Women At Work: Dani Rae, General Manager of Assembly Festival

Dani Rae

Dani Rae is the General Manager of Assembly Festival. In a normal year, Dani and her team operate five festival hubs across Edinburgh, with twenty-three performance spaces during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This year Assembly Festival hosted the  Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival at Assembly Roxy, and is currently running the Edinburgh Food Festival in Assembly George Square Gardens.

Dani has worked on Edinburgh's Festivals for the last 18 years. After last year’s absence we see the Festivals return, but not as know it. We met with Dani to find out how the first Edinburgh festivals post-lockdown might look…

Q. You started your role as GM in July 2019 how has this time been? 

That’s a question!  2019 was a tremendous festival for Assembly, and thankfully so, as 2020 has been exceptionally tough.  If there has been a use for the pandemic though, it has given me the time to really get to know the ins and outs of the organisation, and I’m so proud of us all for still being here heading into 2021’s festival season.

Q. What did you do previously?

This is Fringe number 18 or 19 (do you count last year?) for me – I've worked for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, and have been an independent producer, a PR, venue manager – the works. I’ve toured shows across the UK and beyond.  But it always seems to be the Edinburgh Fringe that brings me home.

Q. What do you enjoy most about working for the festivals?

No other job gives you the culmination that a Festival does - we spend our year plotting and planning to make the best festivals we can and when we get to the summer, the proof really is in the pudding.   Balancing the new shows with those that are well known, nowhere on earth is there a vibrancy and energy that goes into giving audiences the best experience.  I’ll take the dark December spreadsheet work to experience the summer any day.

Q. How hard has COVID hit the festivals community? 

It has been incredibly difficult.  Whilst we are so grateful for the support the Scottish Government and the Job Retention Scheme have offered – it really doesn’t scratch the sides of what will be needed to rebuild.  We’ve lost a huge amount of talented freelancers who have left the industry out of necessity – there's no telling whether they will return.  Arts and hospitality are closely linked, which is why we are proud to also produce the Edinburgh Food Festival in George Square – and we know that as we have been badly hit, so too have our hospitality partners who run bars, restaurants and suchlike. This, and Brexit, have been hugely impactful to those industries that during lockdown we all turned to.  To entertainment (and catharsis) and to our food and drink providers.

Q. How does it feel to be “back”?

It feels great – precarious – but great.  As one of the first in person events to really come back at any level of attendance, I feel really privileged that we are able to make it happen.  There’s a feeling of responsibility too – we need to get this right, keep people safe and remind them why they love live art, because everyone else who isn’t yet able to open are relying on us to get it right, keep audiences, staff and performers safe and get our industry back on the right track.

Q. Will restrictions dampen the atmosphere of the festivals this year?

No, I don’t think so.  I think our audiences understand the need for measures to remain in place at the moment and we have all gotten used to the usual measures, face coverings, hand sanitiseretc so in some ways it will already feel natural to be playing our part in this way.  And table service for drinks?  Who doesn’t love being brought a drink on a sunny day in George Square?

Q. What should festival visitors expect?

We’ve worked hard to bring the best programme to our spaces – working safely to do so – so visitors should expect the same quality (if not quantity) of work that we normally present.  We are working differently, in line with government guidance, and things will feel a little different in terms of seating in venues, and the need to wear face coverings etc, but it’s to keep everyone, including our performers and staff safe – so I hope it will feel worth it to be part of something we’ve been starved of for so long.

Q. How can we make the most of what is on offer? 

Help us out and do a lateral flow test before you head out, help keep us open by stopping the spread.  Check out our website for our shows, it’s likely that there’ll still be moreadded even during August.   We’ve got something for everyone, but if you manage to see everything of ours then there are other venues with lots on offer too, including our friends Summerhall, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance, Underbelly and over at MultiStory.

Q. How are spirits within the festival community?

The team at Assembly are largely a positive bunch – and we’re happy to be back doing what we love.  Fingers crossed we can keep the momentum going – we’re looking forward to welcoming our audiences with open and sanitised arms.

Assembly Festival will host an exciting mix of theatre, dance, circus, comedy, music, and more, from Thursday 5 to Sunday 29 August. Alongside this there will be a stimulating digital programme presented live or on-demand hosted on Assembly’s new online venue, Assembly Showcatcher.

As well as performances in Assembly’s year-round home, Assembly Roxy, the Festival will return to Edinburgh’s favourite festival hub, Assembly George Square Gardens, with the Palais du Variété spiegeltent, and an outdoor garden stage.

For tickets and to keep up to date with the full programme at Assembly Festival this summer, visit www.assemblyfestival.com.