Festival Theatre artwork Hanging by a Million Threads to thank supporters

An Edinburgh artist has created a statement of thanks to all who have supported the city’s Capital Theatres over the past few months, with a textile-based installation – Hanging by a million threads.

The banners will be in place until the end of January.

Sophie Fields’s work is made up of hundreds of comments posted on the Capital Theatres ‘Theatre Emergency Support Fund’ crowdfunding page.

It has been commissioned by Capital Theatres with the support of the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund in an open competition.

Like much of the entertainment industry, Capital Theatres has faced a tough year. But with the help of the crowdfunder, patron donations, money from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as furlough being extended; all of these factors help the theatres sustain a stronger financial position over the winter.

Inside the glass panes of the Festival theatre facade, Sophie will hang 20 individual, digitally printed curtains: Each curtain made up of stripes of colour; blue, pink, purple and orange to match the Capital Theatres branding, and featuring some of the beautiful messages, thoughts and memories from the hundreds shared by the public during Capital Theatres’ crowdfunder campaign.

Other messages from the 525 submitted will be displayed on the digital screens on the ground floor.

Hanging by a Million Threads will transform the Festival Theatre’s frontage until the end of January. After which, in line with the theatre’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the intention is to transform the work itself into pouches, tote bags and pencil cases for sale in collaboration with Leith-based circular business Kalopsia.

Sophie is a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art. She worked as a member of Front of House staff at Capital Theatres before the pandemic and is a resident artist at George Watson’s College.

Capital Theatres held a competition for freelance artists to secure a commission to create a work of art for the Festival Theatre. Artists were given a brief and two weeks to respond, 60 entered and Sophie won from a short list of 5.Sophie said: “The idea of having draped textile pieces filling the front of the Festival Theatre came from the new series of activity created by Capital Theatres ‘Raise the Curtain’ which continues aspects of their community engagement work whilst the theatres are closed, together with the idea of real stage curtains opening up again in the spring. Having the curtains pulled back slightly is a symbol of hope that the theatre still exists and events will hopefully be running as normal inside soon.”

Fiona Gibson, Chief Executive of Capital Theatres said: “We loved Sophie’s idea, and the symbolism of the name of the artwork. It’s been a tremendously tough year for so many people involved in culture this year and being able to support an emerging artist at this time as well as invest in someone who has worked with us and knows the building so well has been a really positive and powerful experience for us all.

"The words of our wonderful supporters who contributed to our crowdfunder made a huge difference to the spirits of the Capital Theatres family. Those sentiments and the passion really matter to us and so it seems fitting to have them at the heart of this work celebrating us getting through this together.”