The organisers of Edinburgh's Festival Fringe have announced a preferred venue for the event's new central hub.
The South Bridge Resource Centre, on Infirmary Street, has been earmarked as the new Fringe Community Hub on a long-term basis, with the council's finance and resource committee set to consider the proposals on April 25.
According to organisers, the historic building has been identified for a variety of reasons including its proximity to the existing footprint of the Fringe, as well as working to improve the building and make it more accessible, by securing and maintaining the space for community and cultural use.
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The current tenants, Canongate Youth, would remain and other small arts and cultural organisations may also be offered the opportunity to co-exist.
First identified within the 2017 Fringe Blueprint, the proposed development of a new, year-round space for artists and creatives across the Fringe landscape, has been made possible due to funding from the UK Government, announced during the 2023 Spring Budget.
The announcement followed many meetings with ministers and officials from various departments, during which the Fringe Society advocated for a range of support across several key areas.
If approved by the council to enter into formal discussions, the Fringe Society will produce a detailed business case to present to UK Government, with full costings on development of the proposed hub.
These elements will include any structural changes required to maximise the space, a detailed breakdown of what facilities may be available, and what will be required to make the building fully accessible and sustainable for the long term.
All current services and usage of the Resource Centre will continue ‘as-is’ while this work is progressing and there will be no interruption to the Fringe 2023 operations for Greenside Venues.
In order to ensure the new hub meets the needs of its many user groups and all those within the Fringe community, consultations will be held over the coming months and during this year’s festival with artists, producers, educators, community groups and industry bodies.
Shona McCarthy, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: "Following the UK Budget announcement of funding for this project, there has been understandable interest and comment on where, when and how the new Fringe community hub will be created.
"Next week marks the next step in this process, with an ask to the City of Edinburgh Council that we enter into formal discussions about the space on Infirmary Street. This is very much a long-term project and one that will take a few years to establish.
"We are excited at the prospect of revitalising an important city centre space that has such an established history with the Fringe through Greenside, and a vital hub for the excellent work with young people and communities that has been the hallmark of Canongate Youth.
"The conversion of this space into a year-round Fringe community hub will allow local cultural organisation, artists and our community partners, the opportunity to utilise this space too.
"In the long-term it will allow a permanent home for our August participants hub, known as Fringe Central, for whom artists, arts industry, media and international delegates access each summer for a range of workshops, networking and industry events.
"We look forward to working with colleagues at the council as plans for this space evolve as well as deepening existing and building new relationships with community groups in the city."
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