Bi+ at the Fringe

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A week into the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and we’ve seen many amazing shows.
Here’s a list of the shows we’d recommend with Bi+, queer, neurodiverse, disabled and/or generally great performers (in order we saw them)

Robyn Perkins: 10,000 Ideas

Improvised comedy from bi comedian Robyn Perkins, where the audience decide where the show goes. RobynPerkins.com – edfringe.com

Loose Lips by Lucy Frederick

A play about the pitfalls of gossip. Staring Robyn Perkins and Stephanie Laing. edfringe.com

Comedy for the Curious

Robyn Perkins’ science based comedy chat show tackles subjects including Love & Hate, Confidence, Competitiveness. ComedyForTheCurious.com – edfringe.com

Globetrotters: International Comedians & Epic Anecdotes

Robyn Perkins is back again hosting various comedians from around the world. RobynPerkins.com – edfringe.com

Friz Frizzle’s What’s in the Box?

The cult panel show returns! Different comedians every day are challenged by pan, NB, ND comedian Friz Frizzle to explain what is in the box. FreeFringe.org.uk

Friz Frizzle Performs Parodies on a Piano and That’s the Show, OK?

The show title says it all really – Friz is back with their full catalogue of parodies, with songs picked at random by the audience, every show is different. FreeFringe.org.uk

More to come

Bi+ at Edinburgh Fringe

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As we head into August Edinburgh is taken over by the festival season. As ever there are many bi+ performers heading to perform across the city.

Once again we will be trying to get to as many shows as we can and will signpost them for others to find.

Even before the festival starts we are able to recommend a number of bi+ performers that we have seen multiple times before and who are back for more this year.

Robyn Perkins

Robyn Perkins

Robyn is an award winning fringe veteran who we first met in 2022 when she brought her show about bisexuality ‘Million Dollar Maybe’ to Edinburgh.

She returns with 5 shows per day this year:

Friz Frizzle

Friz Frizzle

…Performs Parodies On A Piano and That’s the Show OK?

Friz is back with their musical comedy – this year they are letting the audience choose from their entire collection of parodies, ensuring each show will be unique.
– 15:30, 3rd to 13th August @ Globe Bar
– 18:00, 14th to 25th August @ Globe Bar

They are also bringing back their ever popular quiz with an ever changing line-up of comedians:
What’s In the Box – 13:00, 3rd to 25th August @ Globe Bar

Reagan Allen

2024 marks Reagan’s first visit to the Edinburgh Fringe but we caught her show, Intelligent Bisexual Woman at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival earlier in the year. She brings her own stories to life through musical comedy.

Intelligent Bisexual Woman – 18:20, 1st to 25th August @ Just the Tonic at The Caves

We will update this page with further recommendations over the next week or so as we get to see more of the shows Edinburgh has to offer this year.

Let us know if you are heading to these or any other shows on the fringe, we might see you there.

We’ll be updating our social media channels through the month, in particular posting on X/Twitter under the accounts @ScottishBiNet and @BiMediaProject

Notice of AGM

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Notice of Meeting

The 5th Annual General Meeting of Scottish Bi+ Network will be held on Discord video at 7.30pm on Monday 26th February 2024.  

Agenda:
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. Chair’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Election of Office Bearers
6. Proposals
7. AOB
8. Proposed Date of Next AGM
9. Close  

If you wish to raise any items for the agenda, please email lorna@scottishbinet.org by 5pm on Sunday 18th February 2024.  

For those who cannot attend the AGM, nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary are to be received by 5pm on Sunday 18th February 2024.  

For members who are attending the AGM, nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary will be taken at the appropriate time during the AGM.  

All members are welcome to attend the AGM.  

Full details, including the link to Discord server, will be emailed to members.  

If you have volunteered on behalf of the organisation since Tuesday 8th March 2022, and have not yet received an invitation for membership, please email lorna@scottishbinet.org

Access Information:
Discord video does not have built-in captions, however there are a number of third-party apps that will provide captions, please contact us for more details.

Additional Information:
See the following documents for more details on the roles of Chair and Secretary.  
To view our constitution, visit our Policies & Guidelines page.

Socials & Events

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We’ve listened to your feedback, and made regular dates for each of our meetups!

This new schedule for social events will run until the end of August 2023.

Allies are welcome to attend our in person meetups and events.

Glasgow Neurodiverse & General Meetup

1st Monday of each month, 7-8.30pm

Starbucks Coffee, inside Cineworld Cinemas, Renfrew Street, Glasgow

Get your free ticket for the Glasgow Neurodiverse Meetup here!

Online Neurodiverse Space

2nd Sunday of each month, 7.30-9pm

A space for all neurodiverse* people to talk about their experiences in a safe space.

