Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre alongside Leeds Playhouse and New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, are now unveiled as the finalists for this year’s UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award at the UK Theatre Awards. Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre is the only Scottish organisation to be nominated alongside the two other theatres which were selected from a large number of submissions.
The UK Theatre Awards, who for 30 years have been the only awards to celebrate the outstanding achievements of theatre across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are managed by UK Theatre which is the UK’s leading theatre and performing arts membership organisation.
Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre recently celebrated its 80th year at the cultural heart of Dundee, as home to the Dundee Rep Ensemble – the only permanent full-time company of its kind in Scotland – and Scottish Dance Theatre, one of the few full-time dance companies in the UK. Earlier this year, the building that houses both Ensembles and teams has been granted an A-listed status for its special architectural significance.
At 40 years old, the Dundee Rep building continues to enjoy new investment – most recently with brand new changing facilities for disabled visitors. Facilities like these allow Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre to reach out further in the community and build a space where everyone feels welcomed and their needs acknowledged.
Executive Director & Joint CEO at Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre Liam Sinclair said, “Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre is dedicated to a culture that places equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of all we do. We fervently believe artistic and creative experiences of the highest quality should be open and available to all and that every person is valued and respected for who they are and what they bring. We welcome all people with open arms and hearts. We are absolutely delighted to be nominated for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre, it’s a real testament to our audiences, team and building; which is so loved and treasured, where everyone is welcome.”
As a theatre, Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre are not only about staging productions but they also place engagement and participation at the heart of the programme. Each week, over 250 people visit the building for classes and groups doing drama and dance and making performance together. Currently the youngest participant is 7 weeks old and the oldest is 94. There is also a dramatherapy programme including an adult and young people’s service and a substantial community initiative called ‘Together with’ where the organisation co-designs bespoke projects alongside other organisations and those they work with. Partners include Finmill youth work team, Jericho house; respectively a residential home for men recovering from addictions and the Bella Centre, the new women’s community custody unit in Dundee and HMP Perth.
The panel will visit the venues in person to determine the overall winner and Awards will take place at London’s Guildhall.
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 