HITN Media Release – No Embargo

Dràma Na h-Alba – Scotland’s International Theatre Arts Festival and Forum, 18 – 22 October 2007 – in venues in and around Inverness

The Highlands and Islands Theatre Network (HITN) is mounting Scotland’s first International Theatre Arts Festival and Forum –“ Dràma Na h-Alba” (DNA) during October 2007, in the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture. Our vision is to celebrate in the Highlands and Islands the best of today’s theatre , offering a forum to learn, create and debate.

DNA2007 is a project of the Highlands & Islands Theatre Network and has been co-ordinated by a Festival Implementation Group made up of representatives from HITN member companies and from major agencies, including the National Theatre of Scotland, the Playwrights’ Studio Scotland, The Federation of Scottish Theatre, Promote YT Scotland, HI~Arts, Highland 2007 and Eden Court Theatre.

The aims of the Festival are:

• To celebrate, share and promote the highest quality theatre and build links between the Highlands and Islands and national and international practitioners;
• To create opportunities for the involvement of the wider communities, including young people and children;
• To provide an environment for Scotland’s theatre community to learn, debate, innovate and create.

The Festival Implementation Group has put together an exciting programme of over 60 performances, workshops and networking events, with contributions from Sweden, North America, Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom. They will take place in venues in and around Inverness over five days from Thursday 18 to Monday 22 October 2007. It is planned to hold the event biennially thereafter.

The distinguished theatre artists Liz Lochhead and David Grieg have agreed to be Patrons of Dràma Na h-Alba, Scotland's International Theatre Arts Festival & Forum.

The launch of the DNA2007 programme outline was made at this year’s Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) held at Pitlochry Festival Theatre on 10 June. Full programme and box office details will be announced during July 2007.

Dràma Na h-Alba – Scotland’s International Theatre Arts Festival and Forum, 18 – 22 October 2007 – in venues in and around Inverness

Outline Programme

Performances

Arts in Motion The Box It Came In (for the child in everyone)
Birds of Paradise Spider Girls
Fish and Game Otter Pie
Mull Theatre After Bright Water
plan B Re-Newal and Far Horizons (double dance bill)
Profilteatern Pojke Flicka (for young adults) and Bakom Rutan (for children), Sweden
Reeling and Writhing Only the Men
Tara Arts The Tempest
The National Theatre of Scotland Molly Sweeney
The National Theatre of Scotland A Sheep Called Skye (for children over 4 years old)
Theatre Hebrides The Callanish Stoned (bi-lingual)
Västerbottensteatern story telling production, Sweden
Volcano Theatre A few little drops

Playreadings

Grey Coast Theatre Taigh Na Mara (Houses of the Sea)
Right Lines Productions Whisky Kisses

Individual Artists Showcases

Dave Smith ArtToons Exhibition
Jackie Goode one woman show
Vivien Maule Guess Who’s Talking
Walking Theatre Company The Campbells are coming, Hurrah!
Wildbird King Lear

Community/Youth Showcases

Drama Na h-Oigridh An Sgeir (Tidal Rock) Gaelic language
Nicolson Institute Drama Club High School Musical
Fit Angels Fit Angels
Forres Parkour Rush
Mellow Yellow Creative Arts Ahright, Ahright, What's the craic man!
Out of Eden Youth Theatre, Thurso Crush
plan B Fork in the road (street performance)

Other Features

Four International masterclass practitioners delivering three days of intensive workshops.

Symposium events, including ‘Illuminate’ hosted by the Playwrights’ Studio Scotland; ‘Experimental Theatre in Europe’ hosted by the Centre for Perfomance Research (Aberystwyth); ‘Celtic Language Theatre Development’ Gaelic Language Seminar, with simultaneous translation, and ‘Scottish Theatre  Industry Development ‘ hosted by the National Theatre Of Scotland.

Prague Quadrennial Theatre Design Exhibition (selection), Festival Fringe events, actors’ shared practice workshops, and networking events.

Full programme details, programme brochure and box office details for ticket sales will be launched week beginning 13 August 2007.

Tickets will be available for sale from this date:

Online via www.thebooth.co.uk

By telephone via Eden Court Theatre's box office on 01463 234234 

www.dna2007.info

DNA2007 is a project of the Highlands & Islands Theatre Network (HITN). HITN is grateful to the agencies and organisations mentioned below for their project support.

Statements of Support for the work of HITN and DNA2007

"DNA is going to be a wonderful addition to Scotland`s theatrical calendar. Theatre in the Highlands and Islands is alive with vital, imaginative, distinctive voices and this festival will provide the artists and companies who make up HITN with the ideal platform to showcase their work and celebrate the region. It will also demonstrate the exceptional contribution to a vibrant national theatre culture that HITN makes - a useful reminder that great theatre doesn`t begin and end in the Central Belt."

John Durnin, Federation of Scottish Theatre. 0131 220 6393. 01796 484602. john.durnin@pitlochry.org.uk

"The work that HITN is undertaking to support Highland based companies is essential. DNA will ensure that for a short period every two years the eyes of Scotland's theatre community should be focused Northwards - that will be good for all of us."

