We know that the Fringe is difficult. We know that it’s expensive and tiring. But we also know that it’s one of the most fulfilling professional experiences you can have as an artist or performer and will open doors for your company in a way that no other festival in the world can.
Every year, hundreds of critics, agents, producers and programmers descend on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with one goal: to find the very best. It’s why we come back year after year: we genuinely love the atmosphere of the Fringe, the exciting, palpable feeling that we might be on the brink of revolutionising the artform, or tearing it all down.
Since we founded ZOO in 2000, we’ve been supporting companies through the Fringe – helping them connect with programmers, bring in audiences and network with critics. We’re proud to support companies through thick and thin, to help emerging artists coming to the Fringe for the first time to cut their teeth, and to help international renowned artists coming to the Fringe for the tenth time to deliver their best performances.
Some venues have hidden cost, or try to monopolise the Fringe marketplace, cutting out smaller, independent venues and companies. That’ll never be us. We love the eclectic, meritocratic nature of the Fringe: how anyone can come from anywhere in the world and become the next big thing. Our mission is to find and the present the very best work at the Fringe and to always treat companies and artists fairly. With that in mind, here are some promises – things we’ve been doing for the last twenty years, and we’ll continue doing for as long as we’re around.
We’ll always offer a range of high-quality spaces for a range of shows, keeping the Fringe equitable and accessible to first-timers and emerging companies as well as big names. We will do almost anything to present work that would not otherwise be seen at the festival.
There are no hidden costs at ZOO; you’ll always get what you pay for, and more.
Our friendly staff will always be on hand during the Fringe, and in the run up, to offer you expert, personalised support.
We’ve worked for years to established ZOO as one of the most exciting venues on the Fringe where audiences and critics alike can find the very best work. We’re passionate about helping companies achieve their best. To join us, apply here, or get in touch.
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A RANGE OF SPACES FOR A RANGE OF SHOWS
The most exciting part of the Fringe is the sheer range of art available. We’ve got a range of spaces with different sizes to suit different shows; all our spaces come with excellent technical support, and are in central locations around the city. Some venues squeeze down on stage space to fit as many seats in as possible, but we know that there’s lots of work trying to get to the Fringe that needs something different. The Main House stage is ZOO Southside is one of the biggest, and unusual at the Fringe in that it’s capable of hosting large-scale dance and performance.
Meanwhile, our Studio spaces at ZOO Southside and Playground are perfect for small- to mid-scale dance work and a range of theatre performances. Playground 1 is a perfect end-on black box with raked seating offering audiences excellent sightlines; Playground 2 and the Southside Studio are both thrust spaces with a more intimate feel, perfect for shows with more imaginative staging. Playground 3 is an end-on space best for experimental work, with a small capacity allowing companies to play with new ideas with minimal financial risk.
UNPARALLELED LEVEL OF PERSONALISED SUPPORT
All our spaces come with an excellent level of technical support as standard, unrivalled across the Fringe, and the support of the entire ZOO team, including our expert production managers and invaluable advice from our press and marketing staff. We can customise support to suit you and your needs. Whether you can’t perform for the whole Fringe, or you need to crane a trampoline through a first floor window at midnight, we’ll be on hand to help. You get all of this at a reasonable price – there are never any hidden costs at ZOO.