How we have brought a taste of the Fringe to care homes

The goal is to bring the Fringe Care Fest to all of Edinburgh's homes in future years | contributed

“When you brought the Fringe performers to my care home it was as if life finally and absolutely now goes on for me!” This was the comment from a 90 plus year old resident of a local care home in Edinburgh after she had experienced two of the more than 40,000 performers currently on stage in theatres, church basements, and even moving vehicles during the world’s largest arts festival.

The solution to this dilemma for this lady and thousands of other often unseen and unheard voices of bringing the Fringe to them was conceived by the Edinburgh Interfaith Association.

In 2022 one of my close friends required specialist care for his growing dementia and alzheimers diagnosis. As the Fringe approached I asked his family if I could escort him to a musical performance and they declined due to his increase physical frailty. That was the moment the Fringe Care Fest, which will provide a Fringe experience for over 1000 residents in care homes, was born.

I simply asked if I could bring a Fringe performer to my friend’s local care home to entertain the residents. They positive answer I received led me to search for a performer whose act would be appropriate for residents suffering from dementia and alzheimers.

Melanie Gall, a Canadian and multi–year veteran of the Festival Fringe agreed to perform her Edith Piaf and Noel Coward show for the residents. When she sang the world famous Piaf ballad “La Vie En Rose” or in English “Life through Rose Coloured Glasses” the 100 audience members sang along forcefully. Among the audience members were 60 care home residents who previously had been either asleep or simply resting their tired eyes. With the first notes of the familiar tune they blinked their eye lashes, sat up straighter in their wheel chairs exuding hope, and passionately sang every word in French out loud.

It was at that moment I wondered if this programme could be expanded? I asked the general manager of the care home if there were other homes who would welcome a similar programme. She replied that her company operated four homes in Edinburgh and she would make some enquiries. Within a few days the 2023 programme was being planned thanks to the founding financial support of Barchester Healthcare.

In 2024 the programme doubled in size to reach eight homes in Edinburgh and this summer 16 care homes from Edinburgh to North Berwick experienced the excitement of performers from all over the world (Canada, China, Italy, Jamaica, and the USA),at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the ease and comfort of their very own care home. This is only possible through the continued support of Barchester Healthcare, Randolph Hill Group Ltd, Scottish Care / Partners for Integration, and the Asian Art Fund Scotland.

Several care home residents have expressed their gratitude by saying “We attended the Festival Fringe for over 50 years and without the Fringe Care Fest those days would be over. It is often too difficult or impossible for us to attend Fringe shows due to our mobility challenges so having you bring the Fringe Care Fest to us means we can, with our families, friends, and others continue to enjoy the world’s largest arts festival”

To achieve this success the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and our partners first annually consult with local care home officials to identify the best type of entertainment for their home’s residents. Then we consult with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to advertise these opportunities to their artist participants. Finally, we then brief the confirmed artists regarding these special audiences and also brief the care home to insure they create the total Fringe experience through food and drink, décor, and costumes.

Within the city of Edinburgh there are over 60 care homes. Our goal is to bring the Fringe Care Fest to all of them in future years. Each summer we will help insure that the unseen and unheard voice of the past have their loud and long applause and shouts of “Bravo” included as an integral part of the Edinburgh Festivals of the future.

Professor Joe Goldblatt is the Co–Chair of the Edinburgh Interfaith Association and is the Founding Producer of the Fringe Care Fest. To support this programme visit www.edinburghinterfaith.com