Festival Insider Club Pulls IN Younger Audience

The Edinburgh International Festival is back with its IN membership programme for the second year. The initiative, which launched at the now closed Roxy Art House last year, is aimed at getting more under forty-year-old bums on seats at Festival shows.

These being financially tough times, there's always going to be criticisms that the EIF is too elitist with its lavish productions (the counter-argument being that excellence in the arts is expensive) and that its audience is too grey. IN counters the second criticism by broadening the exclusivity net with breaks on ticket prices and other side benefits for younger theatre-goers.

So what do you get with your IN membership? According to the EIF, for a £25 annual fee, IN members get access to preview performances, half-price discounts on Festival performances, invites to VIP parties, 10% discount at Cafe Hub, and "behind-the-scenes opportunities".

Last year, among the half-price discounts offered to IN members were Sin Sangre, Teatro Cinema, Grupo Corpo, Bliss, The Gospel at Colonus featuring The Blind Boys of Alabama, Alonzo, and King Lines Ballet.

So if you are under 40 and a fairly active EIF goer then an IN membership  might pay off for you.

This year's free IN launch party (being held with The List) is at 6pm, Thursday 2 June at the Festival Theatre. The EFT is the venue for Festival productions, in August, by the National ballet of China, Shanghai Peking Opera Troupe, Vlaamse Opera and Mariinsky Opera.

Attendance at the IN party is free (and there's a free glass of "something fizzy"), but places are limited and must be reserved in advance. To get on the guest list for the launch event email [email protected] by Tuesday 31 May.

Guests on the night will also go into a prize draw for a 3 month membership for the Vital Health Spa at Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, a Festival ticket gift voucher worth £100, a bottle of Festival whisky, a karaoke package for up to 15 people at Supercube, George Street, a one year discount card for McAlister Matheson Music, two pairs of tickets to Taste of Edinburgh or afternoon tea for two people at Cafe Hub, Castlehill.