Colin Marr, Director, Eden Court Theatre. 01463 239841. cmarr@eden-court.co.uk

“Highland 2007 is happy to support Dràma Na h-Alba (DNA) – Scotland’s Theatre Arts Festival and Forum – which will be one of the highlights of the year Scotland celebrates Highland Culture. By bringing together local and national theatre companies, HITN are creating a great event for 2007, but are also forging partnerships which, along with the Northern Connections project, could give a lasting legacy well beyond 2007, placing Highland drama on a national and international stage.”

Cathy Shankland, Arts & Heritage Manager, Highland 2007. 01463 702007. Cathy.Shankland@highland.gov.uk

“The weight of talent within the theatre organisations of the Highlands and Islands is enabled to realise its full potential through the highly effective Highlands & Islands Theatre Network. HITN supports the artistic interests of theatre and dance and reduces bureaucracy, freeing up creative time. Playwrights' Studio, Scotland has really been able to extend and deepen its contact with the artists and companies of the Highlands and Islands as a direct result of the excellent work of HITN.”

Julie Ellen, Creative Director, Playwrights' Studio, Scotland. 0141 332 4403. julie@playwrightsstudio.co.uk
 
“The setting up of the Theatre Network as a stand-alone company, and the ambitious plans for a national theatre festival, are the results of a long process of growth and development which has been greatly aided by funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council, but which is due most of all to the tenacity and the creative energy of the many individuals who make up the theatre companies within the network.”

Robert Livingston, Director, HI~Arts. 01463 717091. robert@hi-arts.co.uk

 “A Scottish Arts Council spokesperson welcomed HITN’s commitment to the development of Highlands and Islands' theatre companies and looked forward to working with it, alongside other local partners, to reinforce the skills of drama professionals in the region.”

Scottish Arts Council. 0131 226 6051

ENDS

Note to editors

1. The Highlands & Islands Theatre Network Limited (HITN) is a consortium of all the professional producing theatre and dance companies based in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. HITN's role is to provide an identifiable mechanism for contact and communication, advocacy and advice in order to develop a sustainable sector, which takes into account the sparse population and geographical challenges faced by the HITN members. There are currently 26 Member Companies from the professional sector.
HITN has the following agreed aims:

•  to promote the advancement of education and the arts in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland area for the benefit of the public;
• to promote the professional theatre sector in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland area at regional, national and international levels;
•  to work with other organisations to encourage wider access to theatre across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland area.

HITN is serviced by 2 p/t freelance development posts:
Muriel Ann MacLeod, Project Development Co-ordinator muriel@hitn.co.uk
Stuart Brownlee, Marketing & Information Co-ordinator stuart@hitn.co.uk

HITN Member Companies

Adventurers Unlimited, Fearn, www.hitn.co.uk/AnT-Sireadh
Arts in Motion, Evanton, www.hitn.co.uk/Arts_in_motion
Ballet West, Taynuilt, www.hitn.co.uk/ballet_west.htm
Charioteer Theatre Company, Forres, www.hitn.co.uk/CharioteerTheatreCompany.html
Dannsa, Kingussie, www.hitn.co.uk/Dannsa.html
DogDaze, Moray, www.hitn.co.uk/DogDazeTheatre.htm
Dogstar, Kilmorack by Beauly, www.hitn.co.uk/Dogstar
Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, www.eden-court.co.uk
Goode for a Giggle, Culbokie, www.hitn.co.uk/goodegiggle.htm
Grey Coast Theatre Company, Caithness, www.hitn.co.uk/Greycoast
Illusions, Forres, www.illusions-scotland.com
Mull Theatre, Tobermory, www.hitn.co.uk/Mull_Theatre
Out of the Darkness Theatre Company, Elgin, www.hitn.co.uk/Out_of_Darkness
Perhilion Theatre Company, Dunoon, www.hitn.co.uk/perhilion.htm
Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry, www.pitlochry.org.uk
Plan B Dance Company, Conon  Bridge, www.hitn.co.uk/PlanB
Promote YT, Edinburgh, www.promoteyt.co.uk
Red Shoes Theatre Company, Elgin, www.redshoestheatre.com
Right Lines Productions, Alves,  www.hitn.co.uk/Right_Lines_Productions.html
Tabula Rasa Dance Company, Ardgay, Sutherland, www.hitn.co.uk/TabulaRasa.html
The Walking Theatre Company, www.hitn.co.uk/the-walking-theatre-company.html
Theatre Hebrides, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, www.hitn.co.uk/Theatre_Hebrides.htm
Timemasters, Inverness, www.timemasters co.uk
Tosg Gaelic Theatre Company, Skye, www.hitn.co.uk/Tosg
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, www.traverse.co.uk
Zenwing Puppets, Ardross, www.hitn.co.uk/zenwing_puppets.html 

2. Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, aims to promote  the Highlands and Islands as a great place to live and to visit through showcasing  the unique and special nature of Highland culture past, present and future. The  project is a partnership between three principal funding agencies: The Highland  Council, the Scottish Executive, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The year  long celebration of Highland culture in 2007 will incorporate an exciting range of  major and community events, as well as capital projects and ‘The Highland  Promise’ for young people. See www.highland2007.com for full details. Highland  2007 is the first themed year planned by the Scottish Executive to promote  Scotland as a great place to live and to visit.

For more information about Highland 2007 contact Julie Corbett or Alison  Bell at  Highland 2007 on 01463 702007or 07766 028899 / 07733 123037

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