Scotland’s Fringe showcase spotlights genre-defying artists for 2025
“Every year I’m blown away by the talent and artistry that shines through the Made in Scotland applications,” says Chris Snow, Head of Artist Services at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. As the 2025 Made in Scotland Showcase prepares to dazzle audiences with sixteen events spanning dance, theatre, music and more, Snow reflects on a selection process that never fails to surprise.
Backed by the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund, the initiative offers a launchpad for Scottish artists to reach international audiences during the world’s largest arts festival. The Fringe Society, alongside Creative Scotland, Federation of Scottish Theatre and Scottish Music Centre, supports these productions not just with visibility, but through a dedicated onward touring fund.
“The competition is incredibly steep. Made in Scotland has such a strong reputation internationally, and of course is one of the only significant sources of financial support for Scottish shows presenting at the Fringe, so it isn’t surprising that so many artists apply.”
High competition, high reward
Snow emphasises the steep level of competition: “The competition is incredibly steep. Made in Scotland has such a strong reputation internationally, and of course is one of the only significant sources of financial support for Scottish shows presenting at the Fringe, so it isn’t surprising that so many artists apply. There are so many shows that deserve this support and this platform.”
Even with years of experience, Snow finds himself unable to predict which applications will rise to the top. “I can never predict what the panel are going to select, or even which applications are going to get discussed for the longest,” he says. “I think I’m probably most surprised by the sheer variety of work, and how laser-focused the applications are. The quality is just so so high.”
While the Fringe Society remains impartial in the panel’s decision-making, Snow admits there are moments that spark personal excitement. “Sometimes there’s an application that talks about a particular artist doing something new in a particular venue space that just gets me fizzing with excitement. That fizzing is always silent of course, it’s vital that I don’t steer the panel’s choices at all, and I take that very seriously.”
Navigating diversity and consensus
As Chair of the panel, Snow says one of the biggest challenges is managing time and maintaining focus: “What can be hard is when after lots of discussion there still isn’t consensus. A diverse panel will always have diverse opinions, and that’s exactly why the process works.”
His strategy is simple but effective: get early clarity. “My approach is to try to get as many shows in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ pile early in the day, so that time can really be spent on curating the final selection from a shorter list. A more challenging day is one that ends with lots still in a ‘maybe’ pile.”
With debates often running long, he underscores the need to support the panel itself: “Keeping to time is always challenging too, so encouraging the panels to take proper breaks and get headspace away from the discussion, helps break up some of the more intense conversations and allow space for reflection. These panels care so much, and that’s something I try to provide some protection and security around as a chair.”
“What can be hard is when after lots of discussion there still isn’t consensus. A diverse panel will always have diverse opinions, and that’s exactly why the process works.”
The showcase’s global mission
“In short, the international arts marketplace that is the Fringe,” Snow says when asked who the showcase is designed for. The artists selected are positioned as must-see productions for international producers, programmers and buyers attending the Fringe in August.
He elaborates: “We ask the artists to tell us about their ambitions for touring – target markets internationally – and then we curate a list of delegates from those markets, and help guide those delegates through the showcase selection.”
But the impact continues beyond August: “After the Fringe, we manage an Onward Touring Fund – open to any Scottish Fringe shows, not just from the showcase – supporting those onward opportunities to happen. Time and again we’ve seen this translate into bookings and tours.”
Spotlight on 2025 shows
This year’s showcase spans a broad spectrum of genres and audiences. Pekku, a playful new show for young children, brings gentle comedy and curiosity from creators of past early years hits White and Stick by Me. Meanwhile, The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl mixes aerial theatre and heartfelt storytelling for older children and families.
In dance, Mele Broomes’ through warm temperatures combines movement, vocals, and live cello in a meditative piece exploring identity and natural remedies. Stepping In… Spilling Out by Mark Bleakley uses personal narrative and live percussion to examine the cultural politics of dance, while Christine Thynne’s These Mechanisms celebrates creative resilience in an octogenarian’s delightfully unconventional stage debut.
From Shetland, A Journey of Flight blends choreography, music and visuals in a moving reflection on migration and memory, while Small Town Boys places queer joy and political defiance at the heart of a high-energy dance and club theatre experience.
On the more surreal side, Pickled Republic promises a puppet-led cabaret of tragic vegetables and existential comedy, and Farah Saleh’s Balfour Reparations tackles the colonial legacy in Palestine through speculative choreography and participatory performance.
What makes a show stand out?
Snow says clarity of purpose and vision are crucial: “The EXPO fund is about exporting Scottish culture internationally. The strongest applications have a clear vision and plan for the work doing that, and understand how to use the remarkable Fringe platform to achieve it.”
As the cost of creating and staging work continues to rise, Snow also sees the limitations of current funding. “More money would mean more support to more shows – the Made in Scotland framework works, but there are so many amazing applications and simply never enough money to support them all.”
His vision includes broadening the fund’s scope: “I would love Made in Scotland to support comedy, particularly when there’s such a pool of exciting talent in comedy at the moment. I would also love it to have a development fund to allow space for financial support and upskilling of newer emerging artists who will one day likely have international success.”
A moment of artistic clarity
With a selection in place and artists making final preparations for August, Snow is filled with optimism. “I do think the selected shows this year are truly special – a real mix of genre, style, voice. It’s unusual that I come away from this process wanting to see quite as much of the work as I do this year.”
Optimism, aside, this is man with an eye on the main prize at all times, however: “Made in Scotland aims to position the shows for producers, programmers, buyers from all over the world who come to our city to find work in August, as the work from Scotland that they should be seeing and seriously considering for onward presentation.”
And at the end of a process that demanded both rigour and inspiration, Snow sums up what makes it worthwhile: “…the EXPO fund is about supporting work from Scotland to export internationally, and I just feel so confident that this selection will do exactly that.”
Featured Image: The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl – Credit: TommyGaKenWan
By
