March 02, 2015

Did you know that the world’s largest arts festival is also a 3-credit Drexel course? Each August, Scotland’s capital city is transformed for three weeks into the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where thousands of performers take to hundreds of stages all over the city to present close to 50,000 performances of theatre, comedy, dance, circus, cabaret, live music, spoken word and exhibitions. In Entertainment & Arts Management (EAM) course 465: Structures of the Edinburgh Fringe, led by EAM professor Dr. Xela Batchelder, students have the opportunity to travel to Edinburgh and spend a month experiencing the Festival through a unique hands-on curriculum.

From August 2 to September 1, students enrolled in the course—which is affiliated with Fringe University—live in apartments in Edinburgh, attend lectures and workshops with a variety of experienced professionals in the field of arts and entertainment management, and go to multiple performing and visual arts shows. Coursework engages students with international networking opportunities and day trips to sites in Edinburgh, St. Andrews and Stirling. 

“The Edinburgh Fringe Study Tour was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have never been thrown into a fantastic situation where I had the chance to be immersed in a wide array of art and culture in a foreign setting. Having the opportunity to work alongside a real company granted me access and valuable working experience in the field that I plan to go into,” said EAM student Austin Paragas.

The Edinburgh Fringe program is open to all Drexel students interested in experiencing and learning from the world’s largest arts festival. Click here to apply by April 13, 2015 to receive an early registration discount and to learn more the about program.

Program Director Dr. Xela Batchelder has more than 20 years of experience as a venue manager, producer and researcher at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Dr. Batchelder has run a mid-sized venue for 13 years, hosting more than 500 productions of 70 different shows each year from countries all over the world. Please contact Dr. Batchelder at xab23@drexel.edu with any questions about the course.