Here & Now showcase returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Here & Now returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe ith a brilliant programme of the best dance, installation, integrated performance, movement and theatre being created in England right now.
Article Source: Here & Now
Last Updated: 7 May 2025 12:30
Funded by Arts Council England, the showcase is presented by partner organisations Battersea Arts Centre, FABRIC and GIFT
Performance dates: Monday 18 August - Sunday 24 August 2025
Venues include: Assembly@Dance Base, Pleasance, Traverse Theatre and Zoo Venues
Running from Monday 18th - Sunday 24th August in venues including Dance Base, Pleasance, Traverse Theatre and Zoo Venues, Here & Now 2025 presents four public performances, two industry based performances, and a series of pitch proposals for artists to promote their upcoming work to delegates and international networks.
This year’s showcase of artists bring their backgrounds, lived experiences and expertise together to explore themes of tradition and heritage, revolution and collective deliberation, community building and self discovery.
Public performances include the deeply personal and political Nowhere by actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (The Crown, The Kite Runner, United 93); autobiographical musical epic The Legends of Them by iconic reggae artist and actor Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee; Ad Infinitum's stunning show about death, deafness and ritual Last Rites; and SERAFINE1369’s detailed, meditative, hypnotic dance piece IV.
Nowhere is commissioned and produced by Fuel, The Legends of Them is by Hackney Showroom, Last Rites is co-created by George Mann and Ramesh Meyyappan, and IV is produced by Metal & Water.
Nowhere is commissioned and produced by Fuel, The Legends of Them is by Hackney Showroom, Last Rites by Ad Infinitum is co-created by George Mann and Ramesh Meyyappan, and IV is produced by Metal & Water.
These are presented alongside two performances for delegates that include A CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY, a participatory play concerning the climate emergency by longtime Tim Crouch collaborator Andy Smith and Lynsey O’Sullivan, and Sleight of Hand, an innovative and inventive installation that subverts the format of a touch tour by artist Jo Bannon.
Further industry-oriented offerings come in the form of ‘Then & Now’ - a series of pitches about brand new work from three Here and Now success stories: BULLYACHE, Dan Daw Creative Projects and Sung Im Her.
Funded by Arts Council England, Here & Now is delivered by partners Battersea Arts Centre (London), FABRIC (Birmingham/ Nottingham) and GIFT (Gateshead). The partners work with artists and organisations to platform a geographical spread of England, presenting world-class artists and their tour-ready work to audiences and industry networks across the Edinburgh Festivals.
This year’s programme came from an open call, and was selected by a panel including the showcase partners (BAC, FABRIC and GIFT) and international presenters, alongside representatives from British Council and Unlimited - the arts commissioning body that supports, funds and promotes new work by disabled artists for UK and international audiences.
Talking about the Here & Now programme on behalf of the showcase partners, Festival Director of GIFT Kate Craddock said:
‘Here & Now strives to challenge what performance created in England might look or feel like. As partners, we are proud to present a showcase in the Edinburgh Festivals that features leading artists who push their practice in new directions.
‘This year’s programme represents forms and perspectives that platform personal stories from across England. It brings together lived experiences and personal stories, holding a mirror up to social, economic and political issues that feel pertinent to today.’
The Here & Now programme includes:
Public Performances
Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla with Fuel
Dates: 12-24 August, times incoming
Venue: Traverse Theatre
In this intricate and playful solo show, inspired by his involvement in the Egyptian revolution of 2011, and his experience of the counter-revolution that followed, actor and activist Khalid Abdalla (United 93, The Kite Runner, The Crown) takes us on a surprising journey into his own history, set against a cartography of seismic world events.
From the histories of colonialism and decolonisation; friendship and loss; protests and uprising against regimes across the world; to the violence in Gaza following the events of October 7th 2023, Khalid brings together the personal and the political in an act of anti-biography that asks how we got here and how we find agency amidst the mazes of history.
Last Rites by Ad Infinitum
Dates: 18-24 August, 15:50
Venue: Pleasance One at Pleasance Courtyard
Travel from the UK to India in Last Rites, a stunning fusion of visual storytelling, electrifying movement, and an immersive soundscape, created by internationally acclaimed artists George Mann and Ramesh Meyyappan. How do you say goodbye when words were never there?
Arjun’s father never learnt sign language, and now that he’s gone, Arjun must find his own way to honour him. In a world where ancient traditions meet modern reality, Arjun embarks on a deeply personal and visually mesmerising quest to create a farewell ritual for his father woven from memory, love, and loss.
With no spoken words, Last Rites features creative captions, Sign Language, and a deep, resonant soundtrack that can be felt and heard. Last Rites is accessible to Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences alike.
Last Rites is made possible through funding from Arts Council England and Bristol City Council and co-commissioned by London International Mime Festival, Derby Theatre and Corn Exchange Newbury.
