Open to Ideas Residency returns to The Studio with four new theatre projects

We are supporting the development of four new bold theatre projects by Scottish theatre makers as our Open to Ideas Residency returns to The Studio. 

Capital Theatres kicks off its residency programme this week with the first of four brand new projects. Now in its third year, this unique residency from Capital Theatres plays a crucial role in nurturing innovation and creativity, providing Scottish theatremakers the space, resources and funding to develop brand new work.    

Louis Utieyin begins with Diary of a DL Trade, a one-man play about a Nigerian gay man navigating their sexuality in secrecy. Blending poetry, music, stand-up, and visuals, the show tries to give an answer to the question: “What does it cost to be your authentic self in a world of expectations?”  

In April, Louis Barabbas will explore themes of belonging and vulnerability in Wildfire Season, a musical about two firefighters battling endless grass fires in the Scottish Highlands. 

Isla Campbell’s The March will explore community, working-class women’s culture, and cuts to public services inspired by a protest their grandmother participated in during the 1981 Edinburgh washhouse closures.  

In July, Amina Aaliya Beg develops Dada’s Tapes, a genre-blending one woman show using her  late grandfather’s 1984 tapes to mix live DJing, poetry, animation and comedy to bring political and social commentary from then to the present day.   

Fiona Gibson, Chief Executive of Capital Theatres, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting our Scottish theatremakers,  Louis, Louis, Isla and Amina at The Studio. We are excited to see their ideas grow and develop and to share in their creative journeys. We see this as a critical investment in the arts talent of the future, and we hope each  not only has a valuable experience with us but they also have a lot of fun in the process.”  

Claire Swanson, Head of Creative Engagement at Capital Theatres, said: “The Studio has become a real hub for emerging creative voices and we are so excited to host our theatremakers as they bring their ideas to life. It is a real honour to be a part of their creative journeys. We received 155 applications for this programme and it was tremendous to see the range of creative ideas being developed by Scottish theatremakers. These four projects each have something exciting to say about where we are now and how we’ve got there. Open to Ideas offers artists the space, time and support they need to explore their ideas without the pressure to know all the answers straight away. We can’t wait to see what these theatremakers discover.” 

Heather Marshall, past Open to Ideas recipient, said: “Open To Ideas allowed us to see what this project could be and, almost more importantly, could not be. It allowed us to experiment and rule out a lot of ideas until we settled on the right form for the piece. That truly is a gift- it is so rare that artists are given the space and time to play and make those mistakes.”  

Open@The Studio is supported by Baillie Gifford.