Hi, my name is Penny and I'm fundraising to bring my urgent work 'Where We Choose to Stand' to the Edinburgh Fringe at Dance Base.

Many of you will know me for my passionate engagement with activism, and particularly as of late, in the arts. Even in that we can practice them and continue to share them more widely even in the face of financial cuts on many levels.

Where We Choose to Stand my solo dance theatre work which grew out of a number of interviews with activists from across the UK; from London to Shetland and these voices that are often silenced for speaking out. Like many I'm sure at the moment I think every day on 'what's next', 'what should I do?' and 'How can I best spend my time?' and alongside perhaps the most important question 'How can we be together?'.

'Where We Choose to Stand' is a finished performance piece featuring the music of Nicolette Macleod, ecoscenography from Mona Kastell and the lighting design from Laurie Loads. We premiered in Tramway in September 2025 to two sold-out shows before heading to Eastgate Theatre, Peebles. It's ready to go and reach more people but I just need a little help.

Fortunately, I have been given in-kind rehearsal space from Tramway and the National Theatre of Scotland and I will receive financial and marketing support from my performance venue Dance Base. I am using this financial support to guarantee my Lighting Designer the time they need to prepare, and to cover my own time during the performance run.

But I'm looking to support:

1 week of rehearsals for myself £700

A rehearsal Director to support those rehearsals £250

A day of Technical Preparation £250

Train travel between Edinburgh - Glasgow to perform, a weekly ticket of £79.80 x 2 weeks = £159.60

I know it's a challenging time, and it's a challenging time in the arts to say the least but I'm also deeply aware of the power of putting on stage work that is about real issues, and work that really is about now.

After the Tramway show, someone said that the event had encouraged them to reflect upon what they could do and challenged themselves to set up a dance class to support bringing people from different communities together in response to community divides in Glasgow.

The power of dance. The power of the arts.

Will you support me to reach even more people?

You can read more about me here

All photos by Brian Hartley, Stillmotion