Making Festivals Happen

What do Edinburgh’s Festivals do to be socially engaged and how can the local creative community work with them?

Creative Edinburgh has partnered with Festivals Edinburgh to build connections between the creative community and the festivals in the city.

This event aims to bring together Edinburgh’s festivals and local freelance creative practitioners working through socially engaged community practice. We will have an opportunity to hear about the Festivals’ community programmes, how they operate across the year, and the ways they work with freelance artists. Attendees will gain valuable insight into the vibrant festival year-round community activity, and better understand the required skill sets.

The event is designed to benefit early-career individuals and may also interest mid-level career practitioners. Please let us know how you identify when registering for this event.

Running Order

17:30 - Welcome from Facilitators. Introduction to the space, the format of the event, and framing.

17:40 - Introduction from Ola Wojtkiewicz (Executive Director, Creative Edinburgh) & Festivals Edinburgh Director

17:45 -

17:50 -

17:55 -

18:00 -

18:05 -

18:10 -

18:15 -

18:20 -

18:25 -

18:30 - Q&A with the Festivals

19:30 - Round up, thank yous from the facilitator and break into informal networking

20:00 - Event ends

The festival's discussion will be recorded (excluding the Q&A) and posted on the Creative Edinburgh and Festivals Edinburgh website. Only the facilitator and speakers will be included in the recording.

Access information

There will be a BSL interpreter at the event.

If you have any other access requirements, please let us know during registration or get in touch with us directly at [email protected], and we will do our very best to help.

We can offer a small bursary to help with caring costs, please inquire to find out more by contacting [email protected].

About Creative Edinburgh

Creative Edinburgh is a registered Scottish Charity (SC052838) committed to helping creatives thrive. Through events, career support and advocacy, we bring together and help grow the city’s creative community, providing a space for creation, collaboration and connection at every stage of your career. Creative Edinburgh is supported by Creative Scotland as one of the Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs).

To become a member of Creative Edinburgh, click here.

About Festivals Edinburgh

Festivals Edinburgh is a strategic umbrella organisation focused on over-arching areas of mutual interest. Its sole focus is to maintain and develop the value of the Festivals’ and the Festival City’s leading position locally and globally, via major collaborative projects and strategic initiatives.

Our member festivals are: Edinburgh Science Festival, Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh International Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scottish International Storytelling Festival and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay

Host or Publisher Creative Edinburgh