IV by SERAFINE1369
Dates: 19-24 August, 15:50
Venue: Assembly@Dance Base
IV (4) considers cycles, time, divination and decomposition. A series of tableaux, a speaking clock and the sounds of a breaking storm set the scene, creating a stage for the fleeting meaning that emerges through shifting proximity and changing constellations.
IV is a work that fractures and unfolds from stillness into moments of blissed out dancing.
The four dancers engage in a detailed, meditative and expansive practice of constant movement, energetic tuning and impossible stillness.
Commissioned by The Yard Theatre, and supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
The Legends of Them by Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee/Hackney Showroom
Dates: 19-24 August, 17:25
Venue: Zoo Southside
A memory: South London reggae pioneer Sutara Gayle AKA Lorna Gee hears her radio debut from Holloway Prison. Another: She’s engulfed in the Brixton uprising sparked by the police shooting of her sister. And now she is here, a silent retreat, seeking spiritual guidance from her brother Mooji and ancestor Nanny of the Maroons, and a moment of transcendence.
Powered by high-octane musical numbers and a virtuoso performance, the critically acclaimed, award-winning The Legends of Them is a breath-taking, roof-raising chronicle of Sutara’s singular, extraordinary life – and of the legends that have guided her.
In Association with Brixton House & Royal Court Theatre.
Industry Performances
A CITIZENS’ ASSEMBLY by Andy Smith and Lynsey O’Sullivan
We are the citizens! This is our assembly! We are the actors in this story!
What are we doing about the climate emergency? What are we not doing? What more could we be doing? What more should we be doing?
Be part of the story and join the debate with A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY, a new work by acclaimed theatre maker Andy Smith created in collaboration with applied arts practitioner Lynsey O’Sullivan. Part of a series of works called Plays For The People: plays written to be performed by the people in the room.
Developed with the support of The Dukes Theatre Lancaster, The Social Responsibility Fund and The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at The University of Manchester.
Sleight of Hand by Jo Bannon
Sleight of Hand is a tactile installation for curious fingers and unbelieving eyes. Subverting the format of a touch tour, this sumptuous work invites audiences to participate in a series of touch encounters with unknown objects, materials and matter.
Integrating audio description, tactile design, choreography and an immersive ASMR soundscape, Sleight of Hand explores what we can discover if we loosen our grip on the known visual world and let our senses wander…
As always, Jo’s work is guided by her offbeat humour and her ongoing fascination with objects, visual perception and how strange the ordinary world really is.
An Unlimited UK Partner Award 2023 commission with Wellcome Collection made possible thanks to funding from Arts Council England. Produced by MAYK.
Tickets for the public programme will be on sale via the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from Wednesday 7 June 2025. Tickets for Nowhere by Khalid Abdalla will be on sale as part of the Traverse Festival announcement on Wednesday 21 May 2025.
Here & Now runs from Monday 18 August - Sunday 24 August 2025 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For more information, visit: https://www.hereandnowshowcase.uk/
Sponsored Links
Latest Edinburgh News
The Leddie celebrates Burns with a paired Balvenie supper
The Leddie Hotel in Aberlady is celebrating Burn’s Night in true Scottish style on Friday 23rd January, with a one-night-only themed supper in partnership with The Balvenie.
READ MORE
Mowgli Street Food Introduces the new 600 calorie Lite Tiffin
Healthy, hearty and great value at just £15 per person - Mowgli's new Lite Tiffin launches this January.
READ MORE
Return to Middle Earth as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy celebrates its 25th anniversary at Vue
One of the most iconic and beloved fantasy trilogies of all time, The Lord of The Rings, is returning to the big screen at Vue venues across Scotland, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
READ MORE
From suite to studio: The Balmoral unveils bespoke in room reformer pilates
In partnership with FÔLD, The Balmoral, a Rocco Forte Hotel, is proud to unveil its latest pioneering wellness innovation: reformer pilates delivered to your suite.
READ MORE
A night for poetry, pipes and plates: Burns Night at Duck & Waffle Edinburgh
When poetry meets plate and tradition meets indulgence, Burns Night 2026 comes alive at Duck & Waffle Edinburgh.
READ MORE
Summerhall Arts announce CATALYST: Art as Activism, four new solo exhibitions for 2026
Summerhall Arts presents CATALYST: Art as Activism, a season of four solo exhibitions that position contemporary art as a sustained, embodied form of resistance.
READ MORE
A Burns Night under the stars: Dynamic Earth reimagines the traditional supper
This Burns Night, Dynamic Earth invites you to step into the stars for an evening where tradition meets the galaxy!
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Book Festival opens submissions for Global Ink 2026
Submissions for Global Ink 2026, Edinburgh International Book Festival's flagship international forum for Festival Directors, are now open.
