Launched in 2018 as an initiative of the charity Changing Ideas, 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 brin
g 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.
