Fringe Captions & Surtitles Support for Independent Theatre in 2026
Fringe accessibility is often treated as one of the last production decisions a company makes. It should not be.
You may already have a strong show, a translated script, and confirmed festival dates, but still be deciding how audiences will read the text during a live performance.
Some productions need English surtitles so audiences, reviewers, and programmers can follow a show performed in another language. Others need accessibility captions for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members. Some need both.
The SurtitleLive Fringe Support Programme 2026 gives selected independent theatre companies complimentary, time-limited access to SurtitleLive Pro for prepared captions and surtitles delivered through projection, audience phones, or both.
Software cannot make a production accessible by itself. The purpose of this programme is narrower and more useful: to remove one practical barrier for teams that are ready to prepare, review, rehearse, describe, and operate a written access service responsibly.
Fringe Support Programme 2026 at a glance
- Offer: 14 days of complimentary SurtitleLive Pro access for selected productions
- Performance dates: July, August, or September 2026
- Best suited to: Scripted or mostly scripted Fringe and showcase productions
- Delivery options: Projected text, QR-code mobile viewing, or both
- Application process: Create a free account, then submit a short email application
- Important: This is software access, not a cash grant, translation commission, accessibility certification, or managed live-captioning service
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis while programme capacity remains. Access is confirmed only when an applicant receives written acceptance from SurtitleLive.
An independent programme: This offer is operated by SurtitleLive and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society or any named festival. Festivals and venues may have their own captioning equipment, funding, access listings, deadlines, and technical rules. For Edinburgh in 2026, consult the Fringe Society’s current captioning guidance and accessibility information for artists alongside your venue’s requirements.
What the programme is designed to support
The programme is intended for independent theatre makers, touring companies, and international ensembles that can prepare most of their performance text before the show.
Depending on the text your team prepares, it can support:
- English surtitles for non-English performances
- Accessibility captions for prepared, scripted dialogue
- Speaker labels and relevant non-speech sound information
- Projected captions or surtitles
- Mobile theatre captions accessed through a QR code
- Projection and mobile viewing at the same performance
- Prepared multilingual viewer options
- Portable workflows for small touring teams
Applications are welcome from companies appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Dublin Fringe, Stockholm Fringe, Gothenburg Fringe, Amsterdam Fringe, and comparable summer Fringe festivals or independent showcase programmes. Naming a festival here does not imply a partnership with that festival.
Does your show need captions, surtitles, or both?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, captions and surtitles solve different problems.
English surtitles translate a performance from its original language into English. They are commonly used when a production is performed in French, German, Spanish, Cantonese, Ukrainian, or another language for an English-speaking audience.
Accessibility captions are designed to make performance information available to D/deaf and hard-of-hearing audience members. In addition to dialogue, they may include speaker identification, relevant sound effects, off-stage voices, and musical information. A translated dialogue-only script should not be advertised as accessibility captioning until these elements and the intended audience experience have been considered.
A translated show can require both. For example, the English text may translate the original dialogue while also identifying speakers and describing important sounds.
Read our detailed guide to captions and surtitles for Edinburgh Fringe shows before preparing your script.
What is included in the 14-day Pro access period?
Selected teams receive a 14-day SurtitleLive Pro access window scheduled around agreed rehearsal and performance dates. It is a programme allocation rather than a new recurring subscription, and selection does not promise access outside the confirmed dates.
Script preparation and rehearsal
Upload your prepared script, review its structure, divide the text into editable cue blocks, and rehearse the sequence before entering the venue.
AI-assisted tools can help create an editable first pass, but all translations, speaker labels, sound descriptions, and cue boundaries should be reviewed by the production team before performance.
Live operator cueing
A crew member can advance prepared text in the SurtitleLive operator interface using straightforward controls.
Because the text is cued live, the operator can stay with the pace of the actors instead of relying on fixed video-style subtitle timing.
Projected captions and surtitles
Use a venue projector, display, or suitable secondary screen when the physical setup and sightlines allow it.
Projection can provide a shared reading surface for the audience without requiring each person to use a phone. The exact projector, display, placement, text size, and contrast should be tested in the venue before opening.
Mobile theatre captions through a QR code
Audience members can scan a QR code and open the prepared captions or surtitles in a standard mobile browser. No dedicated viewer app is required.
Mobile delivery can reduce the need for a permanently installed audience display, although the production must still plan for operator equipment, venue connectivity, audience instructions, charging and device use inside the performance space. A phone option is not automatically an accessible experience: invite feedback from the people expected to use it, and do not describe the service more broadly than the tested setup supports.
Learn more about mobile theatre subtitles for audience phones and QR-code theatre subtitles.
Projection and mobile viewing together
Where appropriate, the same prepared performance can be delivered to a venue display and audience phones at the same time.
This allows a company to provide a shared projected option while also giving individual audience members control over supported viewer settings on their own devices.
