I was employed by the Ayr Gaiety from 2018 - 2022 starting as Creative Learning Coordinator before becoming Associate Director and then Creative Engagement Director with Jack Nurse.
Highlights in my role include Meet Jan Black, Pages of the Sea, Write Me In, New Scottish Companies and the Culture Collective.
Meet Jan Black was a play written by Johnny McKnight in response to the closure of public spaces and community groups for those who need them most in society. We collaborated with amateur dramatic groups across the region to create one of the first live-streamed performances during the pandemic.
Maureen Beattie starred alongside a cast of guest performers from the amateur dramatics community in Ayrshire: Ciara Brady, Helen Halpin, Anne Harcourt, Maureen McGuire, Marie McWilliams, Tricia Reynolds, Gavin Scott, Ron Swanson and Nick Wakeham.
“I defy anybody to watch this production and not think ‘get me to live theatre, immediately’ ” ★★★★ Broadway Baby
Danny Boyle's Pages of the Sea was a tribute honoring World War I soldiers through sand portraits on coastal shores. We worked as the 1418 and NOW National Theatre of Scotland partner for Ayr Beach.
Ayr Gaiety was one of twenty-three projects in Scotland that made up The Culture Collective, a pilot programme establishing a network of creative practitioners, organisations and communities working together to create a positive difference locally and nationally in response to COVID-19.
The Gaiety’s Culture Collective Programme included working with a mixture of geographical communities and communities of interest in South Ayrshire including North Ayr, Girvan, and Maybole, as well as with adults with learning disabilities, the dementia-friendly community and care experienced young people.
One highlight of our Culture Collective projects was ‘What’s your story?’ a creative writing group for adults at an addiction recovery centre who met every week led by Des Dillon. Members learned about playwriting, direction, performance, and other theatrical elements as part of the group. The pilot stage of the project culminated in a sell-out reading of an original play by the group and Des, performed by professional actors.
Another highlight was our ongoing collaboration with the South Ayrshire Champion’s Board, a group of care-experienced young people, who worked with the playwright Fiona Evans over a three-year period. In their time working as a group, they produced short plays, created a film and have been working on co-creating a modern adaption of Great Expectations with Fiona, Wonder Fools and the Ayr Gaiety.
The Lost Elves was originally commissioned by the Citizens Theatre and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. We toured South Ayrshire to rural communities in December 2021.
Write Me In was a women and non-binary writing group in association with Ayrshire Women’s HUB with sessions from Maryam Hamidi, Ali Taylor and Leyla Josephine. Culminating in a workbook, reading and zine.