Historic Edinburgh Building Reborn as Fringe Society Hub Thanks to £250k Net Zero Grant
Edinburgh's arts and cultural community is set to benefit from a new year-round creative hub as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society moves a step closer to establishing a permanent home in the city's Old Town.
Renovations are well underway at the Grade-B listed former schoolhouse, built in 1885, which will become a dedicated base for the charity that supports the world-famous festival when it opens this summer.
The works follow £250,000 in funding from the SP Energy Networks Transmission Net Zero Fund, supporting sustainable upgrades to the historic building.
The new space is designed to become an inclusive, year-round home for the Fringe - strengthening the festival's connection with Edinburgh's cultural life beyond August and creating a permanent base for engagement with artists, audiences, partners and the local community.
The £250,000 investment has funded a package of upgrades that both preserve the building's historic character and prepare it for modern cultural use. This includes restoring key architectural features, installing heritage-appropriate windows and improved insulation to boost energy efficiency, and replacing the existing gas heating system with low-carbon air source heat pumps.
As part of a wider funding package from the UK Government and The Foyle Foundation, the site will be transformed into an inclusive and accessible space designed to welcome artists, visitors and community groups throughout the year.
Guy Jefferson, Transmission Managing Director at SP Energy Networks, said: "This is exactly the kind of project our Transmission Net Zero Fund was created to support: taking a historic building that means something to the city and helping bring it back into everyday use. What strikes me is how determined the Fringe Society team is to protect what makes this place special while making it work for the people who will use it.
"The Fringe is part of Edinburgh's identity, and this is about creating a community hub for it. When people walk in, we want them to feel inspired, creative and supported."
The site at 6 Infirmary Street traces its origins to the 16th century, when it lay within the grounds of the Blackfriars Priory and inside the defensive Flodden Wall that once encircled Edinburgh's Old Town. in 1741 it became home to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, giving Infirmary Street its name, before the hospital was demolished in 1885 to make way for a new primary school designed by Robert Wilson.
Today, the building sits within the Edinburgh World Heritage Site and the Old Town Conservation Area.
Westaly Duigan, Head of Fundraising and Strategic Partnerships at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: "This building will create a dedicated, year-round base for the Fringe, offering space for artists, communities and partners to come together in the heart of Edinburgh. It's about complementing the city's existing cultural venues and creating more opportunities for creativity, collaboration and connection beyond August.
The funding from SP Energy Networks has allowed us to complete vital work and maintain momentum on the project. This is an important step not just for the Fringe, but for Edinburgh, helping to create a welcoming, flexible space where ideas can develop, where artists can be supported, and where local people can engage with the Fringe in ways that feel relevant throughout the year."
