Graduates take the stage for Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Photo credit: Robin Mitchell

Fifteen graduates from Scotland’s college and higher education institutes will take the stage at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, thanks to the SFC-funded Scottish Drama Training Network (SDTN).

Established in 2009, SDTN is a network organisation of 19 Scottish colleges and higher education institutions that provide practical drama training in Theatre, Film, Television and Radio subjects.

SDTN is funded by SFC (and hosted by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) to develop and sustain high quality specialist education for stage and screen performance across Scotland, and improving articulation routes for college students in these subject areas.

This year marks the Network Ensemble’s second Fringe production, and the following graduates have been selected to co-create ‘Propeller – a devised piece about power and the possibility of change’, with director and double Fringe First winner Caitlin Skinner.

• Cindy Awor (Glasgow Clyde College)
• Isla Fairfield (Fife College)
• Lottie Cuthbert (Edinburgh College)
• Owen Cummins (Fife College)
• Poppy Smith (Edinburgh College)
• Rachael Keiller (New College Lanarkshire)
• Ross Donnachie (New College Lanarkshire)
• Sophie Maclean (New College Lanarkshire)

They will be supported by the Ensemble’s Creative and Technical team, who are also all recent graduates or current students:

• Kirsty Currie (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Production Designer
• Rebekah Rai (Edinburgh College of Art), Costume Designer
• Klara Larsson (Edinburgh College of Art), Assistant Costume Designer
• Cameron Grounds (Queen Margaret University), Lighting Designer / Operator
• Austyn Drummond (North East Scotland College), Sound Designer
• Aimée Moore (University of West of Scotland), Assistant Stage Manager
• Zoe Leung (Edinburgh College), Graphic Designer

The Network Ensemble supports acting, performance and technical theatre graduates as they leave training and embark on their professional careers. Supported by leading theatre professionals, the Network Ensemble now produces new work annually for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in association with the Pleasance Theatre Trust.

SFC Chief Operating Officer Martin Fairbairn said, “We’re very pleased to help support the development of stage and screen performance in Scotland. It’s fantastic to see these graduates coming together with support from industry professionals as they embark on their professional careers, and what better place for it to happen than at the world’s largest arts festival.”

Director Caitlin Skinner said, “We’ve been out on the road with SDTN holding development workshops and auditions with graduating performers from around the country and it’s very inspiring to meet so many emerging performers coming out of drama training in Scotland at the moment.

I am absolutely thrilled that we have built such a strong and exciting ensemble and are in the process of building an equally exciting creative and production team. It is a huge gift for a director to get to work with performers, creatives and a production made up of graduates who are bursting with energy and ideas!”

For more information on Propeller, the venue and ticket details please visit: www.sdtn.org/thenetwork2018

SDTN Colleges and Higher Education Institutions:
Ayrshire College, City of Glasgow College, Dundee and Angus College, Edinburgh College, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh Napier University, Fife College, Glasgow Clyde College, Glasgow Kelvin College, Inverness College UHI, New College Lanarkshire, North East Scotland College, Perth College UHI, Queen Margaret University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, University of the West of Scotland, West College Scotland.