Festival city relies on a wide variety of support, guest blog by Julie Hutchison, director of philanthropy and charities, LGT Wealth Management

It takes a huge base of support to make the Edinburgh Festivals happen, and as public finances continue to be squeezed, philanthropy will play an ever-more important role. We’re four years on from the becalmed summer when most things came to a sudden halt. It got me thinking about the support which underpins the creative arts; how creative work is developed, staged and presented within the context of the larger occasion of a festival, and the role of philanthropy in all phases of making work which is performed and seen by an audience.

Exactly how many summer festivals are there in Edinburgh? For some, it has become a six-week marathon of eight festivals encompassing Jazz and Blues, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, the Book, the Film, the Art and the Television Festivals as well as the Military Tattoo. Looking back, I’ve enjoyed shows across three of them, including Things We Will Miss (thought-provoking) Oedipus Rex (rawly immersive) and Club Life (simply joyous).

The summer festivals, with their focus on arts and culture, are all registered charities. Many of the shows are performed in venues which are themselves charities.  Some of the larger theatre companies and music ensembles giving those performances are also charities. When you reflect on it, you can be watching a charity perform in a charitable venue as part of a charitable festival. It’s a fragile eco-system which receives an element of government and council funding, and which relies hugely on other sources of support. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the role of donors is a vital part of that picture. Patrons, benefactors, membership and friends’ schemes all contribute. Funding comes from afar too: the Scottish diaspora contribute via specific US donor programmes. Beyond this, it’s possible to take a more holistic view of philanthropy which recognises other contributions. Volunteers give their time and skills; some may also lend support with network connections and introductions. These all underpin the staging of the festivals.

It can be seen as a privilege to be able to afford to experience a renewed sense of appreciation of life enriched by the creative arts but, increasingly, free or discounted tickets and practical assistance are being made available to positively support open access.  The compelling vision of the Fringe ‘to give anyone a stage and everyone a seat’ still needs financial support to help make it a reality, however.

The Charities Aid Foundation estimates that £13.9 billion was donated to charities in the UK last year.  However, only 3% of this was for the arts. The inflation of recent times has hit hard all round, including those in the creative arts sector. For some donors, this only reinforces their determination to do what they can to ensure venues can keep the lights on and shows can still be staged.

Reminded of the Greek roots of philanthropy as ‘love of humanity’, perhaps the simplest act of philanthropy is the generosity of sharing space with others who visit during the summer weeks, in pursuit of the joy of community. For that goal alone, the Edinburgh Festivals have arguably never been more needed.