone and everyone has the right to share their talent.
The Fair Warning:
Be warned: just because this is that largest arts festival in the world, doesn’t mean all shows go to make a profit. In fact, most of them are fighting to break even. Before you give up altogether, know that you’ll have the most diverse audience you can ever imagine filled with more networking opportunities then you’ll have time for and support from the most welcoming country. It also doesn’t hurt to see general competition from all over the world.
The Final Persuasion:
You may be asking yourself why you would want to spend your time in a place that is full of fun, excitement, and happiness. It’s because you’ll never see something like this again. If you’re a show that needs some publicity, if you’re an already established performer who’s looking for international support, if you’re an agent looking for new talent, or if you simply wish to be entertained, stop by Edinburgh throughout all of August. Quit making excuses and just go.
Yevheniya Shuportyaka - Genius and a little bit of modesty mixed together with enough self-confidence to make things work.
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