The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society has announced that the Keep it Fringe fund, an initiative that supports Fringe artists, will continue for an additional two years thank to government support. 

The fund, originally launched in 2023 by the Fringe Society’s honorary President Phoebe Waller-Bridge, increases accessibility and inclusivity at the festival by giving artists and companies 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 to bring their work to the Fringe. 

Of the funding announced, £900,000 will go directly to support artists over two years, with £50,000 per year used to support administration and payment to freelance assessors involved in the process, as well as accessibility and event support for funded artists during the Fringe. In 2023, more than 670 artists applied for 50 bursaries available through the inaugural fund. 

Said Waller-Bridge, “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 years funding will open April 11.