Working for EIF: Jo Michel, Ticket Services Manager

Can you give a brief overview of your role at EIF?
I am the Ticket Services Manager at Hub Tickets which looks after all the ticketing requirements for the Edinburgh International Festival as well as other festivals and events throughout the year.

How long have you worked for the Festival?
I joined the Festival team in June 2008, so 2011 will be my fourth International Festival.

What are the best and most challenging parts of your job?
I love the variety in what I do. I work with all the different departments within EIF to co-ordinate their needs, but I also get to deal directly with many of the performing companies to look after their ticketing. I never know what each day will bring.

What do you do on a day to day basis?
Most days it’s a mix of making sure the ticketing staff have information on all the events on sale, speaking to festival and event organisers, building event information into the ticketing system, checking online and phone sales are correct and of course reporting on sales figures.

What did you do before joining the Festival?
I’ve been involved in ticketing for many years, mostly in Australia. I have worked with Sydney Theatre Company and other smaller theatre companies, large scale ticketing agencies, the Adelaide Fringe and other festivals.

What do you get up to outside of work?
I enjoy seeing films and theatre so tend to try and see something each week.

Which events are you most looking forward to at the Festival 2011?
One Thousand and One Nights, Chanticleer, Re-Triptych and The Peony Pavilion.

Asia Launch Adventure - Episode One

In her first dispatch from the Festival 2011 Asian launch tour, Susie Burnet's head is spinning in India

What a whirlwind! Jonathan and I are travelling around Asia at the moment launching this year’s programme from India to Korea! And most places in between.

With a packed schedule we are relying on the airlines to play ball. An inauspicious start when KLM cancelled my flight out of Amsterdam to Delhi. Aaaargh! Luckily, another route was found via Dubai and I arrived with, hmmm…. about 10 minutes to spare before my first meeting in Delhi. Why do I get the feeling we’re going to be kept on our toes?

So, our media meetings and events kicked off in Delhi on Wednesday. Hosted by the British Council there we had a super afternoon of interviews with very smart journalists from the Times of India, Mail Today, Indian Express and The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle. We met with Tarun Tejpal who travels to Edinburgh in August to take part in our series of talks and who also runs political news magazine Tehelka, most likely getting ready to reveal another scam in the Indian system. We had a really interesting discussion around the changing world and India today. Off to read some of his books now.

Director of British Council India, Rob Lynes hosted us in the evening where we met people from across Delhi media and cultural life in a celebration of the Indian artists coming to the Festival this year and where we had an opportunity to spread the word about Edinburgh in August. They all say they are coming! Let’s hope so.

Thursday saw another couple of quick meetings, a dash to the parliament building to record a TV interview for arts show In Transit with Sohaila Kapur and then off to the airport for the dash to Mumbai. Landed. Made it to the hotel. Eventually. Dumped our bags, brushed our teeth and then off again to a reception hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner Peter Beckingham and Sam Harvey, Head of British Council West India. Met a whole room full of interesting people from Mumbai, was invited to film studios, festivals and the hippest clubs in town. What a fantastic city! So much colour and vitality about it. Spread the word again. More people finding a way to come to Edinburgh in August!

Friday saw us talking to journalists from various papers local and national, and a magazine or two - a great line-up and lovely, energetic and curious people. A couple of photo shoots for Jonathan on Marine Drive, or the Queen’s Necklace to the amusement of the residents. A big thank you to the British Council who helped line all that up for us.

And in all too brief a time, we were off to the airport. Destination Jakarta. I’ll leave you with what has become a very familiar sight – Jonathan in an airport lounge. More anon.

Claudine Quinn - Festival Photographer 2010

A member of Alonzo King Lines Ballet Company
at the Camera Obscura, Edinburgh

For five weeks photography graduate Claudine Quinn was given free rein with her roving lens to get behind the scenes and under the skin of the Festival. The results are currently on show in an exhibition of Claudine's photographs at The Hub in Edinburgh. We caught up with Claudine to give us her impressions of her time framing the Festival.

