Katy Koren overseas all matters Gilded Balloon, alongside her mum, Karen Koren. Karen, a Fringe hub pioneer, began programming 7 shows a day at the former J. & R. Allan’s department store in the Cowgate back in 1986. The devastating Cowgate fire of 2002, forced a relocation to Teviot Row House in Bristo Square, where there main Fringe operations remain to this day. An entirely local operation, Gilded Balloon is one of the ‘Big Four’, and the architects of the highly coveted, ‘So You Think You’re Funny’ award. Katy was kind enough to spare some time for a chat to discuss the organisations philosophies, hopes, and visions for the future of the world’s Festival city.
Gilded Balloon
Shows from 3rd – 29th August
For further details click here.
Comments from me: Italics
Katy Koren: bold
Philosophy of Gilded Balloon?
I run Gilded Balloon alongside by mother Karen, who started the company in 1986. It’s a family female-run business. We enable artists to share their work, and in doing that create unique cultural experiences for our audiences. It’s a case of trying to match the two together and support both parties to find each other.
How do you distinguish yourselves from others producing in the Festivals space?
Well in addition to the above, we’re based in Edinburgh all year round. We’re a medium-sized organization compared to the larger & smaller venue operators; so, we’re in the middle. We’re much more accessible than many of the others in terms of access to us as directors, and the people who run the company. We’re open, and honest about what we do.
Others you admire in the Festivals business?
I admire everyone that’s doing what we do! All the venues have had of particularly tough couple of years and I think we get a fair share of the brunt of the negative attention in the festival, which is really difficult to deal with as people that are, you know, not really in it for a lot of the reasons why people think it might be.
No favourites here…
I admire any of the organizations that produce work at the Fringe. You know, that’s down to individual and smaller producers, but also all the way up to the larger venues that produce a lot of work ourselves in house. The Pleasance, and all of the larger players all the way down to the smaller venues in there, and producers. I don’t really have favourites, so all of them really! They all have their unique attributes, and skills.
We’re a medium-sized organization compared to the larger & smaller venue operators; so, we’re in the middle.
Katy Koren
The Pandemic, how has it affected the work?
We had to close down our year-round Edinburgh theatre, which we’d run for 3 years. We had to half our staff, and then we’ve lost for other people since then. We’re on the smallest resource base that we’ve ever had since the 90s. So assets have condensed…everything into a smaller office, we got rid of storage space…all sorts of cost cutting exercises that we’ve needed to survive. As a result we’re working with an incredibly limited resources, and looking to try and deliver a festival experience that we are proud of, and is up to the standard that we want to deliver.
Hopes for this year?
I mean I think just in terms of how our behaviours have changed as venue directors. I’m a lot more cautious; a lot more worried; there’s a lot more stress…all of those kinds of negative connotations. I am nervous about the audience appetite this year. It was phenomenal last year in 2021 but will that translate to this year?
Building Back Better?
There’s been a lot of talk about ‘Building Back Better’, and doing better and I hope the audiences will return in their droves to support the artists…but I’m worried that a lot of the negative chat that’s going on around the Festival will have an impact on it, and I think it would be a real shame for those kind of conversations to overshadow what is a phenomenal event in, and for, Edinburgh.
My hopes for this year, is that people come back. We’re doing, well in in 2019 we had about 22 venues, this year around 17. So, we’re condensing our planning, though obviously we’re running those at full capacity, and hoping all of those shows do really well. We’ve changed a few things just in terms of condensing the number of shows, made a bit more space in between shows to give a bit more breathing space; but the model only works with full capacities. We’re planning for a big old Fringe, I hope: we need it.
How to maximise the chances of a successful return…
I think we’re already doing it. You know, we’re having to stay positive and remind ourselves to positively look towards this Fringe and see it as an opportunity to do things better, but also ignite all of the good reasons we do this festival every year. We just have to be positive about why we do this really. I think over the past 2 years, as I said, there’s been a lot of negativity, which I think is not helpful. Whilst constructive criticism is good, and we absolutely take on all these conversations, we are doing everything we can; and this is absolutely a rebuilding year, so that we can do more and do better, but we’re on our knees at the moment.
But we need to look positively towards this festival and make sure that audiences have an incredible experience, and our artists as well.
We’re planning for a big old Fringe, I hope: we need it.
Katy Koren
Fringe favourites of the past?
Hundreds! I grew up in the Fringe. So, I was born when Gilded Balloon was 3 years old, the glory days of the 90s were the dream. My best experiences back then were being dragged through crowds at hip level and being bashed around with hundreds and hundreds of people everywhere trying to see shows. I remember the comics coming down to the bar to hang out with Karen, and all the stories they told, all that jazz! It was a mad, mad way to grow up. I remember when I was a young teenager, probably too young to be in shows…but Daniel Kitson hosting LATE ‘N’ LIVE in the 90’s at his absolute peak…just a phenomenal performer, at his loosest; he just did whatever he wanted!
I also recall Adam Hills buying an audience member a ticket for Norway to go and see a World Cup game the next day after the gig, and just stupid and auctioning off flights, and just a stupid nonsense… you know don’t worry about the rest of the world, just do stupid things…madness!
Maisie Adam, the the first time I saw her she was part of the “So you think you’re funny” competition, she’s one of those performers that just had it instantly; she’s got funny bones. She’s done phenomenally well, and it’s a pleasure to know here, and call her a friend.
The Fringe creates friends for life, whether that’s performers, people that you work with or, audiences as well!
Any acts particularly exciting you this year?
We’ve got some phenomenal women bringing new shows, including Eleanor Tiernan, Esther Manito, and Maisie Adam…all phenomenal.
