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Dateline: 20th May, 2004 Scotland's Theatre Gateway Scotland’s Theatre Gateway, a initiative to showcase Scottish theatre during the Edinburgh festival, is being funded by the Scottish Arts Council, working closely with Queen Margaret University College’s prestigious Gateway Theatre. The initiative will reinforce Scotland’s rich and varied contribution to theatre during the Edinburgh festival, the world’s greatest single marketplace for the arts. In addition, it will assist the Gateway Theatre to develop its reputation, and that of the companies it showcases, in an international context. Professor Maggie Kinloch, Director of the Gateway Theatre, expressed her delight at the commitment shown by the Scottish Arts Council to Scottish theatre during the festival and said, "I believe that the Scottish Arts Council, in making this investment in Scottish theatre, demonstrates genuine vision. In the Drama Strategy published in 2002, they stated clearly that they wished to provide an improved platform for Scottish theatre at the Festival and Fringe. Scotland’s Theatre Gateway aims to be that new platform. I am also delighted that we shall be working this year with three companies who, between them, demonstrate the breadth and quality which is typical in Scottish theatre." The Gateway’s varied programme for the 2004 Festival Fringe will show Catherine Wheels’ brilliant Martha and Theatre Cryptic’s provocative Each and Every Inch alongside Theatre Babel’s 10th anniversary production of Macbeth, in a display of Scottish strength. Continuing the theatre theme will be photographer Douglas McBride who will be showcasing his excellent Invisible exhibition of photographs from Scottish theatre. David Taylor, Head of Drama at the Scottish Arts Council, welcomed the Gateway’s programming choices and added, "We believe that this international showcase, which has been in development for over a year, will be one of the highlights of the Festival and Fringe. We are particularly pleased that the Gateway’s programme will demonstrate the wide range of high quality theatre in Scotland through their choice of three companies we fund on a regular basis, including one which creates work for children and young people."
Paul Gudgin, Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, said, "We are thrilled that the Scottish Arts Council has decided to support the promotion of its home-grown talent via this initiative. The Fringe is the world’s largest artistic showcase, packed with international media and promoters, and to have a venue dedicated to the best Scotland’s theatre community has to offer is an enormous opportunity for this country to sell itself internationally." The Gateway Theatre has long had a history of importance within the cultural life of Edinburgh and forms part of the School of Drama and Creative Industries at Queen Margaret University College. The Scotland’s Theatre Gateway initiative will see this gem of a theatre be given a new lease of life. Simon T Girdler, the Programming Co-ordinator and Manager, said, "I am delighted to be given this opportunity to show audiences just what The Gateway can do while creating an environment that has, at its core, a commitment to the very highest quality of performance and service to its audience. We also aim to inspire a real sense of ownership and pride in that audience, and to offer support for Scotland’s theatre companies in an atmosphere where they can shine brightly." Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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