Target reached!
You can help this project to raise more and reach its stretch target.
26 Days of Hula
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
Aim
Contributing to Assembly's Fundraiser for Freelancers - supporting a crack team hugely impacted by the pandemic.
A festival of freelancers
By this time of year, the weeks of work to build venues, lay artificial turf and install the colourful array of show posters would be building up to a frenzy, as our first shows of the 2020 Festival begin. There would be an unparalleled buzz as people gather in our home city for the largest arts and entertainment party in the world. I'm part of a small team of 12, which would have bloomed to nearly 900 individuals bringing it all together and supporting more than 1,000 performers and production staff.
Instead, all is quiet.
The impact of a lost summer is immense on the incredible and diverse range of people who rely on it to support their livelihood, whether they be artists, production staff, or the small army that make up our front of house, box office and catering teams, in addition to the countless suppliers that help us create this magical festival.
In order to survive this incredibly challenging time, Assembly has had to take on a considerable loan to get us through to 2021, but we need your help to support a number of extremely valuable causes and help us make a difference this August:
- A hardship fund for the band of highly skilled freelance creators whose livelihoods have been devastated by the events of 2020.
- Supporting the artists who have lost the opportunity to put on work this summer.
- Ensuring the survival of Assembly Roxy, our year-round Edinburgh venue which is run by our sister charity Assembly Theatre.
What am I doing to raise money?
As GM of Assembly, I have the absolute privilege of working with and supporting some of the world's most talented people to bring their work to the Edinburgh Fringe - incredible dramatists, musicians, cabaret performers, acrobats . . . the works. I do it through the power of spreadsheets, admin and sitting at a computer; it's probably time I got off my backside.
So, to help me with the sadness of an Edinburgh lacking an Assembly, and in the hope that you'll pay to laugh at me, I'm going to learn to hula hoop. I've been practicing, and it turns out it's not actually that easy. Nevertheless, you will see me hooping across Edinburgh for the duration of what would have been our Fringe. I'll be in a different place each day, from 6th to 31st August; it might be one of our venues, it might be Castle Esplanade, maybe even up Arthur's Seat. Wherever it may be, I hope you'll give what you can.
What's in it for you?
If watching me hulaing next to a bagpiper on the Royal Mile isn't enough for you, then Assembly has put together a marvellous array of rewards for your generosity. We know that given everything (everything!) happening at the moment, there are many pleas for support, but anything you can give would be hugely appreciated. It might just make the difference, keeping a generation of highly skilled freelancers from leaving the industry altogether.
What this means to me
2020 would have been my 17th Festival – I started as an usher at the Traverse Theatre and went on to work in pretty much every role possible across the Fringe, including being onstage whilst six months pregnant. Now General Manager for Assembly, I’m so proud to be part of a team that truly feels like a family.
Our talented freelancers make their living working between us and the rest of the world’s festivals – COVID-19 has brought them all to a standstill - meaning so many of our family are without work. For 16 of my 17 years I’ve been a freelancer, and if I hadn’t been in this job, I too would have slipped through the cracks of government support. Many are considering leaving the industry, which puts this incredible festival in real jeopardy. We want to do our bit to help persuade them to stay.
Thank you.
This project successfully funded on 2nd September 2020