Check out the new season of theatre in Scotland

The New Year brings an exciting new programme of theatre to entertain and delight audiences of all ages all year round, including new productions supported by the Scottish Arts Council.

This year’s programmes will include a number of new productions by small theatre companies and presentations from non-Scottish companies thanks to support from the Scottish Arts Council. Both rounds of awards offer a wide and varied range of work including, puppetry, street theatre, children’s theatre, comedy and new writing.

Grants for small companies 

These grants offer small companies the opportunity to develop and present a new production.  The successful applicants were marked out by collaborative relationships with venues or promoters. A total of nine companies have been awarded funds.

David Taylor, Head of Drama at the Scottish Arts Council commented: 'These small grants for new or previously unfunded companies or artists provide an essential opportunity for artists to concentrate on a specific project, produce a piece of theatre to a professional standard and develop their practice. 

'Such support can act as a springboard as we have seen productions which have received funding in the past go on to be further developed and tour throughout the UK and Europe.

'Supporting new work helps to keep Scotland’s theatre sector vibrant and dynamic. These new artists and companies are taking theatre in exciting new directions and challenging audiences.'

Grants for non-Scottish companies

Awards have also been made for non-Scottish companies to visit and tour Scotland. Four diverse and exciting companies have been supported and will tour Scotland during 2006/07, bringing street theatre, circus arts, family theatre and a modern take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to Scotland.

On these awards David Taylor, Head of Drama at the Scottish Arts Council commented: 'The majority of our work in the drama department is concentrated on supporting drama in Scotland.  However, these small awards allow non-Scottish companies to perform north of the border, giving audiences the chance to enjoy some exceptional theatre from throughout the UK.

'These companies have been chosen because of the quality of their work and proven demand and the diverse qualities of their work which will complement the Scottish theatre sector.'

Notes to editors

The recipients of the grants for start up companies are – (typical max grant £6,200)

• Ailie Cohen has been supported to produce a new solo puppet-theatre version of Little Red Riding Hood with illustrated settings and projected animation. In association with Playwrights’ Studio Scotland and directed by Guy Hollands of TAG theatre.
  
• Clydebuilt Puppets for a writer and/or dramaturge for a new project to develop puppetry theatre for adults.
  
• Donald Does Dusty a newly devised performance about a young gay man’s fascination with Dusty Springfield. Will be produced by Director/performer Diane Torr.
  
• A new work about how to be happy in uncertain times has been devised by Fish and Game (Artistic Directors Eilidh Macaskell and Robert Walton, associate artist James Leadbetter). The piece will be presented as a work in progress then full performances at Glasgow’s Tramway.
  
• Clowning, slapstick, dance, music, puppetry, object manipulation and improvisation will all be used in a new production by Fiona Collis, Egg is a family clown show about an alien clown on a spaceship. The production will also be supported by Mull Theatre.
  
• Moussa’s Castle an original work aimed at 2 – 5 year olds is an installation and object play based on a story about hope and determination. The production from Director Heather Fulton; Dramaturge Brenda Murphy and Composer Matt Elliott, has support from the MacRobert and Catherine Wheels theatre company.
  
• The modern traumas of trying to live ethically in an amoral profit-making environment are explored in Eco-envy a new work written by Kate Brailsford, created with Gillian Kerr. The new comedy production has the support of the Arches in Glasgow.
  
• German play by Anja Hilling will be adapted and translated by Nutshell. The play Protection explores our failure to connect with other human beings because of fear and self-protection through three short stories. The project will also offer workshops on translation to students and is supported by The Playwrights’ Studio Scotland.
  
• An original approach to family theatre will be developed by Richard Medrington for an adaptation of The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. Using puppetry, installation, object animation, music, sounds and smells the production takes a cross artform approach to puppetry.

The recipients of the non Scottish touring grants are - (typical max grant £4,000)

• A Circus Cinderella from Bandzabi and Circus Project- An Iranian version of the original story enriched with circus and trapeze aimed at a family audience. Confirmed performances include Adam Smith, in Kirkcaldy, Brunton in Musselburgh and the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen with other dates to be confirmed.
  
• A re-imagining of the story of Twelfth Night in post-war seaside Britain will be presented in Meat and Two Veg by Cartoon de Salvo. The show has successfully toured rural locations in England and will now tour venues across the highlands.
  
• Emergency Exit Arts one of the UK’s leading street arts companies will bring a multicultural production to Big in Falkirk, Scotland’s festival of Street Arts in May before touring internationally. The Arena is a universal story told at the Full Moon Festival in Sri Lanka, designed to help three mothers who had lost children deal with their grief.
  
• Theatre Centre and Unicorn Theatre will bring a family-theatre to the MacRobert in Stirling this year of a new play Journey To The River Sea adapted by Carl Miller from novel by Eva Ibbotson.
  

Contact email(s)

media.office@scottisharts.org.uk

Issued by: Scottish Arts Council