Capital Theatres launches first Associate Artist Scheme placing access at its heart

Capital Theatres launches groundbreaking scheme to support Scottish artists creating work for people living with dementia and children with complex or additional support needs. The inaugural Associate Arist Scheme aims to provide vital professional development opportunities for mid-career theatremakers, alongside developing brand new work for audiences frequently underserved by mainstream theatre.

Capital Theatres is seeking two Associate Artists, one to develop work for people living with dementia and the other to develop work for children with complex or additional support needs.

Each Associate Artist will receive a bespoke package of support including:

• £10,000 to support the Associate Artist engagement with the project, with £5,000 ringfenced for time and professional development activities over the 18-month period and £5,000 towards the creative project
• Ongoing mentoring and professional development support from across the Capital Theatres team
• Mentoring and outside eye consultation from leading artists working in their chosen field
• Facilitated opportunities to gain practical experience with the chosen audience
• A five-day residency in the Studio Theatre to consolidate learning through research and development of a new creative project for the chosen audience

Claire Swanson, Director of Creative Development at Capital Theatres said: “At Capital Theatres, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the joy, creativity and connection that theatre can bring. Through our Associate Artist scheme, we are investing in artists who are passionate about creating work alongside and for people living with dementia, older adults, and children with complex or additional support needs. We are excited to support artists with the time, space and resources to develop ambitious, high-quality work that is shaped around the experiences, needs and creativity of these audiences from the very beginning. By placing inclusion and collaboration at the heart of the creative process, we hope to nurture innovative new work and help create a more accessible and welcoming future for theatre.”

Previous collaborator Natasha Gilmore, Artistic Director of Barrowland Ballet said: “It’s really important that artists are given access to the support and spaces needed to develop work for and with children with complex needs. The spaces and the support of the venue is essential to the success of this type of work.”

Capital Theatres believes that everyone should have access to extraordinary theatre experiences. Every year Capital Theatres connects with over 2,000 people through its award-winning programme for people living with dementia, while also engaging with more than 2,000 children and teachers across the ASN schools’ network in Edinburgh.

Capital Theatres has a strong track record of collaborating with artists and specialists to create high-quality work for audiences who are often underserved by traditional theatre experiences. This includes collaborations with Hayley Earlam on Brrr, Barrowland Ballet on The Unexpected Gift, dementia specialist Magdalena Schamberger on Curious Shoes and In The Light Of Day, and Michelle Burke on Jack In The Box and The Christmas Box, bringing the joy of theatre to people in care homes and day centres across Edinburgh and the Lothians. These partnerships demonstrate both the transformative impact of and continuing need for this work.

The Associate Artist scheme has been developed in response to the growing demand for work created specifically with these audiences in mind from the very beginning, placing their experiences, needs and creativity at the centre of the artistic process.

The Associate Artist programme will run over 18 months between October 2026 and March 2028. The programme sits within Capital Theatres’ Open for Creatives initiative, which nurtures Scotland-based creative talent by providing space, resources and opportunities to explore new ideas, develop their practice and experiment creatively.

For more information on the application process: Associate Artist Scheme – Capital Theatres

For more information on Open for Creatives Open for creatives – Capital Theatres