About the Musical Commissioning Hub
A new musical hub in The Studio to nurture Scottish musicians and writers.
The new Musical Commissioning Hub, in partnership with Pitlochry Festival Theatre, will harbour Scottish musical talent in the Scottish capital.
The aim is to collaborate with musicians, writers and artists to develop Scottish talent and cultural output, so that our stages become a home for great Scottish musicals year on year, which could ultimately be shared on tour with venues across the country.
Capital Theatres exists to inspire a life-long love of theatre, and for many years it has presented the best plays, musicals, operas, and dance the UK and the world has to offer on the stages of the Festival and King’s Theatres.
Now, The Studio is to become the home of great new Scottish Musicals.
The work commissioned will draw upon our national pride and identity, our heritage and humour to celebrate Scotland, unifying us as we emerge through the impact of Covid-19.
We want artists to dream the dream; to expose and reveal moments of the past, the present and the future that audiences have yet to meet. We ask writers, composers and theatre-makers to transport audiences, delight them and arrest them with their new musicals.
Scotland has a rich history of creating music that we wish to bring to life through performance. As the impact of the coronavirus pandemic deepens within our society, there is a real risk that new talent, and new creative content, will not come to the fore. Capital Theatres and Pitlochry Festival Theatre will collaborate to launch the Musical Commissioning Hub as an investment in new talent for musical theatre. With compatible studio spaces, working together both organisations will ensure that rich, dynamic and thrilling musicals keep flowing onto the stages in Edinburgh and Pitlochry for audiences to devour.
"Music is such an important part of Scotland's heritage. As we emerge through lockdown and social distancing, we believe Scottish audiences have an appetite for new musicals celebrating Scotland’s culture, spirit and humour. This unprecedented period of our venues being closed provides a unique window of opportunity to progress new Scottish works at a time when enjoyment and entertainment has never been more necessary.
“Scotland has a rich history of creating high quality stories that we want to bring to life through performance. As the impact of Covid-19 deepens within our society, there is a real risk that new talent, and new creative content, will not come to the fore. This will not only result in a dearth of new work to be presented on our stages, and those of our comparators around the country, in the years to come, but will diminish the pool of creative Scottish talent that we seek to support and highlight. This Commissioning Hub presents us with the opportunity to invest in and develop the quality and diversity of works here, placing Capital Theatres and Pitlochry Festival Theatre at the heart of cultural richness in Scotland.” - Fiona Gibson, CEO at Capital Theatres
The launch of the Musical Commissioning Hub has been made possible through investment from the Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund and patron support.
Submissions open on 16 November and close on 15 December. Find out more information on what the panel is looking for and how to submit an application.