READ MORE
Scottish Ensemble spotlights future string stars with Musical Encounters
Scottish Ensemble begins an exciting 2026 with the return of their Young Artist programme, helping to develop the next generation of Scotland's young string players.
READ MORE
Celebrate love with your PAWfect Valentine at Dobbies Garden Centres
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting pet parents to celebrate Valentine's Day with their beloved furry friends in selected stores across the country!
READ MORE
Enlightenment an immersive experience set to transform McEwan Hall in Edinburgh
Swiss art collective PROJEKTIL will bring its vivid light and sound show to Edinburgh from 31st January, following acclaimed runs in Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds!
READ MORE
Primary schools in Scotland given chance to win specifically curated Burns Supper from Aldi
Aldi Scotland is giving primary school pupils across Scotland the chance to enjoy a truly traditional Burns Supper, complete with all the trimmings, including a bagpiper.
READ MORE
Glasgow International Comedy Festival launches 2026 programme with over 100,000 tickets on sale
Glasgow International Comedy Festival has announced the full programme for 2026's event with 560 shows in 40 venues across the city from 11th - 29th March, and over 100,000 tickets now on sale!
READ MORE
Top Scottish chef to host floating Captains Table experience onboard luxury Edinburgh hotel
One of Scotland's leading chefs will be hosting a collaborative Captain's Table experience onboard Edinburgh's five-star luxury floating hotel, Fingal, on Wednesday 4th February.
READ MORE
National Centre for Music appoints Director of Partnerships
Scotland's National Centre for Music bolsters founding team with new Director of Partnerships.
READ MORE
Celebrate Burns Night 2026 at Flight Club
If you're looking for a fun way to celebrate Burns Night this year, head to Flight Club!
READ MORE
Everything you need to know about Celtic Connections 2026
The renowned festival which every year transforms Glasgow in January into a must-visit destination for music lovers is now just over a week away.
READ MORE
Zizzi launches their January Birthday Jackpot
Zizzi's January Birthday Jackpot guarantees a special gift for adults born in January, with some lucky birthday guests receiving the jackpot prize - £100 towards their bill!
READ MORE
Litter picking dog charity aims to remove 44 million pieces of rubbish in 2026
Dog owners making an environmental New Year Resolution are hoped to boost the ranks of the Paws On Plastic charity to over 30,000 in 2026!
READ MORE
Edinburgh Open Workshop kicks off the New Year with hands on courses to build new skills
New year, new skills. Edinburgh Open Workshop is kicking off January with a hands-on programme of creative courses designed to help people turn resolutions into reality!
READ MORE
Brand new craft event encourages mindfulness, creativity and relaxation
Dobbies Garden Centres is inviting customers along to an afternoon of creativity, connection, and cake this January, with a brand-new Crafternoon Tea Club.
READ MORE
Famous faces share their DofE Award memories in celebration of their 70th anniversary
Anyone with a connection to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is being invited to celebrate the charity's 70th anniversary by sharing their fondest DofE memories.
READ MORE
Vow to volunteer! The New Year resolution that could change lives in 2026
The team at Volunteer Centre East Lothian (VCEL) believe that by vowing to volunteer in 2026, people can make a real difference to their local community!
READ MORE
Dry or Try January: Flight Club is your go to January social spot
Whether you're ditching the booze and going dry for a month or embracing Try January with the goal of experiencing new things, Flight Club, ticks all the boxes!
READ MORE
Glamorous Edwardians to be explored in major Edinburgh exhibition
A glamorous, never-before-exhibited portrait of Queen Mary and a miniature sleigh made of rock crystal will be among highlights on show in Scotland for the first time in this major exhibition.
READ MORE
Scotland goalkeeper kicks off Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh
Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations officially began last night as Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon kicked off the city's iconic Torchlight Procession.
READ MORE
Hibs women support Scottish charity with Nuby this Christmas
Two Hibernian Women players have helped bring festive cheer to local families this Christmas, donating Santa Surprise Boxes to a Scottish charity on behalf of baby brand Nuby.
READ MORE
Hauf and hauf revival as Edinburgh drinks partnership hits the pub
A modern twist on a traditional Scottish serve is being poured across Edinburgh this festive season, as two of the city's leading independent drinks producers announce a flavour-led collaboration.
READ MORE
Opening New Years Day: Turner in January triumphantly returns to the National Galleries of Scotland
Following the incredible success of last year's blockbuster exchange with the National Gallery of Ireland, Scotland's own much-loved Turners are back in Edinburgh for 2026!
READ MORE
Christmas has arrived in Glasgow, The IRN BRU Carnival returns for its 106th year
Europe's largest indoor fun fair, The IRN-BRU Carnival, has opened to the public at Glasgow's SEC with its greatest show to date!
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links