Get your free ticket for the Neurodiverse Space here!

Edinburgh Neurodiverse & General Meetup

3rd Wednesday of each month, 7-8.30pm

Starbucks Coffee, inside Cineworld Cinemas, Fountainbridge, Dundee Street, Edinburgh.

Get your free ticket for the Edinburgh Neurodiverse Meetup here!

Neurodiverse & General Day Trip

4th Saturday of each month, times will vary.

This event will change each month, so far we’ve gone to different museums, exhibitions and shows!

Check out our OutSavvy page for details of this month’s trip!

*Neurodiverse includes autism, ADD/ADHD, Tourette’s, and many other conditions, and all our events welcome those who are self-diagnosed.

Our neurodiverse meetups and events have been made possible thanks to The National Lottery Community Fund.

Our in-person neurodiverse events have been made possible with the help of The LGBT+ Futures: Equity Fund, funded thanks to LGBT+ Consortium and Comic Relief

Notice of AGM

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Notice of Meeting

The 4th Annual General Meeting of Scottish Bi+ Network will be held on Discord video at 7.30pm on Monday 13th March 2023.  

Agenda:
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. Chair’s Report
4. Treasurer’s Report
5. Election of Office Bearers
6. Proposals
7. AOB
8. Proposed Date of Next AGM
9. Close  

If you wish to raise any items for the agenda, please email lorna@scottishbinet.org by 5pm on Friday 10th March 2023.  

For those who cannot attend the AGM, nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary are to be received by 5pm on Friday 10th March 2023.  

For members who are attending the AGM, nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary will be taken at the appropriate time during the AGM.  

All members are welcome to attend the AGM.  

Full details, including the link to Discord server, will be emailed to members.  

If you have volunteered on behalf of the organisation since August 10th 2021, and have not yet received an invitation for membership, please email lorna@scottishbinet.org

Access Information:
There will be auto-generated live captions and live transcript available.

Additional Information:
See the following documents for more details on the roles of Chair and Secretary.  
To view our constitution, visit our Policies & Guidelines page.

December Socials & Events

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Dundee Craft Fair

We’re going to have a stall at the Arts & Crafts Fair in Dundee!

We will have badges, crochet fidget toys, and more!

Date and Time: December 10th, open 12-4pm
 
Venue: Scrap Antics Creativity Space, Wellgate Centre, Dundee
 
Details can be found on http://www.clgamble.com/craftfair

Online Neurodiverse Space

Sunday 11th December, 7.30pm – 9pm (GMT+1)

A space for all neurodiverse* people to talk about their experiences in a safe space.

Get your free ticket for the Neurodiverse Space here!

Glasgow Coffee Social

Ready to get out and meet up with people again? Come meet other bi+ people in your area, for an evening of chilled conversation!

Monday 12th December, 7pm-8.30pm
Starbucks Coffee, inside Cineworld, Renfrew Street, Glasgow.

Look out for Steve the unicorn!

For more information and to get your free ticket:
Glasgow Coffee Social ticket link

Edinburgh Coffee Social

Ready to get out and meet up with people again? Come meet other bi+ people in your area, for an evening of chilled conversation!

Wednesday 14th December, 6pm-8pm
Starbucks Coffee, inside Cineworld, Fountainbridge, Dundee Street, Edinburgh.

Look out for our unicorn mascot!

For more information and to get your free ticket:
Edinburgh Coffee Social ticket link

To see all the details of upcoming events, visit our OutSavvy page.

The best way to keep up to date with our upcoming socials is to join our Discord server, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on OutSavvy to make sure that you get notified about all our latest events!

Special Thanks

All of our meetups and events have been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

We have Badges!

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If you seen us at any of our events recently you will know we have built up a large range of designs of pin badges. We sometimes run out of particular designs so after numerous requests we are now able to send out badges through the post

We do not yet have an online store but you can donate via PayPal and indicate what badges you would like sent out. Further details below.

How to order:
* Pick your badge designs – making a note of the description below the image.
* Choose what size – we can provide badges in three sizes.
* Total up your donation – we ask for £1 per small badge, £1.50 for medium and £2 for large – plus £1 per order to cover the cost of postage.
* Head to our PayPal donate page and enter your choice of badges, sizes and delivery details.
Any queries please contact us before ordering.

Please support our artists. We have commissioned a number of artists from the LGBTQ+ community design artwork especially for some of our badges. Please visit them on social media or their stores too to see more of their work and a range of merchandise.

If the badge design you are after appears to be missing, drop us a message and we can make custom designs too. More designs will be added soon.

Some have asked if we can send out flags – yes we can!
Drop us a message first to check if we have them in stock and we will get back to you.

UK only

September Socials & Events

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We have lots of events coming up this month for Bi Visibility Month!

