At the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Venue 13 has always been more than just a stage—it’s a launchpad for bold voices, boundary-pushing performances, and international exchange. Podcast 13 extends that spirit into the digital space, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes journey into the world’s largest arts festival and the global creative networks it inspires.
Each episode features conversations with artists, producers, and cultural leaders who have made Venue 13 their home, exploring how theatre, performance, and live art intersect with community, technology, and climate consciousness. From intimate stories of artists’ first Fringe experiences to deep dives into the future of sustainable cultural production, the podcast captures the energy and experimentation that define the venue.
Whether you’re a festival-goer, an emerging artist looking for insight, or simply curious about how performance can shape the way we understand our world, Podcast 13 opens the doors to one of the Fringe’s most artist-centered spaces.
In this special end-of-year episode of Podcast 13, hosts Ian Garrett and Vanesa Kelly reflect on the revival of Venue 13 and the ideas shaping its future, using the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as a guiding frame. The episode looks back on reopening an artist-led Fringe venue, explores standout projects from the season including Market 13 and AI Campfire, and considers what ethical, climate-focused practice looks like right now. Featuring a conversation with playwright and Climate Change Theatre Action founder Chantal Bilodeau, the episode also marks CCTA’s tenth anniversary and looks ahead to new models for climate storytelling, accessibility, and artist support through the launch of Future 13. A thoughtful and forward-looking close to the year.
Episodes
- Episode 5 – A Venue 13 Carol: The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future 13 + Appealing by Paula Cizmar
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 4 – Inside the Theatre Green Book + So Beautiful Today, So Sunny by Marcus Youssef and Seth Klein
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 3 – teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi and NYUAD + Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis
Ian and Vanesa continue their UAE journey after World Stage Design 2025, reflecting on Ian’s NYU Abu Dhabi talk and exploring the university’s performance spaces. They also visit TeamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi’s vast immersive environment, sparking ideas about ecological and hybrid design, and share this week’s CCTA reading, Earth Duet by E.M. Lewis. - Episode 2 – Venue 13 at WSD2025 in Sharjah UAE + Space Cat by Lewis Hetherington
Ian and Vanesa take you inside World Stage Design 2025, sharing seasoned insight and first-time impressions from this global gathering of scenographers and artists. They reflect on collaborations, inspirations from the Scenofest Research Symposium, and how WSD’s creative energy connects to their ongoing work at Venue 13. - Episode 1 – What Happens When Two People Decide to Have a Venue (and a Podcast)
In the first full episode of Podcast 13, Ian Garrett and Vanesa Kelly conclude Climate Change Theatre Action 2025 with readings of works by Klae Bainter, Keith Barker, and Kirby Vicente. They also reflect on Venue 13’s debut as a fully vegan Fringe venue, the premiere of A.I. Campfire, and sustaining year-round conversations on theatre and climate.