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Winter Festival funding
18/04/2008
The Scottish Government's Expo Fund is to provide £215,000 towards Edinburgh's Hogmanay Feet First event - a new project showcasing a wide range of outdoor entertainment from the best local and national Scottish artists.
Free to the public, Feet First - derived from the Scottish tradition of first footing at New Year - will take place in the Capital's George Street on January 1, 2009. It will feature a range of entertainment including fixed and travelling performances, sound and lighting installations, aerial performance, live music, fireworks and a spectacular finale.
Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:
"I am enormously proud of all of Edinburgh's Festivals and of the energy and commitment of all those involved. The Scottish Government's Expo Fund, launched last month, will help to support Scottish based artists and ensure that the global competitive edge of the Festivals is maintained.
"Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations are internationally renowned for their creativity and excitement and I am delighted that the Scottish Government is providing Expo Funding of £215,000 to develop and deliver this new bespoke production.
"This will be a major, free and accessible event in the centre of the world's home of Hogmanay, showcasing the best of Scottish street theatre talent and delighting audiences from home and around the world."
The work to be presented is currently being created and is a collaboration between the Edinburgh Winter Festival and two Capital based award-winning theatre and outdoor event companies, Boilerhouse and Iron-Oxide.
Feet First - an important new part of Edinburgh's Hogmanay programme - will be around two hours in length and feature the theme of 'stepping boldly through the doorway into the New Year'.
Winter Festivals Marketing & Communications Manager, John-Paul Murphy, said:
"Edinburgh's Hogmanay is always looking to improve its programme and we're excited about the potential of Feet First and working with Boilerhouse and Iron-Oxide. It wouldn't be possible to bring Feet First to public attention without the Festivals Expo Funding from the Scottish Government, which is a welcome initiative.
"It doesn't just add to the four days of the Hogmanay programme but provides a platform for Scottish creative arts companies to showcase their talent to the Edinburgh's Hogmanay international audience, and hopefully, take that work around the world."
The funding for Feet First marks the third successful project from the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festival Expo Fund, launched on March 27, which supports new productions, events or exhibitions involving Scottish-based participants that premiere at any of the Edinburgh Festivals. The fund can also be used to support touring of events or performances after their premiere at the festival and allow successful work to reach new audiences.
The planned expenditure for the Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund is £6 million over three years (2008-2009 to 2011-2012).
Resources of £1.308 million have been allocated in 2008-09. The assessment process and funding is administered by the Scottish Arts Council.
The Expo Fund is available to all 12 Festivals in Edinburgh to support the development of Scottish-based work.
The main role for co-ordinating and delivering the portfolio of Expo projects falls to Festivals Edinburgh, led by Faith Liddell. A panel comprising members of the Thundering Hooves steering group and Festivals Forum has recommended the projects for funding in 2008-09.
As previously announced, the Edinburgh International Festival successfully bid for £277,000 from the Expo Fund and the Bank of Scotland Imaginate Festival of Theatre for Children and Young People received £26,400. The remaining successful projects will be announced in due course.
Edinburgh's Hogmanay, part of Edinburgh's Winter Festivals, is a four day free for all celebrating the New Year. Visitors enjoy four days of fabulous events throughout the city including well loved favourites such as the Torchlight Procession and the world famous Royal Bank Street Party, as well as many new events.
Feet First will provide an opportunity for artists to create new work. The event will focus on the future that a new year can represent. It's about hope, optimism, and stepping boldly through the doorway into the New Year. This is not about dipping a toe in - it's about jumping in feet first!
Creative Directors, Paul Pinson (Boilerhouse) and Chloë Dear (Iron-Oxide) are experienced creators and producers of large-scale outdoor work in Scotland and internationally.