Celebrating the people who make it all happen # edfests

A new project aims to shine a light on those working behind the scenes to help create the unique buzz felt in Edinburgh in August. Photography by Ryan Buchanan

Edinburgh International Festival is partnering with all the city’s August festivals – Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Edinburgh Art Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – to curate Faces of Edinburgh Festivals, a collection of portraits and interviews that celebrate the enduring spirit of the Festival City. The cancellation of the summer festivals as they were originally conceived in 2020 had a substantial impact, not only on the artists and performers poised to take to stages across the city, but also on every aspect of Edinburgh life.

Faces of Edinburgh Festivals shares the previously untold stories of the countless individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the festivals happen, from local business owners to technical crew in the venues, designers, waiters, taxi drivers, hotel staff and city residents.

The series of interviews, accompanied by beautiful portrait photography, conveys how important these people are to the fabric of the festivals, whether they have an incredible passion for culture and the arts, a job you would never have thought of as being part of the festivals or a unique story to tell.

This rich pool of stories and images about the people at the heart of the festivals will be featured on the Festivals Edinburgh website ( edinburghfestivalcity. com) and Facebook page, on posters across the city and in The Scotsman’s Festival supplement each week.