Fringe Spotlight: Extant
A visually impaired-led programme of work.
Extant - a professional performing arts company of blind and visually impaired artists in the UK - will return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer building on the success of its 2025 programme.
"Extant has always been a force driving industry change towards higher standards and access for visually impaired people..." says Maria Oshodi - artistic director of Extant. "We're delighted to continue disrupting the status quo at Edinburgh Fringe in 2026, by increasing the number of accessible shows tenfold over the past two years, providing bespoke training and 'Enhanced' access options, and not least in platforming the very best of visually impaired talent at our showcase event!"
The company will present three ‘Enhance’ shows alongside a new showcase, in partnership with Underbelly as principal venue partner.
"We’re delighted to be working alongside Extant at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to make Underbelly’s programme more accessible for visually impaired audiences..." adds Marina Dixon - head of programming at Underbelly. "Extant do vital work in this field, and this partnership marks an important step in strengthening how Underbelly supports both artists and audiences."
Through this programme, Extant marks a significant step forward in embedding accessibility across the festival while raising the profile and visibility of visually impaired-led work.
The programme features work from visually impaired artists and collaborators across theatre and comedy.
Acts included in the programme are Jellyfish by Blah Blah Productions directed by Lillith Freeman and written by Jess Coppen-Gardner, and also Aarian Mehrabani’s debut stand-up show How’s Your Head.
New for 2026, Extant will host a one-off showcase at Underbelly (18th August) to celebrate the breadth of visually impaired-led performance. This event will feature visually impaired artists working across stand-up, cabaret, dance, theatre and new writing, including Growing Nostalgia by Ebony Rose Dark, VIP (Visually Impaired Papa) by Tom Skelton, and work from Neil Skene, alongside The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of by Shashank Sharma, Half Lights Project by Holly Thomas, and An Evening with Tito Bone by Amelia Cavallo.
Gareth Johnson