Idil Sukan has been announced as Pleasance Theatre's official photographer for 2011, documenting the whole Edinburgh Festival experience at the Pleasance's multiple venues with her trusty Nikon.
Idil's work has been seen throughout the Edinburgh Fringe since 2005. She has emerged as one of the comedy scene's leading photographers, and her distinctive photographic style creates an engrossing, cinematic atmosphere. Her work is known for its expert use of lighting with beautiful shadows, deep colours and stunning composition.
The Edinburgh Picture Show is a unique, ambitious project that Idil is thrilled to lead this year - a photographic social project documenting the festival as it happens. Through a combination of online distribution through the Pleasance's website, Twitter, Flickr and Facebook as well as through a permanent display of physical prints in the Courtyard, the exhibition will be updated daily, providing a constant stream of new work which documents all the new experiences of the festival. Shooting performances, backstage, punters & Pleasance staff, the project will aim to present a slice of life from all angles of the festival.
On Idil, director of the Pleasance, Anthony Alderson, said: “Idil is a phenomenally talented and imaginative photographer. Her understanding of the Pleasance, the festival environment, entertainment, and above all people combined with a real artistry, humour and sophistication will create the perfect Picture Show for the Pleasance. Behind the scenes, in front of the camera, nothing will be left out. I can't wait!”
As the Creative Director of Draw HQ, the company she established in early 2010, Idil has built up a reputation as one of the most exciting new, young creative talents in the industry, photographing a diverse mix of clients across the arts and entertainment industries, across the UK.
With an established background in art and design, Idil creates work at the intersect between fine art portraiture and commercial marketing. Combining art with technology, she is a longtime committed Nikon evangelist, known for her cable-free instant portable studios using Nikon technology that she loves to escape out of the studio with and use on location.
The majority of her recent work has been in theatre and comedy. In theatre she has shot for the West End & Ambassadors Theatre Group shooting stars such as Linda Bassett, Lysette Anthony, Barbara Windsor and Anita Dobson. In comedy she's worked with big name acts such as Chris Addison, Mark Watson, Katy Brand, Kevin Eldon, Tim Key and Josie Long as well as dozens of up and coming stand ups and just about every notable live sketch comedy troupe going.
Such is her rising star, this year Idil has been employed across a diverse and demanding number of industries including pop music with hit popstars including Olly Murs, The Wanted and up-and-coming indie acts such as Goldheart Assembly, shot promotional photography for the BBC (most recently Richard E Grant and Sally Hawkins for Radio 4), ITV and photographed wildlife, cooking, architecture and as diverse a mix of people as Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Portillo and David Hasselhoff. She also continues to shoot independent theatre such as Jacob's Ladder (Edinburgh Festival 2010), The Four Stages of Cruelty (Simple 8, Arcola, June 2011) and Precious Little Talent (Ella Hickson, Trafalgar Studios, April 2011).
Idil’s photos have featured in hundreds of publications including The Guardian, Sunday Times and the New York Times, whilst The Independent ran a feature on the posters she created for acts including The Penny Dreadfuls & Pappy's at the Edinburgh Fringe 2010.
Her client list for the 2011 Festival includes Community's Sara Pascoe, C4’s Friday Night Dinner star Tom Rosenthal, Let’s Dance for Comic Relief and Dr Who’s Charlie Baker, Torchwood's Tom Price and dozens more.
The project will start on August 3rd and will be on display online at www.pleasance.co.uk with updates on Flickr, Twitter and Facebook. Physical prints will start to be displayed in the Pleasance Courtyard, increasing every day. Prints will be available to purchase online - a percentage of proceeds will go to the Pleasance's Charlie Harthill Foundation that supports new work at the Festival.
