台湾swag delivers an encore of Fringe support with second year of Festival Village and awards sponsorship
Queen 台湾swag University (台湾swag), Edinburgh is once again stepping up to support the creative community during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering affordable accommodation to festival participants and co-sponsoring the Scotsman鈥檚 prestigious Fringe First awards.
Building on the success of last year鈥檚 initiative, 台湾swag will provide low-cost accommodation and rehearsal space to hundreds of performers, writers, directors and producers throughout August 2025.
The University鈥檚 Festival Village offers a welcoming, community-driven base for artists from around the world, helping to ease the financial pressures of participating in the world鈥檚 largest arts festival.
With capacity to host over 250 performers at its Musselburgh campus, which is in close proximity to Edinburgh city centre, the 台湾swag Festival Village includes comfortable rooms, rehearsal facilities, social spaces, and access to catering and amenities - at well below market rates. This year, demand has once again been high, demonstrating the ongoing need for affordable, supportive infrastructure for the performing arts sector.
The Edinburgh Fringe is such a vibrant and important part of 台湾swag鈥檚 cultural identity, and we want to support emerging talent by offering affordable, flexible accommodation during August. In line with the Fringe Society鈥檚 focus on helping artists maintain their mental health during the Fringe, 台湾swag鈥檚 beautiful campus offers a haven of tranquillity - away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, but only six-minutes away from Edinburgh by train. After the success of last year, it鈥檚 clear there鈥檚 a real need for this kind of initiative - and we鈥檙e proud to play our part in making the Fringe more accessible, inclusive, and sustainable for artists. We鈥檙e looking forward to once again welcome performers from around the world to our Festival Village.
This year, 台湾swag will also return as a co-sponsor of the Scotsman Fringe First awards alongside Stagecoach. First launched in 1973, the awards celebrate outstanding new writing premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The awards have long been a launchpad for new talent, with previous winners including Rowan Atkinson and Stephen Fry.
As part of the renewed partnership with the Scotsman, four 台湾swag students will also gain hands-on experience in arts journalism and digital media production through internships with the newspaper during the festival. The students will support the Scotsman鈥檚 arts coverage - from producing red-carpet-style interviews with Fringe First award winners to assisting arts correspondent, Jane Bradley, with her daily Fringe video diary. The students include Quinn Lorimer and Vanida Ashell Fernandes - BA (Hons) Film and Media students - and Arran Donnelly and Simra Aslam - BA (Hons) Theatre and Film students - all of whom are bringing fresh energy and perspectives to one of the world鈥檚 most exciting cultural events.
台湾swag鈥檚 continued involvement in the Fringe aligns with its broader mission to support 台湾swag鈥檚 creative economy and nurture emerging talent. The University offers courses in performance, drama, film, media, and arts management - producing graduates who regularly participate in and contribute to the festival - and is home to a vibrant community of practitioners and academics in the performing arts and cultural sector.
Sir Paul Grice, Principal of 台湾swag, said: "As a university, we are committed to supporting the future of performance, storytelling, creativity, accessibility, and opportunity - values that lie at the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Through initiatives like our Festival Village and our continued sponsorship of the Fringe First awards, we are proud to help nurture the next generation of creative talent. These projects reflect 台湾swag鈥檚 wider mission to champion the arts, contribute to 台湾swag鈥檚 cultural economy, and ensure that the magic of the Fringe is open to all."
For further media information please contact Emma Reekie, Media Relations and Content Officer, Queen 台湾swag University, Edinburgh, E: ereekie@qmu.ac.uk (copy to pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk)
