Collaborative Working Groups

Whilst the Festivals naturally and essentially compete in terms of core audience, programming, profile and fundraising, the Thundering Hooves Report and the Festivals themselves defined a number of key areas where they agree that a collective strategy is either essential or more effective. These are Programming, Marketing, Innovation and Environmental Sustainability - see Strategic Priorities section for details of each area.

Formal collaborative working groups drive the strategy development and implementation of each workstrand. Each group’s membership comprises:

• Representation from each Festival (usually the most senior person responsible for that business area, eg marketing, professional development)
• A Festivals Edinburgh board member, as Chair of the Working Group, ensuring effective communication and ownership of Working Group activity at board level
• A Festivals Edinburgh staff member to administer the group and lead on the delivery of agreed projects and initiatives.

(The exception to the above structure is the Innovation Group, which has five members – one from each of the other Working Groups – ensuring that Innovation is embedded across all areas of the Festivals Edinburgh business plan).

The development of these collaborative working approaches was supported by the Missions, Models, Moneyprogramme, Designing for Transition and funded by the then Scottish Arts Council, now Creative Scotland. This unique working structure has been further supported by match funding from City of Edinburgh Council.