Twelve Scotland-based dance and theatre companies will appear at Edinburgh’s 2009 Fringe Festival through a new £1m two-year programme which aims to showcase national talent, encourage international creative dialogue and provide year-round training, support and advice. ‘Made in Scotland’, which is a partnership between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the Federation of Scottish Theatre and the Scottish Arts Council (SAC), will fund the companies directly and provide in-kind support. The funding, which is drawn from the Expo Fund, will also enable international touring. The list of companies, chosen by a panel of experts from the performing arts community, include established organisations such as Traverse Theatre Company and Scottish Dance Theatre, and more radical work such as that of Grid Iron Theatre Company (pictured) and Fire Exit Ltd. SAC Chief Executive, Jim Tough, said that the list “presents a wonderfully mischievous taste of what is being created in Scotland today”.