THE Fringe is looking for a new headquarters in Scotland's capital.
The Fringe Society, which runs the annual world-famous festival which starts this week, has begun the process of establishing a new home in the city.
The new building will provide a bigger stage for the Society's work, a year-round "functional space" for education, visiting media workrooms, cultural workshops, its AGM and even rehearsal space for visiting Fringe companies.
The new headquarters would be a new and more noticeable visual presence in the city's urban landscape, but the chief executive of the Fringe hopes to avoid using an A-listed or ancient building for the HQ.
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The establishment of the 'Fringe Home' is part of a series of projects to be boosted by a new £100,000 grant from the UK Government.
The Society has begun looking at property in the city belonging to the City of Edinburgh Council and the University of Edinburgh, while available private buildings are also due to be assessed.
Shona McCarthy, the chief executive of the festival, is frustrated that the Fringe - the largest arts festival in the world - has to be run from three, sometimes cramped, separate offices off the Royal Mile, with no space for large events or meetings.
The Fringe uses a University building, Appleton Tower, for its media and events base, Fringe Central, but is now looking for a building to provide a public face to the visiting world, as well as an all-year round head quarters.
Ms McCarthy said ideally the head quarters would be a functional space like Rockvilla, the new home of the National Theatre of Scotland in Glasgow, rather than an A-listed heritage building.
The Society would keep its well known shop on the Royal Mile, but it would become completely dedicated to retail and box office space.
It owns its other two premises, the sale of which would fund the new HQ.
Ms McCarthy said the Society had already opened talks with asset managers of the City of Edinburgh Council, and the asset managers of the University of Edinburgh.
She said: "It makes sense on so many levels, we are a small team and we are split over three separate buildings.
"We work so collaboratively - we have operations, marketing and participation services - but within that there are teams working in all parts, so it is frustrating for us to be in three places."
She added: "We are realistic to know that this is a city where buildings are at a premium, and it has to be the right thing.
"It has to feel 'Fringe', we are not looking for some precious listed building, we are looking for something functional and workable that people feel welcome when they come into it."
Last night the UK Government announced £100,000 in funding for the Fringe.
The funding will be used to pay for a "streamlined accreditation and ticket request system, develop the Edfringe.com website, and help create an Arts Industry app" as well proving some money for the project to develeop the new headquarters.
Jeremy Wright, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: "The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is an annual showcase of creativity and a global marketplace for emerging talent.
"It has launched the careers of some of the UK’s finest writers and performers and we want to ensure it continues to go from strength to strength, helping to break new acts here and across the globe.
"This funding will help the Fringe increase its digital capability, making it even easier for visitors to this world-class event to enjoy everything it has to offer."
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