Home - EXTANT

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Showcase and Festival Callout

Extant have big plans in 2026 and 2027- and we want to hear from visually impaired artists about how your work and ideas might fit in.

Find out more about our plans here.

Two Actors stand on a stage in blue lighting. To the left a black woman holding a folder. She wears glasses and is dressed in a smart red top and black trousers. To the right a white woman holding a folder and speaking in mid sentence. She wears glasses and is dressed in a smart green top and black trousers.

Extant is the UK’s leading professional performing arts company of visually impaired artists and theatre practitioners, producing touring productions and delivering training regionally and internationally.

Extant is working in a very rich area, producing powerful performances, and I wish you all the best of strength and fortitude in the future
Peter Brook

Help Extant continue to create world class award-winning work by donating £25 for 25 more years.

Find out more about how you can support us

Joanna, a slim white woman with long brown hair hands flowers to Artistic Director Maria Oshodi as they stand smiling in front of a large balloon reading 20

Welcome to Extant

Extant is the opposite of extinct. Formed in 1997 by founder Dr Maria Oshodi and a group of professional visually impaired artists, the company aimed to redress invisibility of blind and partially sighted artists and explore new creative territories. Since then it has become a dynamic, political space to articulate and celebrate what visual impairment brings to the performing arts.

A short film celebrating our 20th Anniversary can be viewed here, and the full length version is available on request. Read our full list of awards granted over our history here.