Can you describe the experience of being the Festival Photographer in 2010?
I'm not certain the role could be summed up as just one experience as any single Festival day could encompass five, six or many more different types of photography in just as many locations. The role required lots of quick thinking and definitely a ‘know no limits’ attitude and as the Festival is virtually a round-the-clock endeavour. Sleep was happily sacrificed.

Much like a James Bond mission, I'd receive a break down of the day's events in the morning by checking in with the Festival press office. We'd then work out a plan as to how I might cover as many of the activities as possible. The day would whizz past charging between venues, kicking off, say, with a full orchestra rehearsal followed by a theatre company's press call then any number of behind the scenes snaps of activities like the installation of the stage lights for a production, a sneaky gander around a venue's wardrobe rooms or nabbing some candid shots of off-duty performers. Evenings were brimming with social soirees as I documented patrons of the Festival meeting artists, audiences enjoying themselves at various venues with things often rounding off with an artists’ post-show events where we could almost relax a little!

Members of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland in
the Usher Hall before the Festival opening concert

How does it compare with other subjects you’ve shot in the past?
The great thing about the position was the diversity of activities that needed to be captured. I like to be really busy and it's quite important to feel excited about what you're photographing so the Festival provided a perfect environment where you could work like crazy but also get a real sense of satisfaction from a day's adventure with the camera. There's also something very inspiring and creatively invigorating when you have a chance to meet and photograph artists at the peak of their profession. I'd imagine it's very rare to find a photo job that allows such complete immersion in the world of live performance in order to develop an insider view. At times, I felt rather spoiled as so many of the venues have such beautiful and intricate architecture and interior design it was tricky to take a bad photo.

Can you tell us about any real surprises during your time photographing the Festival?
I think the biggest overall surprise was how much fun I had throughout the Festival as it had never crossed my mind when bracing myself for a month of hard work and potential photo-drama that it would actually be something so enjoyable too!

A member of the cast of Porgy and Bess backstage at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

In terms of photo surprises, I was quite entertained to find the timpani, horns and players as well as a bevy of tenors and sopranos compacted together in a bit of staircase off stage at the Usher Hall in order to create the effect of distant voices for the audience. It was rather surreal. I was also constantly intrigued by the labyrinth backstage areas of all the theatres particularly the wardrobe departments and I got a real kick out of seeing things like accidentally laundered stage-dollar bills abandoned next to nicely pressed costumes.

One of the most panic inducing surprises was when one of the lead female dancers with Alonzo King Lines Ballet nearly took off across the rooftops of Edinburgh with a large golfing umbrella as she danced atop the Camera Obscura in gale force conditions. The dancer survived unscathed but the photo, tragically, hasn't made it to the final selection.

Backstage during Caledonia at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh

Is there any one image that summed up the Festival for you? Can you pick a favourite image from the ones in the exhibition?
It's really tricky to identify one single picture that can sum up the whole festival as there's just so much that goes on during the month. My own personal favourite is an image taken onstage during the intermission of Caledonia at the King's Theatre depicting the set design of a large door and lots of hanging foliage.

Why did you choose this one?
Every time I see this particular shot, I get a very clear flashback to the moment when it was taken; stage crew milling about with props, set pieces swinging here and there, dry ice being pumped all around me and the hum of the cheerful audience eating ice-creams and chatting just beyond the curtain. For me it's got a real sense of drama and suspense with dynamic angles and lurking shadows evoking an exotic otherworldly magic often conjured up through live performance. The gigantic over-sized door and the stage's enormous rigging also remind me of the sheer scale of the Festival and the feeling of being both overwhelmed and inspired all at the same time.

A cast member from Porgy and Bess is readied before a performance

What was the best thing about your summer as Festival Photographer?
Meeting so many fantastic people, observing the inner workings and hidden spaces of places I'd never seen and may never have a chance to see again and having the opportunity to develop a really diverse portfolio of images that I have a real affinity with.