Neurodiverse Event: Lamont Farm Project

Sunday 4th September, 1pm-4pm 
Meet at the entrance at 1pm.

For more information & to get your free ticket, visit:
Lamont Farm Visit ticket link

Edinburgh Coffee Social

Ready to get out and meet up with people again? Come meet other bi+ people in your area, for an evening of chilled conversation!

Tuesday 6th September, 7pm-9pm
Filmhouse Cafe/Bar, Lothian Road, Edinburgh

Look out for our unicorn mascot!

For more information and to get your free ticket:
Edinburgh Coffee Social ticket link

Online Neurodiverse Space

Sunday 11th September, 7.30pm – 9pm (GMT+1)

A space for all neurodiverse* people to talk about their experiences in a safe space.

Get your free ticket for the Neurodiverse Space here!

Glasgow Coffee Social

Ready to get out and meet up with people again? Come meet other bi+ people in your area, for an evening of chilled conversation!

Monday 12th September, 7pm-8.30pm

Look out for Steve the unicorn!

For more information and to get your free ticket:
Glasgow Coffee Social ticket link

Neurodiverse Meetup – Glasgow

Looking to meet other neurodiverse* people in a safe and non-judgemental space? Come along to our neurodiverse event to meet new people, take part in activities, go on days out, and have fun!

Wednesday 14th September, 7-9pm
Starbucks, Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow

For more information & to get your free ticket, visit:
Glasgow Neurodiverse Meetup ticket link

The Bi+ Gathering (Online)

Join us for a day of online fun, activities, talks and workshops, and plenty of chances to socialise!

Sunday 18th September, 11am-4pm (GMT+1)

For more information and to get your free ticket, visit:
The Bi+ Gathering tickets

Neurodiverse Meetup – Edinburgh

Looking to meet other neurodiverse* people in a safe and non-judgemental space? Come along to our neurodiverse event to meet new people, take part in activities, go on days out, and have fun!

Wednesday 21st September, 7-9pm
Filmhouse Cafe/Bar, Lothian Road, Edinburgh

For more information & to get your free ticket, visit:
Edinburgh Neurodiverse Meetup ticket link

Bi Visibility Day Party (Online)

Join us for an evening of bi visibility themed events, including a virtual escape room, short films, and plenty of chances to chat with people!

Friday 23rd September, 7pm-9pm, on Zoom

For more information and to get your free ticket, visit:
Bi Visibility Day Party tickets

BiTastic

Every year around Bi Visibility Day on 23rd September we work together to celebrate bi+ identities at an event with a wide range of workshops and fun activities. You don’t have to be bi+ to attend Bitastic, but we do want to create a “bi+ bubble” each year where we can share with others like us in a in a safe space. 

Saturday 24th September, 10.30am-4.30pm
40 George Square, The University of Edinburgh

For more information and to get your ticket, visit:
BiTastic tickets

BiTastic is a partnership between Equality Network, Edinburgh Uni Staff Pride Network, and Scottish Bi+ Network.

To see all the details of upcoming events, visit our OutSavvy page.

The best way to keep up to date with our upcoming socials is to join our Discord server, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on OutSavvy to make sure that you get notified about all our latest events!

Special Thanks

All of our Neurodiverse meetups and events have been made possible thanks to funding from Impact Funding Partners and The National Lottery Community Fund.

August Socials & Events

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We have lots of events coming up this month – including visits to the Edinburgh Fringe!

Online Neurodiverse Space

Sunday 14th August, 7.30pm – 9pm (GMT+1)

A space for all neurodiverse* people to talk about their experiences in a safe space.

Get your free ticket for the Neurodiverse Space here!

Neurodiverse Meetup – Glasgow

Looking to meet other neurodiverse* people in a safe and non-judgemental space? Come along to our neurodiverse event to meet new people, take part in activities, go on days out, and have fun!

Wednesday 17th August, 7-9pm
Starbucks, Cineworld Renfrew Street, Glasgow

For more information & to get your free ticket, visit:
Glasgow Neurodiverse Meetup ticket link

Neurodiverse Event: Board Games

Saturday 20th August, 12pm-2.30pm
Settlers Games Shop & Cafe, 40 Castle Street, Hamilton

For more information & to get your free ticket, visit:
Settlers Board Games Event ticket link

Edinburgh Social

Because it’s the festival we’re going to see a show – Robyn Perkins!

Monday 22nd August, 5pm show start time, meet in Library Bar from 4.30pm.

For more information, visit:
Robyn Perkins Fringe Show Event

Neurodiverse Meetup – Edinburgh

Because it’s the festival we’re going to see a couple of shows – Friz Frizzle & Mark Grimshaw!

