Total Theatre Awards

Theatre professionals from Turkey were invited to join the Total Theatre Awards team during Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2017

Total Theatre Awards (TTA) is one of the UK’s most recognised awards that celebrates and supports a wide spectrum of contemporary performing art, both nationally and internationally, during Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the world’s largest open access arts festival. TTA looks at innovative performance work beyond the classical cannon within the fields of devised theatre, live art, visual performance, mime, puppetry, physical theatre, experimental theatre, dance, circus, immersive, outdoor and site specific performance.

In 2017, the British Council offered an opportunity to up to six theatre professionals from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine to join the team of TTA Assessors and Judges. All expenses, including international travel, accommodation, per diems and visa fee, will be covered by the British Council.

TTAs are assessed and judged by two peer panels of artists, critics, producers, presenters, academics, theatre makers and theatre workers from across the UK and international performing arts community. Participation in the peer process is an invaluable professional development opportunity and a chance to build new international networks.

Total Theatre Awards will host the Assessors and Judges in Edinburgh; provide guidance and support, assign peer mentors and international hosts to guide them through the early stage of the process; book tickets for all performances; and arrange meetings with UK artists and organisations to introduce participants to the UK contemporary performance scene.   

Total Theatre Awards process

  • Collectively, an international team of 25 Assessors will view over 530 productions over a 12-day period (5 – 16 August);
  • Following 35 hours of dynamic and rigorous discussion and debate in meetings, the group collectively and democratically shortlist the best shows;
  • On average 30 shortlisted shows are put forward to a second panel of Judges, grouped into five categories: Physical & Visual Theatre; Innovation, Experimentation & Playing with Form; Emerging; Circus and Dance; 
  • Judges are assigned specific awards categories and over a 6-day period they see each show in their category, coming together at the end for a 6 hour judging meeting; 
  • 7 awards across the 5 categories are presented at the awards ceremony on 24 August.

Key dates

  • 22 May – open call launched in Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Ukraine
  • 12 June – deadline for applications
  • 29 June – Assessors and Judges announced
  • 5 July – UK visa application deadline
  • 3-19 August – Assessors’ travel dates
  • 16-26 August – Judges’ travel dates