Applications

The Sit-Up Awards, presented at the Edinburgh Fringe, supports theatre productions in their pursuit of significant social impact. Some productions do this, and our analysis reveals that annually over 300 plays at the Edinburgh Fringe address diverse social issues.

The influence of theatre goes beyond the live performance and can bring about change in audiences and society at large. The awards’ objective is both to inspire productions to fully engage with audiences during the Fringe, and to empower our overall winning production to continue to achieve wider societal impact beyond the festival.

Our goal is to identify and support a production that wants to go beyond raising awareness and has a clear intent to shift audience behaviour and contribute to broader societal transformation.

  • The winner of the 2024 Sit-Up Awards will receive:

    • A spot at the SoHo Playhouse’s prestigious International Fringe Encore Series in January 2025 including a cash prize of £5,000 towards expenses.

    • Venue, accommodation and production provision from SoHo Playhouse and support during their time in New York.

    • An additional cash prize will be given to the winner to achieve change through engagement with audiences and wider society both in New York and other locations.

    • Sit-Up will also extend further assistance to the recipient, including mentoring and strategic support.

    This year, we are also making five grants of £1,000 each before the fringe to support productions to engage with audiences during their run. To apply for one of these grants, please follow the application process below:

  • The closing date for all applications is 30th June 2024. 

    The winners of the £1,000 grants will be made in early July.

    The overall Sit-Up Award winner will be announced on 23rd August 2024.

  • Any company with a play about a social issue may apply and be considered for one of the grants. However the main Sit-Up Award will be given to:

    • A professional company

    • Those able to accept the spot at the SoHo Playhouse, NYC in January 2025

    • A company performing in Edinburgh for a minimum of two weeks during the 2024 Fringe festival 

    • A production that addresses a more global issue, not solely UK based (e.g such as abuse, misogyny, environment etc.) 

    • Those with a stated goal of change-making through theatre

    • A company who believes achieving change should be integral to your company’s ethos

    • A company with a history of working with a charity or campaigning organisation

  • Entries may be received from both recommendations and direct applications. The selection of the overall winner will be conducted by a panel that will evaluate both the artistic merit and the potential societal impacts of the entries. We will conduct short interviews in addition to seeing the play. 

    We are aware that we are setting a remarkably high standard in our quest to identify a truly impactful production. 

  • Below we’ve put the key questions included in the online form to assist you in preparing essential information prior to starting the online process. Please keep your responses as short as possible (a maximum of 130 words). 

    Should you have any questions or can provide links to further relevant information, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

    About you 

    • Your name  

    • Your email address 

    • Your phone number 

    • Your show name

    • A brief description of your show

    • Your company name 

    • Type of company (professional, semi-professional, amateur, student/youth)

    • Past production experience of your company 

    • Your website (if applicable)

    • Social media links 

    About the production 

    • Show Venue 

    • Dates of show 

    • How many cast members 

    • Length of performance 

    • Details of any pre-Edinburgh 2024 runs 

    About the social issue 

    • What is the social issue your production highlights? (e.g. the environment, human rights etc.)

    • What is the change in society you wish to achieve? 

    • How do you plan to achieve this? 

    • Why is this issue important to your company? 

    • Do you have any plans for audience engagement in Edinburgh and/or elsewhere? 

    • How would you hope your audience will change their behaviour after seeing your play? 

    • Do you have any plans for the production after Edinburgh?

    • Are you working with a charity or other campaigning organisation and if so which one? 

    • Have they pledged any support for your production? If so, what?

    There will be a place to include anything else that you think might be relevant and not covered above.

  • We are introducing a Code of Best Practice, aiming to encourage all theatre companies to actively engage with their audiences in relation to any social issues or themes in their show/s.

    A best practice approach would be as follows:

    Before the performance

    Spread the word: Use marketing materials such as flyers, your website, social media, and posters to clearly communicate any social issues addressed in the show. If necessary, give audiences a heads up about sensitive or graphic content in advance.

    At the performance

    Inform: Point audiences towards useful information. Provide links/QR codes to charities, petitions, or other ways to get involved onto the posters at the venue, in the program, or on a simple handout. Make it easy for audiences to take action or get support if they want to.

    After the performance

    Keep the conversation going: Engage with audiences affected by the performance, for example by hosting Q&As, panel discussions or creating break out areas and other opportunities to meet with the audience.


    For further information and questions please contact us at hello@situpawards.org

    We ask you to support the Sit-Up Awards code of best practice. Please share with Sit-Up Awards what is working and how you're actively keeping audiences engaged.

Be sure to have read the above information before starting the application process.