Equity, the union for performing arts and entertainment, is calling on any artists affected by non-payment for work at Summerhall in Edinburgh to get in touch for assistance.
The popular venue is subject to a ‘winding up’ court case, with HMRC claiming for hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid tax. As a result, artists expecting to be paid for performances from this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival are still waiting for payment and it’s unclear when – or possibly if – payments will be honoured. Equity is dealing with cases of members who are owed between a few hundreds and tens of thousands of pounds.
It’s vital that artists and performers are prioritised for payment. We’re encouraging anyone impacted to get in touch with Equity so we can make representations and provide advice and support for our members.
Merlene Curran, Equity Scotland National Official
Equity National Official for Scotland, Marlene Curran said: “This is a really stressful time for artists and performers. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is major event in the UK calendar for live performance and Summerhall is a well-established and significant venue.
She continued, “For artists, the Fringe is an important opportunity to earn some money, as well as showcase incredible productions. It’s vital that artists and performers are prioritised for payment. We’re encouraging anyone impacted to get in touch with Equity so we can make representations and provide advice and support for our members.”
Summerhall has had its accounts frozen and is unable to make any payments. It is making cut backs to staff positions and hours while it awaits a further court date at the end of November. However, much of the Fringe ticket sales are handled by the Fringe Society Box Office, with calls for the Society to make direct payments to artists who performed over the summer. In recent guidance to performers, the Society said “we are actively holding the payout pending the appointment of a liquidator as we consider this approach offers the highest likelihood of success of protecting your funds.”
Summerhall is a major arts and cultural venue, hosting performances, exhibitions and music year-round and is especially busy during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, with every last space used for Fringe activities. A wide variety of productions are hosted with many artists and performers working in the central-Edinburgh venue each summer.
Get in touch for advice and support on Summerhall by emailing Marlene on mcurran@equity.org.uk