What was the secret of your constant energy?
A chronic enthusiasm to improve my photography, an emergency stash of muesli bars in my camera bag and feeding off the good humour and bounce of other Festival people who love what they do!

Claudine’s photographs can be seen in The Hub exhibition space, daily. Admission is free. A selection of her images can also be found on our Flickr page. The Festival Photographer and the exhibition are supported by The Morton Charitable Trust.

Shanghai Express

Jonathan meets Prince Zi Dan

Just in town for a day we made the most of our time in Shanghai. There were meetings with the Shanghai Cultural Bureau, the Ministry of Culture, and we got to know the British Council representatives in Shanghai. All of this took place around and about our press conference in the afternoon.

The conference was at a gorgeous little hotel in the French Concession called Le Sun Chine and was well attended with many local Shanghai and national media print media, as well as online and broadcast crews turning out to hear from Jonathan and Mr Sun (the Director of the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe, or SPOT as we affectionately call them).

Jonathan and Mr Sun signed a letter of agreement and the event culminated in a short performance by Prince Zi Dan, the equivalent character to Hamlet in Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe’s retelling of Shakespeare’s famous tale. Prince Zi Dan was fabulous. A wonderful costume, particularly expressive feathers and the envy inspiring platform boots. However it was his muscle control that stole the show with a stunning, sculptural physical feat. It has certainly left me wanting to see more!

Now we have the job of evaluating and translating all the coverage. The circulations of some of these outlets are mind-blowing, but that is the nature of the scale of China in numbers. It certainly has the wow factor.

- Susie Burnet

At home in China - Festival 2011 theme launched in Beijing and Shanghai

Pudong from the Bund, Shanghai

Beijing is wonderfully stylish and eclectic, teeming with life, has absolutely bags of character, and is very, very welcoming. Since arriving on Sunday we have met so many people keen to engage with the Festival and Scotland and it is at times like this that you have to be convinced you have the best job in the world. Jonathan met with a string of media over Sunday and Monday all of whom asked interesting questions throwing up all sorts of avenues of conversation. Then there was a buzzing reception last night that the British Ambassador and British Council here threw in honour of the Festival and its developing relationship with China with more media, representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, artists and various interested businesses in attendance. It has been an intense couple of days and I am sure Jonathan is very happy to have a couple of hours off from the media mayhem this morning.

Today it is Jackie, our Marketing and Communications Director’s turn as she steels herself to speed date 60 tour operators this afternoon as part of VisitBritain’s delegation at the China International Travel Mart. No mean feat and just the first of several days here and in Shanghai which will offer lots of opportunities to shout about the Festival to those who can help boost Chinese visitor numbers into the future.

Meanwhile I’m put the finishing touches to our media event in Shanghai tomorrow where we’ll do it all again!

Tomorrow afternoon Jonathan and Mr Sun of the Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe will sign a letter of agreement before posing for photos with the ornately dressed performers in their full glittering get-up. I wonder if there’ll be a spare pair of their fabulous platform shoes kicking around… just to help me get a better photo!

- Susie Burnet

Confessions of a Chorus Member: Jack Kirk

A black, wet and windy late 20th century November night: I’m in my mid-30’s, recently returned to Edinburgh. A friend has fixed up an audition for me with the Festival Chorus after their rehearsal this Tuesday evening. He says it’s a good choir. Well, I could join for a year or two. An audition? – no great problem.

I arrive at the venue, find the stairs for the fourth floor. I’m on the first few steps when, evidently after a pause in the rehearsal, I suddenly hear the choir far above launch into the start of the first movement of Mahler’s 8th Symphony. I am transfixed. I have never heard a sound like the sopranos I am now hearing. They are rising to a tremendous fortissimo high note, truly thrilling – then over two or three bars descending melody they diminuendo to an exquisite pianissimo and a brilliant accompanist is taking the music on into a piano dolce section, amazingly simulating a full orchestra plus soprano soloist.