Current plan limits
Programme access uses the SurtitleLive Pro capabilities and limits assigned to the selected account. The acceptance email and the account itself determine the access window and available entitlements.
Check the current SurtitleLive pricing and access options before your access period begins. Public pricing governs ordinary purchases; the written programme acceptance governs this complimentary allocation.
QLab workflows
Teams using QLab can incorporate prepared text into an existing show-control workflow through supported export options.
For local projection, the Editor QLab Projection Pack is prepared for offline use. For a finalized live show, the QLab Projection Pack can send non-secret cue identity from QLab Script cues to the loopback-only SurtitleLive bridge on the same Mac. An already-open, connected ASM console then publishes the corresponding cue through SurtitleLive’s existing control channel.
This path is deliberately operator-armed: start the supplied local bridge, open and unlock ASM, connect the bridge, wait until the Viewer is ready, choose Go Live, and only then choose Allow QLab control. Rehearse the complete path and retain manual ASM cueing as the fallback. The local bridge does not make the mobile Viewer offline and does not send QLab directly to the SurtitleLive backend.
See how to make QLab subtitles from Excel, CSV, or TXT for a practical preparation workflow.
How mobile captions work in a Fringe venue
Mobile viewing can be useful in venues where a permanent surtitle screen is impractical, setup time is limited, or sightlines make a single projected display difficult.
The basic audience journey is:
- The production displays a QR code at the box office, in the digital programme, near the entrance, or on an access information card.
- The audience member scans the code using their phone camera.
- The viewer opens in a standard mobile browser.
- The audience member selects an available language and adjusts the display where supported.
- A live operator advances each prepared cue during the performance.
- Connected audience devices receive the updated text.
Mobile viewing is an option rather than an automatic solution for every venue. Companies should consider phone-use policies, screen brightness, seating, audience comfort, connectivity, charging, and how front-of-house staff will explain the service. Publish accurate access information: state where the text appears, which language it uses, whether sound information is included, and whether audience members need their own connected device.
Internet and fallback planning
Audience-phone delivery requires working connectivity between the performance system and viewer devices.
A separately prepared local QLab projection workflow can keep local projection under QLab’s control if audience-phone sync is interrupted. That workflow requires advance setup and rehearsal; it does not make mobile audience viewing offline and should not be treated as a general offline guarantee.
Test the exact venue setup during a technical rehearsal and prepare a simple fallback plan for any access service on which audiences will depend. Where possible, include D/deaf, hard-of-hearing, multilingual, or otherwise intended audience members in that review; technical success alone does not establish that the reading experience works.
Where SurtitleLive is a good fit
The programme is best suited to productions that:
- Have a stable or mostly stable script
- Can prepare text before the performance
- Have a crew member available to review and cue the text
- Need projection, audience-phone delivery, or both
- Want a portable workflow that can travel between venues
- Can test the audience and operator setup before opening
Where a different service may be required
SurtitleLive is not a replacement for every theatre access service.
A live captioner, speech-to-text reporter, CART provider, or hybrid workflow may be more appropriate when a show:
- Is substantially improvised
- Includes extended unscripted audience interaction
- Changes significantly at every performance
- Requires verbatim live transcription
- Does not have an operator available to cue prepared text
Audio description, hearing loops, smart glasses, sign-language interpretation, relaxed-performance planning, step-free access, and venue-wide access hardware are separate considerations. Written text is one part of access planning, not a certificate that the production or venue is accessible.
For a broader product-fit overview, read about theatre captioning software for live performances.
Eligibility for the 2026 Fringe Support Programme
To be considered, your production should meet the following criteria.
Performance period
Your show must have performances during July, August, or September 2026.
Prepared text
The production must be scripted or mostly scripted so that captions or surtitles can be prepared and reviewed before performance.
Festival or showcase participation
The production must form part of an official Fringe festival, summer festival, or recognised independent showcase programme.
Technical preparation
Your team must identify someone who can prepare, rehearse, and operate the text workflow.
Promotional materials
Your company agrees to provide:
- Its logo
- One or two high-resolution production or promotional images
- Confirmation that it has permission to provide those materials for agreed programme marketing
Post-show feedback
Your company agrees to complete a brief survey after the festival describing its setup, audience use, problems encountered, and suggestions for future versions of the programme.
All applications are subject to eligibility review and available programme capacity. Meeting the criteria does not guarantee selection.
What participating companies provide in return
There is no charge for the confirmed programme access period. The programme does not automatically enrol a selected company in a paid renewal.
To help promote theatre accessibility and the work of participating companies, we ask selected teams to:
- Include the SurtitleLive logo and a short credit such as “Accessibility support provided by SurtitleLive” in a digital programme, website, or appropriate show listing
- Mention or tag SurtitleLive when announcing the relevant accessible performances on social media
- Provide the agreed promotional assets
- Complete the post-festival feedback survey
Any use of company logos, images, quotes, or production information should follow the participation terms agreed with the selected company. Participation in the software programme does not entitle SurtitleLive to claim that a production is fully accessible or endorsed by its audiences.
