From the editor: Inspired inititative

Whilst we have spent the last month luxuriating in the Summer weather, taking day trips, sea dips and multiple hair clips (it’s too hot to not pin it up!), a large minority of our creative population have been treading the boards and the cobbles up in Edinburgh for its legendary Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Brighton-based actors, comedians, playwrights, directors, technicians… as well as those booking and cooking up ideas for next year’s Brighton Fringe programme. Amongst this witch’s brew of magical creativity were comedians Angela Barnes and Sameena Zehra, with an initiative – Home Safe Collective – so revolutionary yet so simple, it was little surprise it collected the Panel Prize when the winners of the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2018 were announced.

With shows running into the wee small hours, this crowd-funded scheme offered access to a taxi account for women-, LGBTQI-, and vulnerable-performers – helping to make the biggest arts festival in the world a safer place for so many this year. And with £5,000 in prize money from the award, the Home Safe Collective is already ahead in its fundraising for next year.

That this scheme was set up in reaction to the brutal murder of Eurydice Dixon, a Melbourne comic who was attacked on her way home from a gig is a tragedy. That it has been so successful is a triumph.

If you would like to contribute just go to https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/869hIENiIV and support the safety of the future of the arts.

Victoria Nangle
editorial@thelatest.co.uk