Something To Aim For

Who we are

STAF is an amalgamation of the work of two organisations: In Company Collective, and The Sick of the Fringe, which have their own short but distinct histories.

In Company Collective (ICC) 2015-2019, supported step-changes in the careers of artists including Split Britches, Le Gateau Chocolat, Hunt & Darton, and HighRise Theatre. This included supporting their organisational development, creating context for their work, expanding their networks and partnerships, and increasing their impact whilst supporting their sustainability. ICC also provided mentoring and support programmes for emerging and mid-career artists. 

The Sick of The Fringe (TSOTF) is a leading international artistic development programme engaging with artists and audiences with lived experience of chronic ill-health, disability and socio-economic disadvantage, and addressing questions of access across the creative industries. TSOTF works with festivals, artists and communities and has achieved a reputation as a go-to resource for ground-breaking programming and artist support strategies. In 2020 TSOTF has agreed a formal partnership with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to support their ‘Blueprint’ strategy to nurture creative freedom and improve access.

Together ICC and TSOTF have secured investment of over £2 million in public subsidy for their projects since 2015, reaching live audiences of over 500,000 and more than 8 million online. This success led to the formation of STAF, which has built on both of those initiatives in new ways.