Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine 2025

by Welcome to the Fringe in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine 2025

Total raised £11,512

£30,000 target 18 days left
38% 133 supporters
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  Your donation will be matched

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 28th February 2025 at 11:59pm

Help us bring Palestinian artists to the Edinburgh Fringe!

by Welcome to the Fringe in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

 donated match funding
Creative Scotland Crowdmatch is providing live match funding

We want to raise £30,000 towards a ‘Welcome To The Fringe: Palestine’ project, bringing artists from Palestine to Edinburgh to perform and participate in the biggest arts festival in the world. We also want to form a network of artists and friends who can give those artists help in-kind, mentoring, venue space and guidance.

Ten years ago, Welcome To The Fringe: Palestine brought 10 artists from Palestine to the Fringe. We gave audiences the opportunity to engage with contemporary Palestinian performance, and gave Palestinian Artists the opportunity to perform, to see work and to network. It was a celebration of Palestinian culture and an affirming experience of the power of culture that still touches us today.

In 2025 we want to do it again! It is more important than ever that we host and share in the work of our Palestinian colleagues.

What is Welcome to the Fringe Palestine?
'Welcome to the Fringe: Palestine' is an initiative to bring Palestinian Artists to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe. We want to platform their voices and celebrate Palestinian art and culture, with freedom and without censorship. While here, the project will support them to engage with the festival, meet audiences, see shows, make contacts, make friends, and enjoy the city.

We embrace the lessons in hospitality, culture and liberation that we have learnt from Palestinians, and we hope to bring that spirit to the Festival. Over one week in August 2025, Welcome To The Fringe Palestine will take place in an atmosphere of conviviality. We aim to present up to 16 artists and their work - ranging from poetry, theatre, dance, live art and song. We want to welcome audiences to share in their work. There will be art as well as laughter, music, food, drink, stories, jokes and conversation.

£30,000 sounds like a lot of money - but its realistically what we need in order to cover the following costs: 

  • Flights, Accommodation & a fee with expenses for the artists; 
  • Cover the time and cost of applying for Visas;
  • Fringe registration;
  • Technical Equipment and Venue Costs;
  • Volunteer Expenses and Technical Crew costs;
  • Documentation and Marketing of Welcome to the Fringe.

So, if you would like to hear Palestinian voices at Edinburgh Fringe, please consider donating to this Crowdfunder project. Please spread the word to others who might be able to add financial support to this project. 

Who we are, and how else YOU can help...
We are an independent group of Scottish based writers, dancers, theatre-makers, publishers and producers who have worked regularly in Palestine and the wider Middle East over many decades.

We have gained enormously from this cultural exchange and we think Scotland and Scottish audiences have benefited from it too. Now is the time to reciprocate, however we can.

This showcase is being organised voluntarily and we are fundraising from scratch. To make this happen we are going to be reliant on the generosity, skills and solidarity of the many. And so, if you are interested in helping with the ‘Welcome To The Fringe Palestine’ project - in ways other than donating to the crowdfunder - here are some suggestions:  

  • by offering organising and technical skills, networking opportunities, mentoring, or gifts in-kind;
  • by offering (or advocating others to offer) free accommodation to the Palestinian Artists during their stay in Edinburgh; 
  • by supporting us get this fund off the ground and working on it expanding who it reaches; 
  • by offering PR, Publicity and Marketing expertise to reach a wide audience during the Fringe;
  • anything else you can think of that might be helpful!

If you would be willing to help with any of these suggestions, please get in touch.

Why Now?
We want to do something, however small it seems, to combat the ongoing dehumanisation and violence against the Palestinian people, and the ongoing censorship, restrictions and barriers placed in the way of Palestinian art.

Above all, Welcome To The Fringe: Palestine, aims to listen and learn from Palestinians. 

The Edinburgh Fringe is one of our favourite places in the world. It is a place of welcome and refuge. We want it to be a place where everyone can speak in the open and tell their stories. We want it to be a place where the unheard are finally heard. We hope you feel able to support us in this.

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Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£20 or more

Thank You!

Thank you for your support! Your name will be added to our programme as a way of expressing our gratitude.

£100 or more

Get a Festival Pass!

You get a full pass to our 4-day showcase of Palestinian performance in Edinburgh.

£500 or more

Join the Party!

You will get a festival pass, a thank you AND a special invite to the end of the festival party, expect food, drink, songs and dabke dancing.

£2,000 or more

Sponsor an Artist!

This will help cover most of the costs of bringing one artist from Palestine. All other rewards are included.

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