Underbelly (events promoter)

Underbelly is a live events producer and venue operator, known as one of the "Big Four" venue operators at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. From its roots as a Fringe venue, the company has expanded to include a festival on London's South Bank and seasonal events in Edinburgh and elsewhere.

Underbelly
Private company
IndustryArts
Founded2001
HeadquartersLondon, England
ProductsTheatre and comedy promotion, productions and Venues
SubsidiariesUnderbelly Promotions Limited
Websitehttp://www.underbelly.co.uk
Uddberbelly Festival in Hong Kong during December 2015

History

Edinburgh

Underbelly was founded in 2000 by directors Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood to operate one venue at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2001, Underbelly Limited was formed to turn the Underbelly venue into a professional operation. The original venue, on Edinburgh's Cowgate, now includes a number of different performance spaces, with themed names such as Iron Belly, White Belly and Big Belly. Over the years, Underbelly's operations have expanded beyond the Cowgate, to include a hub space known as the Udderbelly pasture in George Square and a Circus Hub on The Meadows. For several years, Underbelly operated a hub in Bristo Square, but recent redevelopment works at the nearby McEwan Hall mean the site is currently unavailable. Each Underbelly venue is recognisable by its purple, cow-themed branding, most notably a large, upside-down, inflatable purple cow which serves as one of the venues. In 2015, Underbelly hosted over 130 shows at the Fringe.

Besides its Fringe operations, Underbelly also co-ordinates "Edinburgh's Christmas" - a funfair, market and events programme in the eastern section of Princes Street Gardens. In 2014, 3.6 million visitors were recorded.

Other locations

In 2009, in collaboration with the Southbank Centre in London, the company launched Udderbelly Festival, an eight-week programme of comedy, circus and family entertainment inside the upside-down purple cow venue. By 2015, the festival had extended to fifteen weeks. The festival won Best Festival at the London Lifestyle Awards in 2012.

In 2012, Underbelly also launched London Wonderground, a programme of circus, cabaret and family entertainment, based in a 1920s Paradiso Spiegeltent. The Wonderground also presents oddities, curiosities and eccentricities such as the 60-metre high Star Flyer which gives views over London's rooftops.

Other London events which Underbelly produces include West End Live in Trafalgar Square, Pride in London, and the Rekorderlig Cider Lodge at Southbank Centre's Winter Festival. In 2015, Underbelly produced the official Fanzone at the Rugby Union World Cup in Richmond.

Elsewhere, the company produced the Comedy Hullabaloo in Stratford-Upon-Avon and the Udderbelly Festival in Hong Kong.

Criticisms

Underbelly Limited, in collaboration with Edinburgh city council, has come under increasing criticism for commercialisation of Edinburgh, to the detriment of residents who are being prevented from their legal right to enjoy their properties. The commercial company has undertaken to restrict access to residents and limit the number of guest they can invite to private events during the traditional Scottish Hogmanay celebration, demanding that residents apply for permits. The company is passing on resident's details to police for 'security checks'. However the Police have stated that this aspect is not legally enforceable and will not be undertaken checks. [1][2][3]

Labour Lothian Member of the Scottish Parliament, Sarah Boyack, said that it "should not be up to a private company to decide how many people they can have in their homes" and warned that it impacted private family events.[2]

The company has also proceeded with constructions in the absence of required planning permission and has been forced to apply retrospectively.[4]

The city council launched an internal investigation into whether correct processes were followed in granting a two-year contract extension to the operator.[4]

2019 Christmas Market

In December 2019, Underbelly came under scrutiny for acquiring the East Princes Street Gardens without planning permission. [5] The markets were marked by safety concerns that were kept secret by the City of Edinburgh Council [6] and for the subsequent damage done to the gardens from their operations that damaged many remembrance benches. [7] [8] An investigation into the £150,000 damage to the gardens caused by the market has been launched. [9] [10]

