The Pleasance Theatre Trust: Charlie Harthill Fund

Overview

The Charlie Hartill Fund supports UK-based theatre makers and comedians in bringing their work to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

As Pleasance’s flagship fund offering unique and unparalleled support to artists, the fund provides an exceptional package of direct cash investment and mentoring support. The fund seeks to remove financial risk for companies and allow creativity to take centre stage.

The fund was established in 2004 in memory of Charlie Hartill and awards four opportunities each Edinburgh Festival Fringe -

• One for emerging comedians
• One for emerging theatre companies
• Two for UK-based Black, Asian and Global Majority-led theatre shows

What do they offer

• A prime programming slot at Pleasance Edinburgh without financial risk
• Accommodation
• Paid subsistence
• PR and Marketing Support
• In kind support including (but not limited to); mentoring from the Pleasance Comedy team; rehearsal space, sharing & Work Space at our London theatre; additional marketing presence as part of our Pleasance Comedy marketing and advertising campaigns

To be eligible for their Comedy Reserve you must

• Be an ‘up and coming’ comic
• Attend a series of tryouts at Pleasance Islington
• Be able to attend Edinburgh Fringe for the duration of the festival

Submissions for 2024 will open in early February 2024.

THEATRE

Each year the Charlie Hartill Fund provides one early-career theatre company with the rare and extraordinary opportunity to present a fully produced ensemble performance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Charlie Hartill Fund also provides financing, mentorship and programming opportunities to support two UK-based Black, Asian and Global Majority artists in bringing an existing show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

They offer £5,0000-£10,000 financing from Pleasance towards the cost of presenting your show, which includes:

• A guaranteed slot in our Edinburgh programme at Pleasance and programming option in our London transfer run.
• Assistance with accommodation and Travel
• Edinburgh Fringe Registration and brochure fees
• PR and marketing support
• Mentorship
• Rehearsal, development, sharing and work space
• Support to develop and deliver accessible performances (including the provision of captioned performances)

Eligibility requirements for early-career theatre companies

• 40% of the entire production and creative team must be no more than 5 years from full time education on the final performance date
• The play must have a performing company of 4 or more cast members
• Directors and producers must not have created more than two professional productions, including Fringe
• Be able to attend the Theatre Try-outs at Pleasance Islington in February 2024 (dates TBC)*

*Travel bursaries are available to companies and artists based outside of London.

Eligibility requirements for existing UK-based Black, Asian and Global Majority artists in bringing an existing show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

• Must be based in the United Kingdom
• At least 50% of the lead creators (which could include the Writer, Director, Producer, Designers or makers/devising ensemble) must identify as Black, Asian or Global Majority Artists
• At least 50% of the cast must identify as Global Majority Artists
• Propose an existing Theatre or Children’s production to present at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024. The show must be tour ready, with a minimum of two public performances staged by the 31st March 2024. They hope to encourage the best work created and presented over the last year to come to Edinburgh Fringe. They are not looking for new, unstaged work.
• The show must be an Edinburgh Festival Fringe premiere.
• Due to the limitations of our available funding, and to encourage sustainable producing and fair pay, they do not anticipate the cast size for any selected production to exceed 5. This is not a restriction, but shows with larger casts will need to demonstrate additional confirmed or planned fundraising to ensure everyone is paid fairly.
• Be able to attend the Selection Interview for 45 minutes with the Pleasance panel in February 2024 on Zoom (date TBC)

Submissions for 2024 will open in December 2023.