Wednesday 24th August, 3.30pm for Friz Frizzle, 5.15pm for Mark Grimshaw

For more information & to get your free ticket, visit:
Friz Frizzle Fringe Show Event | Mark Grimshaw Fringe Show Event

To see all the details of upcoming events, visit our OutSavvy page.

The best way to keep up to date with our upcoming socials is to join our Discord server, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on OutSavvy to make sure that you get notified about all our latest events!

Special Thanks

All of our Neurodiverse meetups and events have been made possible thanks to funding from Impact Funding Partners and The National Lottery Community Fund.

Edinburgh Fringe: An Interview with Friz Frizzle

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Having watched their hugely entertaining show ‘Lets Get Friz Frizzle‘ (abbreviated title), we sat down with Friz to discuss their comedy, mental health, autism and The Simpsons.

Poster for Friz Frizzle's show Let's Get Friz Frizzle at the 2022 Fringe
Poster for Friz Frizzle’s show Let’s Get Friz Frizzle at the 2022 Fringe

You’ve done comedy shows in person and online, are there things you enjoy about both formats?

Each have their own high points. With in-person shows, you get to enjoy jokes that can only happen there and then – such as a heckler retort or gauging a reaction. When I did my solo weekly online show, we ended up having our own in-jokes that would never have translated into an in-person live show. Plus, online gigs have the benefit of being easily accessed by all audience members.

You have worked with many other comedians. This year you have a comedy panel show ‘What’s in the Box’ with different guests each day. Do you have any stories you would like to tell about your collaborations?

I came up with What’s in the Box? in 2017 as an excuse to dick around with different mates every day. It’s got the format of a panel show, but it’s more improvised with chat in the middle. It’s such a fun show, especially when some contestants take the points seriously and really throw themselves into the game. The best moments include Glenn Moore trying to use a bottle as a compass, Lauren Pattison naming as many dogs as she could to the tune of We Didn’t Start the Fire and Gail Porter bringing the scariest dolls you’ve ever seen.

Your previous show on the fringe was all about mental health. Do you find it difficult bringing comedy to such an important subject?

Everything serious can have comedy made about it. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever had to give a eulogy. When I got my diagnosis in 2017, I made it my duty to be completely honest with how I was feeling, which I try and get the audience to do as well. Talking about the stuff you’re worried about it so much easier than keeping it bottled inside, even though it can be the scariest first step.

You talk about your recent autism diagnosis, do you have plans to do more comedy around this subject?

Tricky question. I never know what my hour-long shows will be about. If I find myself in a bizarre situation in the next twelve months that centres entirely on me having autism, I’ll definitely tell it. I’ll call the show Aut-Friz-Tic.

Has receiving an autism diagnosis been a positive thing for you?

It’s certainly explained a lot. My panic attacks, the encyclopedic Simpsons knowledge, the memorising ridiculous routines about owls and the like. I’ve started being able to spot other people with autism. I don’t think I had that power before. When I talked about my diagnosis with my friends and family, they all reacted with “That makes sense! We kind of already knew”, which is annoying, as that’s also how they reacted when I came out as bisexual.

You provide an entertaining mix of parody songs and stand up comedy. Are there any songs or a particular artist you enjoy parodying most?

I’ve done three different Pet Shop Boys parodies because I love doing Neil Tennant’s voice. It’s gorgeous.

And is there a song or artist that you have considered doing but never could be it to difficult or risky?

The only ones I don’t perform are the ones I’ve written to a really niche song. If anyone ever wants to hear my McFly parody about epilepsy, shoot me an email.

You challenge people to stump you with quotes from The Simpsons, have you ever been caught out? And I take it you really love the Simpsons?

I absolutely love The Simpsons. Controversially, some of the latest episodes have been the best they’ve been in about fifteen years. We are very lucky to have that show in our lifetimes. My party trick is obscure Simpsons trivia and telling you which episodes certain quotes come from. The only time I’ve been stumped is when someone just shouts “Excellent!” in a Mr Burns voice. I mean, what the actual heck am I meant to do with that? Ridiculous.

Thanks so much to Friz for sitting down with us.

You can catch their show: Let’s Get Friz Frizzle (to the tune of Let’s Get Physical) – at Whistlebinkies (Binkies Lounge) through to 28 August at 4pm.
More details on the show at British Comedy Guide.

Friz’s comedy panel show: What’s In The Box – takes place at the Globe Bar through to 28 August at 1pm. More details.

Both shows are part PBH’s Free Fringe 2022.

We plan to hold a Neurodiverse meetup to see Let’s Get Friz Frizzle on Wednesday 24th August, meeting at Whistlebinkies from 3:30pm. Event details at OutSavvy.

Twitter: @FrizFrizzle – more links via Linktree