Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society preparing for consultation

Celebrating record attendances, with 1.8 million ticket sales and attendances up 21% on last year, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is preparing to embark on a widespread consultative process in preparation for a major reform of its constitution next year. Pip Utton, Vice Chair of the Society, said, “The current constitution of the Fringe Society was written in 1969… The Fringe Society was established to help the venues and the performers sell more tickets and promote shows through a single unified programme. The working group is convinced that these core objectives of the Fringe Society are as relevant today as they were in 1969. Any constitutional changes should enhance this work not detract from it.” A call for responses to the consultation goes out to stakeholders this month and the Society is urging “everyone with an interest in the future of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to take part and help shape the Fringe for years to come”. Findings from the consultation will be published in December, with a view to proposed constitutional amendments being published in June 2010.