Hi, Salut, Hola, Olá, Ciao, Ahoj!

Hi my name is Shivone Dominguez Blascikova and I am one of the five founders of Maria Who? an emerging migrant theatre led collective.

We co-created/perform the theatre play Miss Brexit - an awarded twisted satire reflecting on the migrant experiences in the UK .With the mission of giving voice and represent the cultural and audible minorities

And this year we want to bring it to the Ed Fringe for the whole month of the festival in August. We have 5 months to reach the target to make it happen, want to know more? and support us to bring migrant and authentic stories to the biggest theatre festival? And continue with our mission? If so continue reading...

How it all started:

It was September 2022 when we were still musical theatre/theatre students at university. We went through a devised process creating an outlet for expression and a voice for our personal experiences co-created this piece through our experiences and heritage, taking it to theatre festivals across Europe, where we have been awarded.

After that we had a couple of short runs in London 2022-2025. But it never got the shot it deserved as it was too short to reach wider audiences. But still the response we obtained was overwhelmingly positive and it created a lot of debate and heartfelt reactions (we love).. That is why we continued working on self funded basis trying everywhere we could, applying for fundings, emailing venues etc

Luckily after a lot of dedication, we have been awarded the ACE fund this year! To redevelop, perform the show and facilitate theatre making workshops for the migrant minorities in Manchester in June. *I want to make clear that this funding is only for Manchester.

That is why we feel it could not be a better moment for "Miss Brexit" to come to the biggest theatre festival in the world the: Edinburgh Fringe.

Why help us?

We are an emerging migrant theatre collective creating work that challenges preconceptions. We represent the new generation of actors breaking the rules of what is established, performing our truth, incorporating our native languages and expressing our identities rather than be a stereotype and being put in a box.

Coming to the EdFringe is our first step to establish our collective. It's a massive milestone to have our work showcased for a full month in Edinburgh, and it will allow us to give voice to the minorities in the UK with and make a sustainable career through it.

That is why WE want to give Miss Brexit the spotlight it deserves after so much care and time invested. And as well for us the chance to present our proposal of new and original writing to the entretaining industry.

What will we do with the funding received?

-Accommodation

-Transport

-Food

-PR

-Venue*

Accommodation :

We will mainly use between 5-7k into securing an accommodation for the whole month. We have been attending to seminars and mentorship directly from the Ed Fringe: that if we go we need to be there the entire festival to obtain press reviews, meet the industry: casting directors, producers etc..and maybe have a shot.

Transport, Food & PR:

The remanent will be directed to the transport and food for the entire month. And if there is still a part that remains it will be used to finance a PR as it is indispensable in a festival that has 4000 shows a day, yes 4000!

Venue:

We applied for the Keep it Fringe fund which is 2000, and WE got it!

With that we will cover the deposit of the venue and the Fringe registration fee.

To conclude:

Yes, we do live in London, one of the most expensive cities to live in, managing a couple of jobs to just make it through the end of the month etc... But the drive of the shared passion that made us come here, create together makes us refuse to throw the towel just yet.

By going to Ed Fringe we are determined to make the best out of it and we would be endlessly grateful for your support by being part of the change of narrative.

We just want to continue with our mission: give voice, represent and support what are the future generations of an undeniable multilingual society that needs to be reflected in the entertainment industry.

Gracias, obrigado, merci, grácies, dakujem

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