Nine shows in and a whole lot more to go and I am starting to get my bearings in Grahamstown.
Nine shows in and a whole lot more to go and I am starting to get my bearings in Grahamstown.
In my role as Head of Participant Services for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, I spend a lot of my time thinking about how to help people make the most out of their visit to Edinburgh.
How they can navigate the world's largest arts festival and find support and company when it can all feel a bit overwhelming.
Arriving in Grahamstown for my first visit – to the NAF but also to South Africa – was a reminder of how disorientating arriving to a festival in full swing can be, but also of how wonderful a place festivals are because there are always people around to welcome you, help you find your path and make you feel at home.
I have stopped clutching my map and started feeling confident enough to walk with my head up knowing where I am going and loving what I see on the way.
As I type I can hear the clapping and song of a pop up performance in front of the Arch.
I will make sure to walk past them on the way to my next show because standing in the crowd, enjoying the buzz and picking up snippets of conversations about what to see next are all part of this magic and I don't want to miss a minute.
