Edinburgh, Scotland is home to multiple arts festivals and other major events during August. “Deconstructing a World-Class Event” offers students who have an interest in special events planning, public relations, and performance an up-close look at how the world’s largest on-going, city-wide event functions in tandem with other large-scale events and the daily commerce of a thriving metropolis. Attend, observe, analyze, experience, film, photograph, and write about this whirlwind of culture with special emphasis on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. As the world’s largest arts festival, the Fringe occupies venues throughout the city ranging from traditional theaters to non-traditional settings, including pubs, hotel lobbies, basketball courts, and shipping containers. It provides an exceptional opportunity to examine and gain an understanding of the complexities involved in producing what is a web of thousands of events under the Fringe umbrella.
Every aspect of event planning can be observed including scheduling, programming, budgeting, safety and health issues, transportation and parking, food and lodging, multi-language and multicultural concerns, unpredictable weather, publications, public relations, marketing, sustainability and environmental issues, and merchandising. Lectures and meetings with representatives from various disciplines provide students with access to people working in the fields of theater and event management. Of course, a highlight of studying at an arts festival is the opportunity to enjoy a variety of performances, ranging from comedy, music, magic, and dance, to circus, street theatre, and drama.
Surrounded by seven hills, Edinburgh is beautiful architecturally and environmentally. It is alive with international visitors and enriched by a fascinating history. Time is devoted to visiting cultural sites, including Loch Ness, to understand the way in which city and regional landmarks and the country’s history have been incorporated into the festivals and used to promote the city’s events.
