SCOTTISH arts company, Fair Pley, are producing a series of cultural events in conjunction with the trade union movement in Scotland to coincide with industrial action, organising and other union activities around the country such as campaigns like Fair Fringe Now.  

The shows are housed in The Stand Comedy Club’s Edinburgh venue – a venue signed up to Unite’s Fair Hospitality Charter – from September to November 2022.

Each of these events has a political theme, a speaker from a union aligned with the given theme and a bill of live arts performers who support the trade unions, such as award winning comedians, JoJo Sutherland and Vladimir McTavish, poets Rosa Moxham, Jim Monaghan and Victoria McNulty and musicians such as Paul Sheridan and Chris Cruickshanks from The Wakes.

A central aim of these events is to grow and enhance trade union culture by offering a unique interpretation of culture and live arts to union members and audiences.  

Similarly, organisers want to work with the trade union movement to push back against the gentrification and commercialisation of social and cultural spaces in the city and build solidarity between artists and the trade union movement.

Scottish musician and Rise Up organiser Calum Baird says: “As workers continue to fight back against decades of stagnation and decline in their wages, services and living conditions, Fair Pley are delighted to work with the trade union movement to explore ways in which we can expand the movement’s culture and networks as it takes a leading role for working people in society today.  

“For the artists, too, these events are an important way to get back to work performing after the disruption of Covid.  It’s a significant development for both the trade unions and artists to co-operate like this to help rebuild live arts and grow the movement.”

After two successful events in Edinburgh in May and June, Fair Pley are presenting these shows on September 14, October 5 and November 2 in The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh.  

All events begin at 7:30pm. Box office 0131 558 7272, https://www.thestand.co.uk/performances/1425-13565-rise-up-20220914-edinburgh/#