Two days of outdoor drama performances will be on offer to Edinburgh residents free-of-charge after theatre companies based in the capital agreed to join forces.
The event - StageEHd - will take place at the outdoor Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Garden and will look to highlight artists and actors from across the capital’s grassroot scene.
Motivation for the event is said to have come from a need to respond to the damaging impacts of the pandemic on the arts sector as well as a need to address the perceived commercialisation of public spaces in Edinburgh - especially Princes Street Gardens.
In what is to be an annual festival at differing locations, StagEHd has been planned for May 28/29, after Edinburgh City Council gave their blessing for the event to take place, according to the Scotsman.
Theatre companies across the capital and Lothians have been invited to participate in the programme of old and new plays - a line-up of shows will be made public in March.
And it is understood that the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group are leading the planning of the event and are working alongside The Edinburgh Makars, Edinburgh People’s Theatre, East Lothian Youth Theatre, Leitheater and Theatre Sans Accents.
An official announcement on the festival said: “StagEHd hopes to establish itself as an annual fixture in Edinburgh’s festival programme, giving space and opportunity to performing artists to experiment and showcase their work to their local audience."
StagEHd founder Hannah Bradley Croall, a board member of the Edinburgh Graduate Theatre Group, said: “Edinburgh is world renowned as a festival city, but its local theatre companies and performers can often be overlooked during these large international events.
“Thanks to the support from the council’s community fund, we can put together a community-led event that champions the talented artists that live, work and make theatre in Edinburgh all year round and put them in front of a local audience.
“StagEHd will show that art and performance can be woven into the fabric of the city without disrupting it.
“It will be an open-air, free access event with social and environmental considerations at its heart.”
Claire Wood, founder of grassroot theatre company Production Lines, said: “It's been a really tough nearly two years for all arts organisations.
"Community and grassroots groups have suffered in less well-publicised ways – not having the budgets to support riskier productions, not being able to access community spaces for rehearsals, and not having deep enough pockets to sustain performances with trepidatious audiences.
"I'm thrilled StagEHd will give us this chance to celebrate everything that's brilliant about community theatre with groups from across the city, to show old audiences that we're back with bells on and hopefully attract some new enthusiasts along the way."
