We, the undersigned, are performers originally booked by Freestival to fill rooms at the Cowgatehead venue at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015, as well as those who wish to show support for acts affected by the situation. This letter is intended to make sure the Fringe Association, Freestival and PBH are all aware of our position; which is as follows:

• We have all booked our rooms in good faith, paying Freestival’s fees of £150 per show. The vast majority of us have also paid for registering our shows in the Fringe Programme at £300 per show.

• Many of us have more than one show scheduled and listed as being at Cowgatehead.

• We demand to be able to keep the rooms we have booked at the time slots we have booked them.

• We prefer for Freestival to be allowed to run the venue for the following reasons:

A - This is the organisation we originally opted to work with.

B - We take exception to the manner and style in which PBH had taken over the venue (if indeed they have) and to the demands they make of us after we have already gone through an application process and paid our fees.

C - Freestival offers 9 rooms in the venue, which would secure all our shows, whereas PBH insists on only providing 6; a decision that would make 30% of the shows “homeless”.

• We demand that even if PBH maintains a hold on the venue, the bookings Freestival made will be respected unconditionally on the basis of rooms and times originally agreed upon. No shows should have to re-apply, and certainly not to commit themselves to any conditions other than to perform their shows in the way they see fit, leaving the rooms tidy and equipment unharmed, and starting/ending their shows on time.

• We hold that, based on information from Freestival, once the Fringe listed our shows in the programme and received, in its own evidence, confirmation from the Cowgatehead venue, and once the Fringe Brochure had gone to print – the room allocations must be deemed non-reversible. Festival-goers will seek our shows based on the programme and, if the shows are not to be found, we will suffer vast financial and artistic damage.

• Our losses are not to be counted only in the fees paid to Freestival and the Fringe, but also in accommodation and travel costs which are, in most cases, non-refundable. There are also implications for our working lives, as most have had to take time off from our day jobs at a loss of annual income. Many of us have also spent considerable sums of money writing and honing our shows. Some of us employ directors, writers, musicians and other professionals during the process or as in-show performers. We ask that all these factors be considered.

• Regardless as to how this sad affair ends up, we feel that something must be done in the future about the wild way in which venues are allocated by the “free festival” organisations. A regulatory process must be put in place which clearly states how late in the day a venue can be poached by a rival organisation, what manner of contract should be co-signed between the promoters and venues, and so on. A legislative body to mediate disputes should be put in place, with a mission to protect the acts, the shows and the best interests of the audiences.

• We believe and trust that this situation can still be resolved and that we can end up having a great Fringe yet.

We thank the Fringe for its willingness to mediate and intervene in the situation created.

Kind regards,

Cowgatehead Freestival acts 2015 and supporters