Canadian artists are coming back to Edinburgh Festivals in 2022!
With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, we are happy to join our partners again and support an in-person pitch session at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Spotlight Canada: the Pitch Session. The session will take place on August 22 and showcase 11 cutting-edge performing arts companies from Canada, fostering conversations around their tour-ready works.
Edinburgh, a global stage
Edinburgh is the leading city of festivals! In the summer, five independent festivals run throughout August. It is one of the world’s largest marketplaces in the arts, and it offers a unique platform to raise artists’ cultural profiles and showcase established companies and emerging talent.
Canadian performance artists in the spotlight
Canada Council and its partners have supported and promoted the presence of Canadian artists and arts professionals in Edinburgh over the years, including with CanadaHub (2017–2019), co-productions, the Momentum Program, pitch sessions, as well as industry and public events.
This year’s Spotlight Canada: the Pitch Session will showcase 11 innovative performing arts companies from across Canada, including In My Body, Bboyizm Dance Company (Gatineau, Que.); La bulle, CORPUS (Toronto, Ont.); Same Difference, Theatre Conspiracy, by David Mesiha (Vancouver, B.C. and Toronto, Ont.); Muse, FLIP Fabrique (Québec, Que.); Frequencies, HEIST (Halifax, N.S.).
Partnership brings the voices of genocide survivors to the stage
The Canada Council is also proud to partner with the Edinburgh International Festival to present The Book of Life by Odile Gakire ‘‘Kiki’’ Katese, a Volcano Production, in association with the Woman Cultural Centre (Rwanda) and the Why Not Theatre. This poignant play is based on Kiki’s years-long project of accumulating letters written by survivors and perpetrators of Rwanda’s genocide addressed to those who are gone. It is infused with original music performed and sung by Ingoma Nshya, the internationally acclaimed Women Drummers of Rwanda. The Book of Life will be presented from August 13 to 16 at the Church Hill Theatre, in Edinburgh.
In a new global context, the Council intends to build and strengthen relationships with its partners in Canada and Edinburgh, bringing forward the diversity of Canada’s artistic expression and creativity, as well as fostering meaningful connections with Edinburgh audiences and beyond, in innovative and environmentally responsible ways.
We invite you to read our press release to learn more about the Canadian artists showcased at this year's festivals.