I’m also thinking of Lew Fitz, and Jazz Emu (confirmed now, but now when we spoke, so congratulations Katy!)
Vision for the Fringe Future?
I hope it doesn’t change too much to be honest. I think the spirit of the festival is what makes it, and it shouldn’t become like the International Festival, or anything close to a curated festival. The Venues should continue to curate those programs. We do a lot to encourage people to come to the Festival, and find new acts. I think that is really important. I think the open access is really important. I do think it needs to become more equitable for everyone that takes part. I think landlords need to take less accommodation and venue rental, and they need to appreciate what they have on the doorstep. I mean greed is just such a thing isn’t it?
On rents/accomodation, what do you think of the situation?
Something used to be done, it’s a nightmare this year. The Fringe Society are doing what they can to engage the universities and try and get some rooms, but it’s just not enough; this whole thing needs to change.
These kind of road blocks to participation need to be brought down, and that obviously includes accessibility, inclusion and diversity; making sure that it is more diverse and there’s more options for people that can’t afford it. The venues do a lot already for that. We produce all work that we can, though obviously way less than they ever this year. But we hope, once we can rebuild, to be able to do more of that in the future.
I hope it doesn’t change too much to be honest. I think the spirit of the festival is what makes it
Katy Koren
Open Access in danger?
There’s other stakeholders in the Festival that need to make more opportunity for it to become a more open access – the real sense of the words “open access” – Festival, where anyone can take part; at the moment that’s not the case but I’d like to see that in future.
You’d think with all the student housing, there must be plenty of space in Edinburgh. It’s just a coordinated approach needed to make things happen.
Edinburgh’s stature in the world, where do you think things stand?
I think after the pandemic work is needed to keep it at no.1 in the world to be honest. We were very, very close to losing it last year; almost on the verge of not doing anything again. I think it needs all stakeholders to get behind it because if it’s not comparable to what it’s been in the past, then people will start looking elsewhere. I don’t think that that necessarily all about the numbers, but you know we’re all looking at how we can make the artist experience better. Because, ultimately, it’s a marketplace for artists to be able to get more work after Edinburgh. It’s a place where everyone comes together everyone, can learn to do better at their jobs, get noticed, get opportunities.
We need to do everything we can to keep that here.
Is the Fringe heading for a plateau?
Honestly, I do think the numbers of shows and venues will flatline slightly. I don’t think that it will grow at a rate we saw in the 90s, I think that it will kind of stay steady. I hope, and I think we need to make sure it stays the biggest, most important arts festival in the world, for sure.
Over-tourism, what do you think?
I think there needs to be more engagement from the city, and you know, residents, or community groups that are unhappy with the Fringe to engage with the people that make the Fringe happen, i.e. producers, artists, and also venues. We get missed out of the conversation a lot, and people don’t realize that we are actually here all year round, and we care about Edinburgh, we care about the issues that are going on in the city.
Misunderstandings over how the Fringe works
They don’t really understand how the Fringe works basically…they think that the society can just mandate that there’s only 10 venues, or say 100 shows or whatever, but that’s not the spirit of the Festival, and that’s not for them to do.
No Over-Tourism here
A big learning event from Covid was about collaboration. We did a great outdoor venue outdoor atop Castle Terrace carpark. I’m not saying that it was easy cos, oh Lordy working with 4 venues is quite a challenge! I think we all got so much out the out of the experience. We learned a hell of a lot from each other, and I think collaboration between more people, and bringing more voices into the room; understanding people’s position will only help the Festival going forward. I think Edinburgh, does not suffer from over-tourism, it’s a good thing for Edinburgh.
Edinburgh needs it, because it’s been used to it for a long, long time, and there’s some worrying changes going on with Hogmanay and Winter Festivals that I think would be devastating for the for the year-round economy of Edinburgh generally. A lot of people visit here, yes, but it’s the Festivals which make it special when they do.
The residents should be worried about Princes Street and the city centre, the hospitality business there; the Festivals could be an incredible part of that regeneration. I think more conversations are needed, and people need to understand we can be used as a positive force, not terrible incomers from London.
I think there needs to be more engagement from the city, and you know, residents, or community groups that are unhappy with the Fringe…
Katy Koren
Hyper-concentration of venues, maybe?
It’s kind of been used as a figure-head, you know, ‘To save the Festival, or to fix it, we need to move it to different parts of the city.’
I agree, but I can’t afford to take on that risk; none of us are funded. We have to play the safe option, especially for the moment. If government, and city council want activities in other areas, then I absolutely support it, but they need to as well.
The Festivals can spread out, but not without funding
One of our ambitions for our multi-story venue is that it would be a moving collaborative venue so we would get different venue partners and we would do it in different parts of the city. We spoke to the Council, but they weren’t willing; the only reason we were able to do it during Covid was due to the funding available. We are trying to get it off the ground again, but the resources around Scotland are scarce.
It was a really positive thing, I want to do it again, but it can’t be done without support. We could do it with a lot less support now we can have bigger crowds, but not without any support at all.
I think that it’s good that the International Festival – a massively funded festival – has done events in different parts of the city, and they should absolutely be doing that. However, for us, it’s not practical to move venue hubs at the moment. (I raise the very slow restoration of the beloved Leith Theatre, despite huge public love, and a dedicated leadership team) We love Leith, we’re based here, we’ve just started a year-round gig at the Pitt in Pitt Street, “Leith Social”, which we’re going to do during the Fringe. Part of my rebuild plan for Gilded Balloon is to make sure that people understand that we’re here all year round; we are based in Leith, we want to support artists year-round, and we love Edinburgh. It’s a difficult task, but we’re getting there!
A lot of people visit here, yes, but it’s the Festivals which make it special when they do.
Katy Koren
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