A group of young people from southwest Edinburgh are set to gain valuable skills and experience from behind the scenes of one of the world’s most prestigious festivals, thanks to a community partnership between Space @ The Broomhouse Hub and the Edinburgh International Festival.
Starting 20 Feb., Space’s WOW! (Wellbeing Onto Work) Project will support a cohort of 10 young people—aged 16 to 24—to take part in an eight-week course working alongside various teams within the Edinburgh International Festival.
The WOW! Project, developed together with participants, helps young people develop the skills and confidence needed to enter the workforce, and has seen previous cohorts working with Edinburgh Zoo.
Now, in partnership with Edinburgh International Festival, members will explore the behind-the-scenes roles that bring the International Festival to life, including aspects of branding, digital marketing, and audience experience planning, whilst developing wider job skills. The young people will also have the unique opportunity to be involved in a paid work experience programme as part of the International Festival 2025.
Esther Kuperji, Youth Participation Worker at Space, said:
This is a wonderful opportunity for our WOW! Project participants to gain an amazing insight into what is required to put on one of the biggest and best cultural festivals anywhere in the world.
By working closely with the specialists at Edinburgh International Festival, as well as our team, to build friendships, network, and enhance wider skills, we are sure this will be an incredible experience for those taking part. We are delighted to put on this exciting, educational project in partnership with Edinburgh International Festival, and it shows the wider impact they have on our local communities.
Training will take place in The Broomhouse Hub and The Hub on the Royal Mile, with the project culminating in a presentation about a type of show or event which could be put on in the heart of the capital.
This project is targeted at 16- to 24-year-olds living in EH11 to EH14. Anyone interested in joining the WOW! Project with Edinburgh International Festival can contact Esther Kuperji at wow@spacescot.org.
Caroline Donald, Head of Discovery and Participation at Edinburgh International Festival said:
This is a great chance to see behind the scenes at what makes the festival come together and the different types of performances the International Festival puts on including Music, Theatre, and Dance. Anyone taking part in the WOW! Project will meet lots of different International Festival staff members, learn more about their jobs and how they got them, and demonstrate there’s multiple routes to employment.
We’re proud to be able to offer paid work experience during the 2025 International Festival too, which will bring all the elements of the project together in a truly practical way.
This is the latest in a partnership between Edinburgh International Festival and Space, which was the first Community Connections Hub chosen as part of the International Festival’s Discovery and Participation Programme. To date, the Community Connections Hub partnership has brought a virtual reality experience and string quintet to Broomhouse, seen hundreds attend a free concert at the Usher Hall, and helped people with dementia enjoy music as part of their respite care.
