Help The Barden Party Take Award-Winning Theatre to Edinburgh 2026

For 4 years, The Barden Party has been creating bold, heart-filled theatre from Aotearoa, earning international acclaim and awards as an independent company, always on the smell of an oily rag. Yet none of our Creative New Zealand funding applications have ever been approved. Our recent application for flights and accommodation to take our cast to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 was in a pool of 29 applications, 19 of those applications were approved, ours was one of 11 denied. Thanks to our generous international sponsors, venues for both the return of our award-winning Macbeth & the world premiere of Heracles are already fully covered, and they have even organised a tour for us around Scotland. The only thing left for is the cost of flights and accommodation.

Even in times when communities are stretched, artists are expected to keep asking for support. It is not our favourite thing to do. It can be demoralising and detracts from the actual job of creation. Yet it is exactly at these moments that art matters most, to inspire, to challenge, to connect, and to keep culture alive. After one successful season at Edinburgh and four international tours, we want to keep taking risks, doing big things, and representing New Zealand on the world stage, but we cannot do it without your help. Every donation directly puts our artists and stories on stage, bringing independent theatre from NZ to Edinburgh and beyond, ensuring these voices continue to be seen, heard, and celebrated.