As I wait outside the room I know that I badly want into this choir. I no longer fancy myself, this is no stroll. I need to pass this audition.

Twenty minutes later I’m in, on probation as a 1st bass. It appears that work on my voice is required, actually a lot of work. But I’m in.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I’m still in. The Festival Chorus has given me a fantastic musical education. I have got to know, and know well - from the inside - marvellous music by marvellous composers, much of which I might never have heard otherwise, let alone grow to love - taught to me by great musicians. There’s immense interest in seeing a brilliant conductor at piano rehearsal operate within a very tight timescale, testing and educating the chorus, in the process entertaining us with wit and charm, then later maybe surprising us with fresh nuances even in the performance.

There have been great concerts and fabulous foreign tours. But nothing beats a Tuesday evening, often the ones I have felt least like turning up for, when some powerful mix of great music, humour, intellectual demand and simple corporate energy just leaves ordinariness far behind. Donald Runnicles once complimented the Festival Chorus on its reputation for taking hold of a performance and energising it. I know what he meant because it happens for me on so many Tuesdays. Audio replays are in my head for good – the tenors singing “Et Incarnatus Est” from the Bruckner E Minor Mass, the women with “Huic ergo parce Deus” from Verdi’s Requiem, many more. Any Tuesday night could hold a moment like that.

Arthur Oldham said that Giulini told him, “You've a marvellous chorus, but the voices are all white. Now you have to look for the reds and the blues and the greens.” That’s encouragement that my voice supplies something in the blend – though I hope it isn’t a loud pink.

A Day in the Life of...Temporary Photos Officer, Erin Hickey

Photo: Erin with Lemi Ponifasio

Picture this with Erin Hickey, Temporary Festival Photos officer...

I do like a good picture story. It might first appear that taking a picture during the Festival in Edinburgh is straightforward; there is always something going on and all you have to do is point the camera and shoot. That’s not always the case. There is a lot of planning that goes into making a photo call run smoothly, from brainstorming ideas, contacting performers, tour managers and venues to get permission, drafting invites to photo calls, speaking to photographers and making travel arrangements. But the end result of all of the hard work and organising makes the Festival experience worthwhile. And the best part is seeing the photographs in print (including a few front pages!) and online.

One of my favourite experiences of the Edinburgh International Festival this year was meeting a very talented designer named Charlotte Helyar who designed and created a remarkable gown made completely out of Edinburgh International Festival brochures. The dress was worn by a soloist from the opening concert El Niño. I was incredibly proud that the team work and dedication paid off when a picture of Kelley wearing the dress was featured on the front cover of the Scotsman.

Part of what makes the Festival so great is working with a team of people who are as passionate about theatre as you are; Charlotte Anderson, my colleague in the Photos team and I have had a great time, looking after photographers at different venues and getting to see dress rehearsals of the fantastic shows on this year (my favourites being Porgy and Bess at the Festival Theatre and hearing the RSNO play Rhapsody in Blue during their rehearsals for Rhapsodies in Red, White and Blue at the Usher Hall.) It was great fun to literally be backstage and meeting some fantastically talented performers – including, I might add, striking my best ballet pose with the Alonzo King Lines Ballet!

You can see a selection of Festival photos here.

A Day in the Life of...Temporary Festival Press Assistant, Lucy Howe

Our fabulous temporary Festival Press Assistant, Lucy Howe, talks kangaroos, photo calls and why she was nicknamed 'Girl on the Street'...

Interning at the Edinburgh International Festival has been a great experience and the press office has been especially fun. We’ve had ‘Thinking-Hat Saturdays’ where the entire office have worn sailor hats made from newspaper, Australia Day where an Australian accent is compulsory once through our office doors, and copious supplies of coffee, cake, biscuits and haribo placed strategically on my desk – yum.

