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Edinburgh Edinburgh Festival Johanna Basford

Edinburgh Festival Fringe to crowd source cover designs

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

March 22, 2010 | 3 min read

Aberdeen-based illustrator Johanna Basford has been hired to create the cover of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe's programme, with help from the public...

On Thursday and Friday of this week (25 and 26 March) Fringe audience members from around the world will be able to suggest via Twitter the most unusual thing they would like to see at the Fringe. Scottish artist and illustrator Johanna Basford will then draw the suggestions and incorporate them into a canvas, which will eventually take shape as the cover for the 2010 Fringe Programme.

The project has been driven by Whitespace, this year's Scottish Design Consultancy of the year.

To make a suggestion the public is being encouraged to send a message to the Fringe via Twitter www.twitter.com/edinburghfringe, and then they will be able to watch live on the internet (at www.edfringe.com) as the ideas take shape on Basford’s canvas.

Launching the worldwide search for ideas, Fringe Society chief exec Kath Mainland said: “The Fringe Society prints and distributes 400,000 copies of the programme every year. This iconic publication is an institution in its own right.

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe operates on an open access basis. This means that anyone with an idea and a vision can bring a show to Edinburgh.

“The success of the Edinburgh Fringe over the last sixty years is, in part, due to its extraordinary ability to change with the times and absorb and illuminate changes in culture. One of the most profound changes we have seen over that time is the growth of social media. Like the Fringe, new and exciting ideas are the currency of social media. It is therefore completely natural that the Fringe should wholeheartedly embrace this extraordinary new medium.

“I am very excited to see what the outcome of this partnership between the Fringe, our audience and one of Scotland’s most talented illustrators will be.”

Basford has twice previously undertaken such a challenge.

Earlier this year, the Aberdeenshire-based illustrator launched a 24 hour illustration challenge inviting ideas via Twitter and streaming the event live via her website.

Charlie Bell, senior designer at Whitespace, explained the thinking behind the idea: “The Edinburgh Fringe has a loyal, passionate and very enthusiastic following. We saw great potential in allowing this fan base to express their own creativity and get involved in the creative process. Crowd sourcing the ideas for the cover was perfect. It sums up the ethos of the Fringe - accessible, daring, innovative and a lot of fun!”

To participate, follow the Edinburgh Fringe on Twitter @edinburghfringe or suggestions can be e-mailed to fringecover@edfringe.com.

Edinburgh Edinburgh Festival Johanna Basford

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