7 years ago we moved from Suffolk to West Lothian at least in part so that we could each develop an array of work here in Scotland. For me that meant two years working with a team at the Royal Conservatoire to launch an MA in Creative Producing to service the Scottish theatre industry. We got so close with a validation process in Feb 2020 (which was hideous because of some very unhelpful non-RCS panelists) and then the arrival of lockdown which stopped all proceedings in an instant.
This weekend for the very first time I was back at the RCS to work. It was a one-day creative business workshop with a glorious array of self-producing artists – playwrights, printmakers, theatremakers, composers, and community arts practitioners. It was a pleasure to be there as part of the RCSs open access short course programme. I hope I will be asked back.
Strangely this week has felt as though it is the first time I have been doing what I moved to Scotland to do. I have been in meetings with our Scottish producer about Authentic Artist Collective’s projects. I have been in Edinburgh for meetings with a New York theatre maker about bringing their societally important play cycle to the City, and then a few days later being a critical friend for an extraordinary circus & mythic theatre artist from the City as they explored a new show for young audiences. I caught up with Wild Rose at the Royal Lyceum before it heads off to the West End and beyond, I hope. And I seem to have been asked to join the Board of one of the Edinburgh festivals.
I could not be happier to be able to be useful within the creative community of one of my favourite cities in the world. Arrival by train to Waverly Station from any direction is breathtaking every time I see the castle bathed in sunlight or shrouded in the haar. We live outwith Edinburgh and so heading from a busy Glasgow it is also a joy to arrive back in our wee village square with its vibrant pub and views over the Forth and to walk past our own 14th Century castle just down the road.
On Wednesday night, as every week, I helped to set up the sound system in the Lobster Pot so an array of West Lothian and Fife musicians could arrive for a session. This week there were 14 players including a singer/guitarist from Mexico who was just here for a pub meal before being persuaded to give us a Spanish song. Colm and Sheena are wonderful hosts for these sessions where you can eat, play, listen, or just explore the amazing paintings and unexpected history on the walls. Maybe you could combine it with a tour of their tiny distillery and sample the rums and the Virgin Mary spirit on sale.
Tomorrow I’m taking a wee break over to Oban to see some friends before heading back to Glasgow for another sharing of a new piece of theatre and a session with a Philippine composer resident in the City. What Larks Pip.
Thank you Scotland for making us both feel most welcome. It has taken 7 years to be back on the track I had envisaged before Covid. I wonder what the next few months will engender in my OAP years.