Labelled ambiguously as ‘festival press assistant’ (but also apparently ‘girl on street’ – in the nicest possible way!) I’ve been given numerous different roles, the most random being the distribution of 10 inflatable Kangaroos around Edinburgh. But mostly I’ve attended photo-calls (keeping an eye on unruly photographers – “No, the door labelled ‘STAGE ACCESS, DO NOT ENTER’ is NOT the door to the auditorium...”) helped our Broadcast Liaison when she’s super busy (which included a 4-second appearance on the BBC Culture Show – my moment of fame!) and even taken part in a photo-call (I was the US Flag behind Jonathan Mills – my 2nd moment of fame!).

I have also been an honorary member of the digital marketing desk which has allowed me to interview some of our luckier stars of this year’s festival such as the Labeque sisters and Alonzo King for our audioboo, recorded audience voxpops for the longer-running productions, and looked after the ever-increasing different bodies of social networking sites such as blipfoto and flickr. Phew. It’s been busy, but also great fun and given me the chance to see many amazing performances from around the world, and already I can’t wait for next year.

Over and out.

Listen to the Artist interviews and audience vox pops from Festival 2010 here.

What you thought: Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert

We joined the crowds at the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert 2010 to find out what they enjoy about the event...

A Day in the Life of...Lynsey Shovlin, Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert Co-ordinator

Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert Co-ordinator, Lynsey Shovlin, tells all as the firework preparations start to heat up...

I am excited, I am nervous, I am running on adrenaline, I am happy, I am sad and I am now dreaming about the Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert in my sleep! My whirlwind romance with the Edinburgh International Festival is nearly over and I have been well and truly swooned by the people and projects I have been involved with, no more so than the looming Festival finale – The Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert.

Preparations for this dazzling display of artistic delights on Sunday 5th September at 9pm are going exceptionally well. The most grueling task recently… I suppose sampling Café Hub’s ‘fireworks cupcakes’ which are on sale now was a chore. It’s not an easy job sampling delicious cake all day long but the press office felt they could take a hit for the team on this occasion!

Before I say my final goodbyes, here are some of my tips for enjoying the Fireworks Concert;

• Be early to find a good spot in Princes Street Gardens or, if you don’t have a ticket, at Inverleith Park.

• If you have your own secret spot for watching the Fireworks Concert, don’t forget to tune in to Radio Forth on 97.3 FM and 1548 AM to hear the Scottish Chamber Orchestra perform live.

• Remember to stay connected to us by including us in your tweets - #BOSfireworks

• Wrap up warm and take a bin bag to sit on incase the ground is muddy or damp.

• Enjoy the evening with friends and family - take pictures which you will remember for years to come and treat yourself to some tasty ‘fireworks cupcakes’ from the Hub Café!

Now all that is left for you to do is pack a picnic and keep your fingers crossed for the weather. In the meantime, I can guarantee that everyone at the Edinburgh International Festival, Bank of Scotland and Scottish Chamber Orchestra will continue to work their socks off to bring you a very glamorous, exuberant and special event to celebrate another Festival finale.

What the Audience thought: Bliss

We were at The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on Thursday 2 September asking the audience what they thought about Opera Australia's Bliss...

Artist Interview: Christine Brewer

We spoke to American Soprano Christine Brewer about returning to Edinburgh and how she chose the programme for her concert at the Usher Hall on Friday 3 September...

What the Audience thought: Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company

We were at The Edinburgh Playhouse on Thursday 2 September asking the audience what they thought of Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company...

Artist Interview: Duo Sol

We spoke to Caroline Allmente and Miki Tsunoda, who together make up Duo Sol, ahead of their concert at The Queen's Hall on Friday 3 September at 11am.

Artist Interview: David Watkin

We spoke to Cellist David Watkin ahead of his concert with the Tokyo Quartet on Thursday 2 September at the Queen's Hall.