Illuminate: Dialogue
The Art of Playwriting in a Culturally Diverse Scotland
Thursday 25 June 2009
CCA, Glasgow
1:30pm-6:00pm

 

Biographies of Contributors

Oladipo Agboluaje
Playwright
Oladipo Agboluaje studied drama in Nigeria and in the UK. Credits include: Early Morning, The Estate, The Christ of Coldharbour Lane, The Hounding of David Oluwale, Iya Ile (The First Wife).

Michael Bhim
Playwright
Michael has worked with the Royal Court Theatre, the Soho, the Tricycle and Paines Plough. He is a past winner of the Alfred Fagon Award. Michael’s play Pure Gold was produced at the Soho in 2007. He is currently under commission to write new work for The Royal Court, The Hampstead Theatre and C.U.T.

 

Julie Ellen
Creative Director, Playwrights' Studio, Scotland
Julie became the first Creative Director of the Playwrights’ Studio in February 2004. Julie is responsible for determining the organisation's artistic policy and activities with support from Associate Playwrights and the General Manager. Julie is also responsible for lobbying for increased funding for new writing and the wider development of the artform to increase opportunities for playwrights.

Vicky Featherstone
Artistic Director and Chief Executive, National Theatre Of Scotland
Vicky is Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the National Theatre of Scotland for whom she has directed Cockroach by Sam Holcoft (a co-production with the Traverse Theatre), 365 (a co-production with the Edinburgh International Festival), Mary Stuart (Citizens’ Theatre, Glasgow and Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh) and co-directed The Wolves In The Walls (Tramway, Lyric Hammersmith, UK tour and New Victory Theater, New York).  In Autumn 2009 she is directing Long Gone Lonesome, created by Duncan McLean and the Lone Star Swing Band which is touring village halls in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. 

Annie George
Artistic Director, Writer, Actor, Producer, Arts Manager
Trained in theatre directing on Live and Direct, a joint initiative of Contact Theatre Manchester, Nitro and Tara Arts and Radio Drama Directing at the BBC in London.  She has directed the script slam 'Flip the Script', a new writing initiative with Contact Theatre Manchester and was also Assistant Director on the Traverse Theatre Company touring production of “I was a Beautiful Day” by Iain F MacLeod. Annie is currently Artistic Director of the Wave theatre in Edinburgh

Tanika Gupta
Playwright
Tanika is currently Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland’s Playwriting Fellow; she has won numerous awards such as the John Whiting Award in 2000. Tanika has written for the National Theatre, Royal Court, Young Vic, Hampstead Theatre and Soho Theatre.

Kwame Kwei-Armah
Playwright, Actor, Director
Kwame was Writer in Residence at the Bristol Old Vic 1999-2001 where he wrote three plays- A Bitter Herb (Winner Peggy Ramsey award), Blues Brother Soul Sister, and Big Nose. Elmina’s Kitchen- Fix up and Statement of Regret premiered at the National Theatre between 2003- 2007, with Elmina’s Kitchen transferring to the London’s West End, (The first African Caribbean playwright to have had that honour ) Baltimore and Chicago. In 2008 Kwame directed two sell out successful productions of his play -Let There Be Love at the Tricycle Theatre London.

Cheryl Martin
Director
Cheryl is currently SAC Director-in-Residency at the Traverse and has recently directed The Ching Room by Alan Bissett and An Apple A Day by Jo Clifford She has had over 20 plays she’s written produced on stage and BBC radio.

 

Leann O’Kasi
Actor and Director
Leann has been Resident Trainee Director at the Citizens Theatre from 2008-2009 where she has recently directed her own adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Red Shoes. Before moving to Glasgow she worked as an actor for companies such as Oldham Coliseum, Unicorn Theatre, Southwark Playhouse and LIFT. She will direct the Scottish premier of Suzan Lori-Park’s Topdog/Underdog for the Citizens Theatre in autumn 2009.

 

Paven Virk
Playwright, Actor
At 17, Paven devised a play with a fellow actor called Second Generation, which gave her the title of her Theatre Company, Second Generation. Paven has completed a writing attachment for The National Theatre Studio. Her new play The usual Auntijies, a Belgrade Theatre Production, is due to tour next year

Funded by the Scottish Arts Council

 

 

Also supported by: __ _ __ __

 

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Playwrights' Studio, Scotland
CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD
Telephone: 0141-332-4403
Textphone: 0141-332-3208
E-mail: info@playwrightsstudio.co.uk

Charity Number: SC036767

Top image : John Paul McCue in NTS proudction of 365 by David Harrower: photo by Mark Hamilton