Further criticism has arisen from the commercialisation of the longstanding tradition of the Loony Dook, held annually on the morning of January 1st every year. Underbelly has been criticised for profiteering from a public tradition, as well as raising the price of tickets for profit. [11][12]

Labour conditions controversy

During the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Edinburgh festival, and the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Hogmanay celebrations, Underbelly have been criticised for exploitation and mistreatment of its staff, with accusations of underpayment and non-payment, poor accommodation for its staff, and poor management.[13][14][15][16] In the 2018 Fringe Festival, Underbelly were criticised for unfair labour practices in the course of the Fair Fringe campaign to ensure the companies paid the minimum wage, observed legal limits on working hours and did not use unpaid volunteers. [17]

Performers

Performers who have appeared at Underbelly venues since 2000 include:

Comedians

Musicians

References
  1. Libby Brooks (26 December 2019). "Hogmanay fury as Edinburgh residents told to apply for access to own homes". The Guardian.
  2. Chloe Chaplain (24 December 2019). "Some Edinburgh residents will need special passes to access their own homes during Hogmanay event". iNews.
  3. Marc Horne (24 December 2019). "Hogmanay revellers told they need permission to party in own homes".
  4. "Edinburgh's Christmas: Councillors look into moving next year's market". BBC News. 13 November 2019.
  5. {cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-51560774 | title=Edinburgh's Christmas: Underbelly still has not applied for full planning permission | publisher=BBC News | date=19 February 2020| author=BBC News }}
  6. {cite web | url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/fears-over-edinburgh-christmas-market-safety-kept-secret-city-council-despite-public-reassurances-1556357 | title=Fears over Edinburgh Christmas Market safety kept secret by city council despite public reassurances | publisher=Edinburgh Evening News | date=13 February 2020| author=Conor Matchett }}
  7. {cite web | url=https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburgh-residents-furious-princes-street-17562610 | title=Edinburgh residents furious as Princes Street Gardens turns into 'mudflat' after Christmas markets | publisher=Edinburgh Live| date=14 January 2020| author=Claire Galloway }}
  8. {cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-50237052 | title=Edinburgh council leader orders urgent action over dumped memorial benches | publisher=BBC News| date=30 October 2019| author=Angie Brown }}
  9. {cite web | url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/ps150000-bill-repair-east-princes-street-gardens-after-christmas-market-2908111 | title=£150,000 bill to repair East Princes Street Gardens after Christmas Market | publisher=Edinburgh Evening News | date=9 July 2020| author=Conor Matchett }}
  10. {cite web | url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/mud-bath-bill-tops-150k-22337648 | title=Mud problems at Edinburgh's Princes Street Gardens caused by Christmas markets cost over £150k to fix | publisher=Daily Record | date=9 July 2020| author=Record Reporter }}
  11. {cite web | url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/council/underbelly-can-get-sea-locals-respond-news-edinburghs-hogmanay-loony-dook-sold-out-1352930 | title=Underbelly can get in the sea | publisher=Edinburgh Evening News | date=1 January 2020| author=Elsa Maishman }}
  12. {cite web | url=https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2020/01/edinburghs-hogmanay-the-loony-dook-2020-sold-out-or-sell-out/ | title=Edinburgh’s Hogmanay – The Loony Dook 2020 – sold out or sell out? | publisher=The Edinburgh Reporter | date=4 January 2020| author=Phyllis Stephen }}
  13. Chortle (9 August 2017). "Fringe workers are being exploited". Chortle.
  14. Eve Livingston (15 August 2017). "The Secret Exploitation at the Edinburgh Fringe". Vice.
  15. BBC News (29 November 2017). "Edinburgh's Hogmanay 'exploiting people'". BBC News.
  16. Brian Ferguson (29 July 2019). "Damning new report exposes 'terrible' and 'shameful' working conditions at Edinburgh Festival Fringe". Commonspace.
  17. Sean C M Bell (10 August 2018). "War of words breaks out between Underbelly and union organiser over employment conditions of Fringe staff". Commonspace.
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