How to apply
1. Create a free SurtitleLive account
Create your free SurtitleLive account before submitting the application so the programme team can identify the correct workspace if your production is selected.
2. Email your application
Use the subject line:
Fringe Support Application – [Your Show Name]
Send the application to [email protected].
3. Include the following information
- Production and company name
- Festival or showcase name
- Performance dates
- Technical rehearsal dates
- Link to the official ticket or festival listing
- Original performance language
- Required caption or surtitle language
- Whether you need accessibility captions, translation surtitles, or both
- Whether you expect to use projection, audience phones, or both
- Approximate venue or audience capacity
- How stable the script is
- Name or role of the person expected to operate the text
- Company logo and one or two authorised promotional images
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis while capacity remains. Where possible, apply at least two to three weeks before your technical rehearsal so there is time to prepare the script, train the operator, and test the venue workflow. Do not announce the software support until selection and dates have been confirmed in writing.
Common questions
Do audiences need to download an app?
No. Mobile viewers open in a standard web browser. Audience members do not need to install a dedicated SurtitleLive viewer app.
Can we use projection and audience phones at the same time?
Yes. A production can deliver prepared text to a suitable venue display and audience phones during the same performance.
The final setup should be tested in the actual venue, including sightlines, connectivity, and front-of-house instructions.
Can we use languages other than English?
Yes. SurtitleLive can work with prepared scripts and translations in multiple languages, subject to current plan limits.
Translations and accessibility information should be reviewed by an appropriate language or access practitioner—and, where possible, by intended audience members—before performance.
Is this a grant?
No. The programme provides selected productions with a free 14-day period of SurtitleLive Pro software access.
It does not provide a cash grant, production crew, translation service, live captioner, or managed accessibility operation.
What if our performance run is longer than 14 days?
Include the complete run and technical rehearsal dates in your application.
The standard programme access period is 14 days, so your team should identify the rehearsal and performance dates during which access would be most useful. Selection does not imply an extension beyond the dates confirmed in writing.
Can we use it for an improvised show?
SurtitleLive is primarily designed for prepared text.
A substantially improvised performance, live discussion, or production with extensive unscripted audience interaction may require a live captioner, speech-to-text service, or hybrid setup.
Will mobile captions work without internet access?
No. Audience-phone delivery depends on connectivity.
A separately prepared QLab projection workflow can continue to control local projection if mobile sync is interrupted, but it must be configured and rehearsed in advance. This does not make audience-phone viewing offline.
Apply for Fringe captioning and surtitles support
Preparing captions or surtitles early gives your team more time to review the text, rehearse the cues, describe the service honestly to audiences, and test the actual venue setup. The strongest access claim is not that software was switched on; it is that the promised experience was prepared, tested, and delivered with care.
Create your free SurtitleLive account, then email [email protected] with the subject line:
Fringe Support Application – [Your Show Name]
Key Takeaways
- SurtitleLive's 2026 programme offers selected independent Fringe productions 14 days of complimentary Pro access for prepared captions or surtitles.
- Software access is not a cash grant, translation commission, managed captioning service, accessibility certification, or festival endorsement.
- Captions may include speakers and meaningful sounds as well as dialogue; translated dialogue alone should not be advertised as accessibility captioning.
- Teams should rehearse the operator path, test the actual venue, describe the audience experience accurately, and retain an appropriate fallback.
FAQ
Is the SurtitleLive programme affiliated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society?
No. It is an independent SurtitleLive programme. Applicants should also check their festival's and venue's current access support, deadlines, listings, and technical rules.
Is the programme a grant or a managed captioning service?
No. Selected productions receive a confirmed period of complimentary software access, not cash, a translator, a live captioner, production crew, or accessibility certification.
Can a production use projection and audience phones together?
Yes, where the plan entitlement and venue setup support both. The team must test sightlines, connectivity, front-of-house instructions, and the intended reading experience.
Is SurtitleLive suitable for improvised performance?
It is designed primarily for prepared text. Substantially improvised or unscripted work may require a live captioner, speech-to-text reporter, CART provider, or hybrid workflow.
Glossary
- Surtitles: Translated performance text, often displayed above or near the stage for audiences who do not understand the spoken language.
- Accessibility captions: Written performance information for D/deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences that may include dialogue, speakers, relevant sounds, off-stage voices, and music.
- Programme access: The complimentary 14-day SurtitleLive Pro allocation confirmed in writing for a selected 2026 production.
- Prepared-text cueing: A live operator advancing reviewed text in step with the performance rather than transcribing unscripted speech.
- Access description: The public explanation of where text appears, which language it uses, what information it includes, and what audiences need to use it.