Traditional cultures and environmental issues feature in latest series of theater and dance tours

Posted: Jul 28, 2022

Ten theater and dance productions have received nearly £1million in National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland Theater and Dance Touring Fund.

The latest series includes three new productions and seven revamped productions aimed at touring outdoor spaces and locations in villages, towns and cities across Scotland, starting in spring 2023.

Hold fast is an original circus work created and staged by Ellie Dubois (SUPERFAN) with original Scottish folk music live by Sarah Hayes (Admiral Fallow) specially designed for touring the party halls of Strathspey. Hold fast is a wild and tender exploration of our relationships with each other, our community and the water that runs through them.

Pictured: Hebridean Treasure: Lost and Found by Kirsten Newell

Treasure of the Hebrides: Lost and Found by Kirsten Newell, with artistic direction and choreography by Shane Shambhu brings to life the rich folk traditions of the 19th century Scottish Highlands and Islands and the impact of the subsequent Highland Clearances in this reconstructed production. The story is told through songs, traditional Celtic and Carnatic music composed by a Gaelic musician, Micha MacPhersonand Kirsten Newell’s Bharatanatyam dance, reflecting India’s forgotten influence on the Celtic soul.

Pictured: Pibroch by John Bolland

Traditional music is also at the heart of the revival of Pibroch a spoken multimedia play performed by an Aberdeenshire-based writer and artist, John Bolland which combines the music of a critically acclaimed bagpiper, saxophonist and low whistle musician, Fraser Fifield with striking visual images, examining the parallels between the climate emergency and the Piper Alpha disaster of 1988.

Clown-inspired physical theater performance two in a barrel by Sarah RoseGraber and Ruxandra Cantir will again invite young children (ages 5+) and their families to reflect on the waste we create, the destructive consequences of our habits, and coexistence in an environment with limited resources. By examining mass consumerism and the destructive effects of non-biodegradable waste on our environment, this Beckett-meets-Pixar show asks questions about the waste we produce and invokes environmental awareness and activism.

Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, theater manager, creative scotland said:

“Combining spoken word, traditional music, physical performance, circus, dance and theatre, this dynamic selection of contemporary productions will not only entertain, but educate and inspire children, families and audiences across the country.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, many of these productions will offer a global engagement to invite local communities and audiences to think more about the important issues raised in these productions such as the climate emergency.

Pictured: Two in a Barrel by Sarah Rose Graber and Ruxandra Cantir Image credit: Andy Catlin

From manufacturing Two in a barrel, Sarah RoseGraber commented :

“As creative artists with a vested interest in the health of our planet, we want to reevaluate how we create theater in a more sustainable way. All materials for the set and costumes were either second hand/repurposed, recycled, sourced from our community and/or biodegradable.

“We believe in bringing the topics of the climate crisis and waste management to the forefront of public discourse. Our piece aims to encourage empathy, personal and social action, as well as an awareness of our consumption habits so that our audiences can build a new future. This show is also a great opportunity for adults to start having conversations with toddlers about the environment, sustainability, especially our waste habits and consumption.

John Bolland, writer, performer and co-director of Pibroch said:

“We are all complicit in the climate emergency that will unfold over the coming decades. But I was struck during the climate actions of 2018 and 2019, and at COP26 last year, by the parallels between the situation we find ourselves in globally and the plight of people on Piper Alpha . They were all involved, all in danger. Some made a choice and survived. Some waited for further instructions… they didn’t.

NEW WORK (x3)

Dance

Totentanz by Shotput (£138,277)

Theater

marinated republic by Ruxandra Cantir (£79,300)

Hold fast by SUPERFAN (£128,700)

RESTORATIONS (x7)

Dance

Treasure of the Hebrides: Lost and Found by Kirsten Newell (£82,375)

strut by MhZ SCENOGRAPHY LTD in association with Feral (£154,451)

Theater

Sex Education Explorers by Mamoru Iriguchi and Independent Arts Projects (£101,961)

Pibroch by John Bolland (£51,012)

The good, the bad and the poultry by Adrenalism produced by Lewis Sherlock (£81,132)

two in a barrel by Sarah Rose Graber and Ruxandra Cantir (£59,008)

who killed my father by Surrogate (£78,733)

For more information on each production, please download the complete list of descriptions:

Background

A selection of images is available for download via WeTransfer: https://we.tl/t-0LIPh9NnOr

• The Touring Fund for Theater and Dance has been developed in collaboration between Creative Scotland, the Scottish Theater Federation and their members. The Fund supports theater and dance touring, enhancing opportunities for artists, producers and companies to work more collaboratively with venues to grow audiences and provide greater access to high-quality works across the country. Scotland.
• The National Lottery’s £954,940 funding for ten companies is the sixth round of prizes awarded through the Theater and Dance Touring Fund. Applications opened on April 20, 2022 and closed on June 1, 2022.
• Decisions were made by a panel comprised of members with a wide range of expertise in the dance and theater touring industry. They were: Jaine Lumsden, Non-Voting Chair (Theatre Agent, Creative Scotland); Colin Bradie (Head of Creative Learning, Creative Scotland); Karen Dick (Head of Place, Partnerships and Communities, Creative Scotland); Femi Folorunso (Theatre Officer, Creative Scotland); Lulu Johnston (Dance Officer, Creative Scotland); and external panelists Marie Lewis; Graham McLaren; Elektra McPhillips; Charlotte Mountford and Alan Richardson.
• Deadlines for the next round of the Theater and Dance Touring Fund will be announced in fall 2022.

The National Lottery has raised over £42billion for over 625,000 good causes across the UK since 1994. Thanks to National Lottery players, over £1.2billion was awarded last year for helping communities and thousands of organizations across the UK cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/

creative scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries in all parts of Scotland by distributing funds provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. More information at creativescotland.com. follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join us at www.ourcreativevoice.scot

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