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Dateline: 12th September, 2003 A Scottish National Theatre The Scottish Executive's finance minister Andy Kerr has announced funding for a National Theatre of Scotland which should present its first production in 2005. £2.5m has been set aside for the SNT in its first year and £4m for the second. It is expected that the process of selecting a chair and board will begin almost immediately. They will then appoint an artistic director. Head hunters Saxton Bampfylde Hever have been retained to advise on the choice of a chair and the process will be funded from the Scottis Srts Council's reserves. It will not be a building-based company, but is expected to have its administrative offices in Glasgow and draw upon the talents of existing companies, presenting its plays in existing theatres. "Every company in Scotland is effectively part of the national theatre and touring will be a huge part of its remit," playwright Liz Lochhead told the Scotsman newspaper. "It will help break the stranglehold of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and take the best theatre out to the widest possible audience. I am very hopeful." Many in the Scottish theatre world have expressed the hope that the new body will take responsibility for the theatre programming of the Edinburgh International Festival which has been criticised in recent years for not giving enough prominence to Scottish work and Scottish companies. At the moment the form of the company's management has not been decided: some favour an overall artistic director, along the lines of the RNT in London, whilst others argue for a joint stewardship by a producer and a dramaturg, who would be responsible for selecting the repertoire, with artistic directors from other companies being brought in for individual plays. And as the final decision about its home has yet to be made, other Scottish towns and cities are making their bids to house the company. Already the leader of Aberdeen council has suggested that the city would be an ideal location. James Boyle, chairman of SAC, welcomed the decision. "We applaud not only the Minister's generosity," he said, "but also his vision in securing the future for this flagship organisation, both at home and abroad, for all that is best and brightest in Scottish culture. "The National Theatre will not be a costly building, nor will it be a permanent company of actors. Instead, a Creative Director will use the money to commission work from the best theatrical talents in Scotland, bringing resulting "National Theatre of Scotland' productions to existing venues around the country. "The Creative Director will draw on existing writing, acting, directing and technical talents within Scottish theatre and Scottish companies to provide a platform for Scottish drama, delivering high quality work, increasing audiences in Scotland and achieving international recognition for Scotland and its artists. "This approach provides the flexibility and wide involvement of the theatre sector necessary to ensure that the National Theatre will quickly become embedded in the affections of the people of Scotland. We are confident that it will be attractive to all communities in Scotland, and particularly welcome the special focus on young people." Please note that all three Archive indices are very long and will therefore take some time to download.
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