Arts from Canada: Edinburgh in the spotlight
Edinburgh is the leading city of festivals. Each summer, five independent festivals run throughout August. It is one of the world’s largest marketplaces for the arts, and it offers a unique platform to raise artists’ cultural profiles and showcase established companies and emerging talent.
Between 2017 and 2022, the Canada Council for the Arts and its partners supported and promoted the presence of artists, arts professionals, and the presentation of shows from Canada, in Edinburgh, at the Fringe Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Art Festival and the Edinburgh Book Festival.
With a wide range of formats and partners, the Council helped to boost many talents from Canada’s performing arts sector and bring them to audiences and professional networks from around the world, gathered each summer in the city of festivals.
The Council invested strategic funding in large-scale initiatives, special projects, co-productions, networking events, pitch sessions, professional development programs (Momentum) and collaboration opportunities, supported by promotional operations. Some activities pivoted online during the sunsetting phase of the initiative, due to the pandemic and the subsequent disruptions in touring and presenting activities.
CanadaHub at Edinburgh Fringe
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, the Canada Council contributed to a time-limited flagship initiative, CanadaHub, to present an ambitious programing of cutting-edge performing arts from Canada, taking over King’s Hall during the three weeks of the Fringe Festival. In 2019, Indigenous Contemporary Scene presented theatre, dance, music and literature across three of the city’s biggest festivals.
CanadaHub productions have won three Scotsman Fringe Firsts, multiple Herald Angels (including one for their entire 2018 program), and a nomination for the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award.
In 2019, CanadaHub was awarded Best Fringe Bar by To Do List. Produced by Selfconscious Productions, in association with Summerhall, CanadaHub was a strategic initiative presented by the Canada Council for the Arts, in collaboration with the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom.
Interested in taking part in an Edinburgh festival?
Today, artists and performers from across Canada continue to shine in many ways in Edinburgh, including with support from the Canada Council’s granting programs, and market development and promotion initiatives (Spotlight Canada) overseen by the High Commission of Canada in the United Kingdom.
Find out more on how to apply for Canada Council programs.
