The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that the Keep it Fringe fund, an initiative that supports Fringe artists, will be extended for an additional two years thanks to government support. The fund, originally launched in 2023 by the Fringe Society’s honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge, aims to increase accessibility and inclusivity at the festival by providing artists and companies with a significant grant to offset the costs of bringing a show to the Fringe.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has allocated £1 million to support the Keep it Fringe fund for an additional two years, with 360 bursaries of £2,500 to support artists in showcasing their work at the Fringe. The funding will directly support artists, with additional support for administration, payments to freelance assessors, and accessibility and event support for funded artists during the Fringe. In 2023, more than 670 artists applied for the 50 bursaries available through the inaugural fund.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge expressed her gratitude for the government’s support, stating, “All artists need is financial support and to otherwise be left alone to come up with whatever they are compelled to say. To have the Government support this fund is to feel the sun come out from behind a cloud. Thank you to the Fringe Society for endlessly campaigning for artists and thank you to those in Government for recognizing the cultural importance of the Fringe and the artistic freedom that defines it.”

Applications for this year’s funding will open on April 11. The fund aims to continue supporting artists and promoting creativity at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.