Edinburgh International Performing Arts Delegation (IPAD) invites international theatre and dance programmers to the Edinburgh festivals and offers funding to help them book tours and collaborate with UK companies, encouraging long-lasting relationships and opening up new markets for the UK’s performing arts sector.
Edinburgh is the world’s biggest festival city, and its festivals are important diary dates for performing arts promoters around the world. Our five-day programme helps international professionals navigate the festivals, get a snapshot of contemporary UK performance and be part of an inspiring international arts meet-up.
We work with Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival and we invite our delegates to see performances from the Made in Scotland showcase, partnered by Creative Scotland, plus work supported by Arts Council England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Arts Council of Wales. In addition, our team and contacts see a huge number of performances at the festivals so that we can recommend outstanding new UK work to our delegates.
Project aims
International performing arts projects – especially touring – have faced huge challenges in recent years. With this programme, we aim to help UK artists share their work in different countries and exchange experiences with international peers. We also support international venues and festivals to build new partnerships with the UK and with each other.
IPAD follows the Edinburgh Showcase, which we ran from 1999-2019 and which made a lasting contribution to UK-international relationships in performing arts. With IPAD, we are working with a smaller group of international professionals and in closer partnerships with other UK performance platforms.
Project results
Since 2024 we've welcomed
50+
programmers to IPAD
Programmers have come from
20+
countries
As a result, we’ve supported tours and projects with UK artists in Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Nigeria, Poland, and Turkey.
As well as Edinburgh, we work with other performing arts showcase platforms across the UK. Recent or ongoing partnerships include:
IPAD in action
As part of the programme, contemporary dance artist Dickson Mbi visits India for the first time in December 2025, mentoring Indian choreographers to create new work and performing Enowate at Attakkalari India Biennial and Serendipity Arts Festival.
How to get involved
Artists
If you're hoping to take a production to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, visit the Fringe website for lots of advice including funding guidance. Please note the British Council doesn’t fund UK productions in Edinburgh.
If you’re a UK artist with a confirmed performance in Edinburgh during the final two weeks of the Fringe and you’d like our team to consider it for our list of recommendations, email theatreanddance@britishcouncil.org.
International programmers
If you’re a theatre or dance programmer based outside the UK and you’re interested in being part of the Edinburgh International Performing Arts Delegation, contact your local British Council office. If you need any help with this, email theatreanddance@britishcouncil.org.
