Scotland’s celebrated producer of work for children and young people, Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, announces a new call out with Make Space, whose aim is to appeal to artists and collectives for the research and development of new ideas and new work for children, with a focus on schools. Practitioners can be from any creative background, but the one key requirement is that they have an idea that they want to explore, and it is one that they would want to share with young audiences.
Following the success of its launch in 2020, the Make Space fund invites applicants from across Scotland and disciplines who are interested in making work for young people, to investigate new ways of creating and presenting children’s theatre. The funding will support two projects with resources to research and develop new ideas over a six-month period, supported by the Catherine Wheels team.
This year, Make Space will have a focus on projects made for or with young people in schools, and it is anticipated that that school will be in the Company’s home region of East Lothian.
Catherine Wheels invites artists to challenge traditional models of children’s theatre and explore fresh approaches to storytelling, performance and engagement with areas of particular interest including:
Environmentally sustainable and carbon-neutral touring models
New formats and settings for presenting theatre
Deep engagement with local communities
Diverse stories and voices that reflect the breadth of Scotland’s communities
At least one project will be led by an artist from an under-represented background and artists based in Catherine Wheels’ home region of East Lothian are also strongly encouraged to apply.
Make Space will provide funds of up to £5,000 per project which can be used to pay for
the applicant’s own time, working with others, materials and associated costs of delivering their idea.
Previous Make Space artists include: Ben Winger & Kerry Cleland, Yvonne Buskie, Katrine Turner & Fiona Robertson, Ashley Smith & Simon Donaldson, Alison Brown, Vee Smith & Sadiq Ali and Bridie Gane. Of the Make Space alumni, five have gone on to make productions with Catherine Wheels, including The Last Forecast by Bridie Gane and The Unlikely Friendship of Feather Boy and Tentacle Girl by Vee Smith and Sadiq Ali.
Artistic Director of Catherine Wheels Gill Robertson said “Make Space is a brilliant opportunity for Catherine Wheels to connect and support artists from a variety of disciplines working in Scotland. Since the first Make Space in 2020 we have worked with performers, musicians, designers, aerial artists and choreographers and from tentative explorations great work has been created. This year we want to work with artists who are passionate or curious about working in schools. Creating work with and for young audiences in schools has been at the heart of Catherine Wheels work and we are looking forward to hearing new ideas and approaches.”
Deadline for applications is 5pm on Thursday 31st July and successful projects will
be announced on Monday 1st September 2025.
For more information on Make Space and how to apply, visit:
https://www.catherinewheels.co.uk/projects/make-space/
Irene Brown
Radio Summerhall Arts 