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Press Release – for immediate release
Jackie Wylie announced as new Artistic Director of the
National Theatre of Scotland
The Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Theatre of Scotland, Dame Seona Reid, today
announced that Jackie Wylie has been appointed as the Artistic Director of the Company. Jackie is
one of the UK’s leading creative producers whose success as the Artistic Director of The Arches in
Glasgow between 2008 and 2015 saw the organisation become a leading European powerhouse of
cultural activity.
Jackie Wylie lives in Scotland and is currently Co-Director of Take Me Somewhere, a new city-wide
festival, based at Tramway in Glasgow that will build on the legacy and international programming of
The Arches. She will take up post at the National Theatre of Scotland in Spring 2017.
The search for the National Theatre of Scotland’s new Artistic Director was far-reaching and
attracted a strong field of candidates from Scotland, the UK and internationally, with the
recruitment panel looking for a candidate who could build on the National Theatre of Scotland’s
reputation and loyal audiences whilst further extending its work to new partners, new audiences,
new forms of theatre and new talent.
Seona Reid commented
“It is with very great pleasure that we welcome Jackie Wylie as the National Theatre of Scotland’s
Artistic Director. Jackie brings great energy and a passion for theatre-making that is far-reaching
and collaborative and we look forward very much to Scotland’s national theatre entering its second
decade with her at the helm.
Under her leadership, we will see a commitment to building on the National Theatre of Scotland’s
exceptional reputation for world-class theatre whilst engaging further with new forms of theatre,
new audiences, new communities and new talent. We will see a continuing commitment to a theatre
for everyone, serving the whole of Scotland, whilst developing and consolidating partnerships in
Europe and the rest of the world. And we will see a collaborative National Theatre of Scotland
extending its work with partners, existing and new, to make great theatre in, of, and for Scotland.
Throughout its first ten years, the National Theatre of Scotland has become a major force for exciting
and pioneering work, much of it produced in partnership with Scotland’s world-class theatre-makers.
Jackie takes over a Company that, under her inspiring leadership, will grow ever more significant in
its mission to be artist-led and audience focussed, further enhancing its widely-admired status as a
theatre without walls.”
Jackie Wylie commented
“It’s an incredible privilege to be given the opportunity to lead the National Theatre of Scotland. Ten
years ago it pioneered the ground-breaking model of a theatre without walls and since then it has
combined world-class artistic distinction with a particular commitment to involving the entire
population of Scotland. I look forward to continuing that spirit of innovation, building on the
organisation’s many existing successes and relationships whilst also bringing in new voices, seeking
out exciting collaborations at home as well as looking outwards, across the world. It’s a thrilling
prospect to continue the brilliantly ambitious work that the National Theatre of Scotland has excelled
at over the past decade, reaching new audiences in places and spaces across the country. Our
national theatre is in a confident position, able to explore future definitions of what theatre can be
and who it should be for. We are fortunate in Scotland to have so many extraordinary, world-class
theatre-makers and I’m looking forward to working with them – on both local and global stages – as
we go forward.”
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs,
Scottish Government, commented:
“Congratulations to Jackie Wylie in her new role as the Artistic Director of the National Theatre of
Scotland. Jackie’s experience and collaboration with the sector, here and internationally, will lead the
National Theatre of Scotland from strength to strength as they celebrate their 10th anniversary. I
look forward to enjoying new collaborations, creations and continued success from our theatre
without walls”.
NATIONAL THEATRE OF SCOTLAND PRESS OFFICE CONTACTS:
Emma Schad – Head of Press – [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9016 M: +44 (0)7930 308018
Joe Blythe - Press Officer – [email protected]
Tel: +44 (0)141 227 9497 M: +44 (0)7500 258404
Follow the National Theatre of Scotland’s press office on Twitter @NTS_press
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Jackie Wylie Biography
Jackie Wylie was born in Edinburgh and gained a First Class MA in Film and Television and
Theatre Studies at the University of Glasgow. Jackie is currently the co-director and Founder
of Take Me Somewhere, a new organisation based at the Tramway in Glasgow that will
provide international programming alongside artistic development opportunities and a high
profile platform for Scotland’s contemporary theatre-makers.
As Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of The Arches, Glasgow, from 2008 to 2015, she
provided the organisation’s artistic leadership, transforming The Arches’ reputation into a
leading European powerhouse of cultural activity.
During her time there, she supported a generation of innovative Scottish theatre-makers
such as Rob Drummond, Cora Bissett, Nic Green and Kieran Hurley who have gone on to win
numerous Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS), Herald Angel, Total Theatre and
Fringe First awards. She commissioned world-class, cross-discipline work that toured to the
National Theatre in London, Barbican, Brits off Broadway New York, Spoleto Festival
Charleston, Brighton Festival, Push Festival Vancouver, Cultura Inglesa Festival Brazil, NZ,
Sydney, Hong Kong and Luminato Festivals.
Jackie established The Arches’ annual international festival, Behaviour, with a focus on
ground-breaking global companies including The TEAM, Taylor Mac, Peggy Shaw (New York)
Mammalian Diving Reflex (Canada), Ontroerend Goed (Belgium), Milo Rau (Switzerland) Gob
Squad (Berlin), Pan Pan, Dead Centre, Junk Ensemble (Ireland) Derevo, Akhe (Russia), 1927,
Quarantine , Tim Crouch (UK). She often co-presented this work with a range of venues
including the Citizens, Tramway and CCA in Glasgow and Traverse and Summerhall in
Edinburgh, as well as in site-specific and found spaces. The Arches’ theatre productions
toured to venues across Scotland. Other achievements while at The Arches included the
Auteurs programme, in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland and the Conflux
project for street arts and physical theatre, funded by the Cultural Olympiad Legacy Trust
UK.
As Artistic Director she established a radical and participative creative learning model that
underpinned the organisation and led the way in redefining the value of socially engaged
arts practice across the UK. Other recent work includes with Prime Cut Productions Belfast,
Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture bid and NVA’s Kilmahew St. Peter’s Seminary.
Jackie is currently a Fellow on the 2016/17 Clore Leadership Programme, awarded to
exceptional individuals from across all disciplines in the arts, designed to strengthen
excellence in leadership in culture.
During the last eight years, she has been a Board Member of the Federation of Scottish
Theatre and the Glasgay! Festival, an Advisory Board Member of Untitled Projects, advisor to
the Buzzcut Festival, a panel member, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Contemporary
Performance Practice programme review and a contributor to ‘It’s All Allowed, The
Performance Works of Adrian Howells’ edited by Dee Heddon and Dominic Johnson. Prior to
that she worked in the film and television industry.
2. National Theatre of Scotland: The National Theatre of Scotland is marking its tenth birthday
in 2016. Dedicated to playing the great stages, arts centres, village halls, schools and sitespecific locations of Scotland, the UK and internationally, the Company celebrates its status
as a Theatre Without Walls. As well as creating ground-breaking productions and working
with the most talented theatre-makers, the National Theatre of Scotland produces
significant community engagement projects, innovates digitally and works constantly to
develop new talent. Central to this is finding pioneering ways to reach current and new
audiences and to encourage people’s full participation in the Company’s work. With no
performance building of its own, the Company works with existing and new venues and
companies to create and tour theatre of the highest quality. Founded in 2006, the Company,
in its short life, has become a globally significant theatrical player, with an extensive
repertoire of award-winning work.
The National Theatre of Scotland is supported by the Scottish Government.
www.nationaltheatrescotland.com
ENDS –