The Edinburgh International Festival has been running education, outreach and programme development projects since 1994. The Festival has access to many world class artists, and it is this contact with an international and extraordinarily wide range of performers, directors, choreographers and thinkers that makes the education work of the Festival unique.

For more information on our Education programme click here.

Edinburgh International Festival and the Traverse Theatre today announced the full cast for the world premiere of Rona Munro’s play The Last Witch.

Kathryn Howden will play the lead role of Janet Horne, the last woman to be executed for witchcraft in Scotland, with Hannah Donaldson as her daughter Helen. The show’s stellar Scottish cast is completed by George Anton, Andy Clark (nominated Best Actor, Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2009), Ryan Fletcher, Vicki Liddelle and Neil McKinven. 

A group of 11 year-olds made origami cranes from a special letter they have each written about something they have always wished to express, in a project called Folding Words which took place recently at The Hub, Edinburgh.

The letters range widely in subject matter - from deeply personal and moving feelings about bereavement to memories, dreams and wishes for the future, and favourite holidays.

The Edinburgh International Festival in conjunction with the University and College Union Scotland presents a lecture and discussion at The Hub.

'Enlightenment, education and democracy: 
A lecture and open discussion about the Edinburgh International Festival'

6.00-8.00pm, Monday 15 June
The Dunard Library at The Hub, Castlehill

The postal ballot for Princes Street Gardens tickets to the spectacular Bank of Scotland Fireworks Concert, the unmissable finale of Edinburgh International Festival 2009, closes on Monday 25 May.

Recently awarded the honours of UK Station of Year 2009 at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting a series of Festival 09 concerts throughout August and September as part of their Lunchtime Concerts (weekdays 1:00pm, weekends 2:00pm). A dozen of the transmission dates have now been announced below. Transmission dates of more Festival 09 concerts will be announced in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Why not take the stress out of buying presents and give your loved ones an experience to remember this summer? A Festival gift voucher lets your friends and family select their pick of events from the Edinburgh International Festival programme.

Gift vouchers start at as little as £5 and can be purchased in person from Hub Tickets or over the phone on +44 (0)131 473 2000.

For gift voucher terms & conditions click here.

A number of our Festival 09 artists have recently received nominations for prestigious awards.

This August the Edinburgh International Festival hosts a summer school for arts educators led by several of the world's leading creative pedagogues.

Heiner Goebbels, Anne Bogart and Charles McNeal are among the artists lined up to work with participants in a programme which gives unparalleled access to Festival 09.

Our box office is now open for business! Tickets for Edinburgh International Festival 2009 are now on sale through the following channels:

- right here at eif.co.uk
- by phone on +44 (0)131 473 2000
- by posting a booking form to Edinburgh International Festival