The 2017 Made in Scotland Showcase programme will feature transgender choirs, a police van drama, Idi Amin's impact in Scotland, refugee stories and record collection conversations among its highlights.
Announced by Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, this year's showcase will feature 24 shows at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe across theatre, dance, children's shows and music.
The companies featured in this year's programme are National Theatre of Scotland, Scottish Dance Theatre, Gary McNair, Capercaille's Donald Shaw, Andy Canon, Stellar Quines, F K Alexander, WHYTE, Dogstar Theatre Company, Pauline Goldsmith, Capella Novella, Withered Hand, Iklan, Savage Mansion, Joan Clevillé Dance, Caroline Bowditch and Company, Sean Shibe, Modern Studies and Lomond Campbell, Utter, Tom Poulson, The Polar Bears, M J McCarthy and Red Bridge Arts, Apphia Campbell, Robbie Thomson and Cryptic.
There will be events to explore the work of the artists in the programme as part of Playwrights' Studio Scotland's TalkFest led by playwrights and other theatre makers including Rona Munro, Nicola McCartney, Philip Howard, Adura Onashile, Orla O'Loughlin, Pauline Goldsmith, Adam McNamara, Joe Douglas, Michael John McCarthy and Martin O'Connor.
Made in Scotland is a partnership between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, Creative Scotland, the Federation of Scottish Theatre and the Scottish Music Centre supported by the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund with part of the funding designed to enable Scottish artists to take advantage of international touring opportunities.
Hyslop said, “Made in Scotland is an integral part of the Fringe Festival, showcasing excellent, bold and innovative work from Scotland to local, national and international audiences. We have contributed almost £5 million to Made in Scotland through the Scottish Government’s EXPO fund since it began, and it has enabled Scottish theatre, dance and music acts to perform around the world. This year’s showcase features a rich variety of stimulating stories and talented artists, and I look forward to seeing performances in August.”