Special feature - High drama
Networking for the Common GoodJanuary 2007 There’s a new tipping point in the theatre world and it’s tipping north. There have been major developments in recent years in the Highlands and Islands that are helping to shift the gaze of the theatre industry northwards. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council have, for some time, helped fund professional theatre and dance companies in the area that are now members of a major initiative, the Highlands and Islands Theatre Network. |
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The Highlands and Islands Theatre Network (HITN) is a consortium of all the twenty-five professional producing theatre and dance companies based in the Highlands and Islands. The Network has a number of aims, including the advancement of education and the arts in the Highlands and Islands; promoting the professional theatre arts sector of the region at local, national and international levels; and working with other organisations to encourage wider access to theatre arts across the Highlands and Islands. The Network's role is to provide a mechanism for contact and communication, advocacy and advice in order to develop a sustainable sector, which takes into account the sparse population and geographical challenges faced by its members. |
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Stirrings There can be no doubt that stirring in the north of Scotland lies some of the most open-minded creative and lively talent in Scottish theatre. And it is a reflection of that creative theatrical enterprise that two major new projects are being developed by HITN. One is Scotland’s very first international festival focusing on theatre arts. Called, Dràma Na h-Alba - Scotland's International Theatre Arts Festival and Forum (DNA) - it reflects in its title the multicultural dimension of Scottish culture. It will be launched at Eden Court in Inverness in October 2007 and involve not only the Highland companies, but the National Theatre of Scotland and, almost certainly, Dramaten, the Swedish national theatre, and Profilteatern, one of Sweden’s leading experimental companies. This is besides a wide range of fringe and forum events. |
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Dràma Na h-Alba will launch as an international element of Highland 2007 during October 2007 and will be held biennially thereafter. Plans are already being discussed for DNA 2009 linking with Scotland’s Year of Homecoming. The Festival plans include new and remounted work from HITN companies; a partnership production with the National Theatre of Scotland; work from two visiting UK companies, at least one of which will be Scottish; and visiting international companies, which for 2007 are likely to be Dramaten, with their new production of "Macbeth". |
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The programme also includes Forum and Masterclass Workshop supporting events with national and international visiting practitioners in theatre arts. Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the National Theatre of Scotland have supported the initial phase of the project from the Scottish side as a professional development project. This major international theatre project draws on some of the most lively theatre companies and artists in both Sweden and Scotland. It will draw on the parallels between life in the Highlands and Islands and the north of Sweden. It will explore the shared experiences of living in centres distant from the major cities, of the human aspects of the movement of peoples both out and in of their regions and the various language cultures of their communities. Above all this is probably the biggest international joint project ever proposed in Scottish theatre and will be dedicated to providing great theatre for the people of the regions in which both the Swedish and Scottish companies are based. |
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Highlands & Islands Theatre - A Success Story Right Lines, a company based in Tain and Alves, were a close runner-up to the winner of Highland Quest, Eden Court Theatre and Cameron Mackintosh's search for a new musical, with 'Whisky Kisses'. Out of an original world-wide entry of 144, this sharp comedy made it to the final five, and despite not being the outright winner, is already being talked about in terms of a full scale production. The talent now nurtured in the Highlands and Islands can take on the best in the rest of Scotland. Meantime, in the late summer of next year, Eden Court in Inverness will re-open as the largest theatre complex in the country. Over the last ten years Eden Court has delivered a dramatic rise in its audience numbers and having sold 160,000 tickets in 2004/2005 attracts a larger percentage of its region's population than any other theatre in Britain. Eden Court has also developed Scotland's largest arts education programme with 13 full time staff. Since 2004 Eden Court has delivered formal school level qualifications and now provides Higher Drama, Higher Dance and Intermediate 1 & 2 Drama to school pupils who attend the theatre in their own time to study. |
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During 2006, Highland and Islands companies have toured three challenging and exciting new shows by Highland writers. Dogstar has toured Ali Smith's "The Seer", presenting a lively post-modern new work for over seven weeks the length and breadth of Scotland. Arts in Motion with Aye! Productions toured the ground-breaking "Sealskin Trousers" employing advanced aerial work integrated into the dramatised version of Eric Linklater’s tale, demonstrating the innovative potential of Arts in Motion’s creative experimentation. Theatre Hebrides has toured Kevin MacNeil’s "Callanish Stoned", representing the clash of cultures of youthful modernity and tradition in a widely welcomed satirical dramatic debut by one of Scotland's leading poets. And of course the National Theatre of Scotland has recognised the dynamism of the Highland Theatre scene. It is a striking fact that of the ten productions that constituted its first production, "Home", four resulted from collaboration with Highland theatre artists. Three involved partner companies: "Home" Stornoway (An Lanntair), "Home" Caithness (Grey Coast Theatre Company) and "Home" Inverness (Eden Court). The fourth, "Home" Shetland, involved the writing of Shetland playwright Jacqui Clark working with Jackie Kay. The fact that Highland input was such a major part, nearly fifty percent of the "Home" production experience speaks for itself as evidence of the current vitality of Highland theatre. |
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Looking to the future of the Network, HITN's Chairman, Ian Brown, is optimistic and excited by the range of opportunities now being taken up to help develop the professional theatre and dance sector to new levels of productivity and performance: “The Highlands and Islands Theatre Network is at a new, necessary stage of developing the future of theatre," he said. "Our members have a new Company identity that encourages a co-ordinated dynamic approach to the best of now and many exciting new developments.”
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