Three-year deal to fund Freestival

The newest free Fringe faction, Freestival, has revealed full details of the sponsorship deal for its first year in Edinburgh.

Local pizza and pasta delivery company La Favorita has signed a three-year deal to back the new venture, starting with a £25,000 contribution in 2014 and ‘negotiated increases’ over the next two years.

The cash, which gives the company joint naming rights, will help with setting up and running 15 spaces in seven venues across the city in August.

Freestival organisers say that most of their venues are purpose-built temporary spaces with full soundproofing, wings and proper stages. ‘In short, they say, ‘there are no pub corners or recently vacated meeting rooms.’

La Favorita will also help fund 100,000 copies of the Freestival programme, including delivering a copy with every food order.

Jools Constant, Freestival’s venue coordinator, said: ‘We are looking forward to a continuing partnership with La Favorita Delivered. They’ve really bought into our model. We aim to provide a solid platform for the arts, saving performers from shabby venues at one end of the industry or crippling fees at the other.’

Kenny Scott, chief executive of La Favorita Delivered, added that the sponsorship ‘will raise the bar in all areas of the already vibrant free entry show sector.

Freestival is a breakaway group from Peter Buckley Hill’s original Free Fringe following an acrimonious dispute over the way forward. The PBH Free Fringe has ‘no sponsorship’ as a red-line issue, not negotiable as it would be against the ethos he proscribed.

Freestival’s venues include the Tron Kirk, St John’s Burgh on Victoria Street, and Fingers Piano bar.

• Kenny Scott has also joined the panel on the Chortle Conference at the Soho Theatre next Friday discussing sponsorship in comedy. Click here for full details of all the sessions offering unique, first-hand insight into the comedy business.

Published: 4 Jun 2014