Opening Event 2024: Where to Begin
An Edinburgh International Festival production
Created by Pinwheel
Pinwheel was thrilled to be approached by one of the world’s most significant festivals with the irresistible brief of creating a new kind of Opening Event to kick start their programme and Edinburgh’s festival season. We embarked on a quest to find a suitably iconic site, a narrative that would transfix the audience and the creative toolkit we could use to bring it all to life.
Where to Begin leaned heavily into EIF’s overarching theme of “Rituals that Unite Us”, and drew on Scotland’s heritage and mythology. We blended immersive installation, performance, spectacular video projection, new and existing music and captivating storytelling to transform our fantastic site into the epicentre of creative power about to be unleashed across the city. Audiences gathered with us in the heart of the city, under the watchful eye of the castle, to share in a new ritual, hear a new myth, and play their part in summoning up the festival spirit.
Opening Event: Where to Begin was possible thanks to the partnership between Edinburgh International Festival and The Macallan, Single Malt Scotch Whisky.
“This was a spectacular beginning to the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival, a thrilling combination of visual and aural splendour”
“A breathtaking work of illusion”
“Beautiful, magical, a joy to behold, lifting our hearts and inducing a sense of wonder”
“Flawless technical wizardry”
“Edinburgh International Festival opening night was an experience to behold”
Creative Team:
Katy Fuller – Creative Director • Simon Sharkey – Co Director • Yeast Culture – Video Artists • Roma Yagnik - Composer • Davey Anderson – Writer & Dramaturg • AndNow – Fire Artists •Becky Minto – Production Design • Fraser Lappin – Production Design Associate • Phil Supple - Lighting Designer • Brigid McCarthy – Movement Direction
Delivery Team:
Holly Goodfellow – Producer
Dan Adams – Head of Operations & Production
Al Pickard – Technical Production Manager
Ellen Fernley – Project Coordinator
Photography Andy Murrell • Jess Shurte • Maxime Ragni