Niantic, Inc – the studio behind the highly successful mobile games Pokemon GO! and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite – has announced that they will be partnering with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to help the global arts industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The partnership will see the festival, which is among the many events cancelled due to the pandemic, provide support, advice and other assistance to artists and venues affected by the cancellation. To assist with this, Niantic has pledged $10,000 as part of a “social impact donation” to help the festival achieve these goals.
Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: “Niantic’s support will have a material impact on our ability to deliver key digital projects that benefit the thousands of artists and community members that the Fringe Society exists to serve. From a digital programme of artists events to a dedicated video showcase platform for Fringe shows, Niantic are helping keep the spirit of the Fringe alive in a year where a physical festival has proved impossible.”
Niantic has also been working with theatre-makers in recent months to help expand their immersive technology and adapt it for more audiences outside of gaming, as seen with the company’s recent announcement of a collaboration with the Punchdrunk theatre company.
Words by Megan Roxburgh