Performance Collective Stranraer [PCS] is a development organisation created to nurture, promote and sustain rural theatre artists from Southwest Scotland – primarily Dumfries and Galloway, and South Ayrshire. These areas have little-to-no artistic training provision and we exist to bridge the gap between youth theatre and the professional performance industry – turning artistic outlets/hobbies into viable career-paths.

Founded in 2017, PCS is run by project producer Carolyn Yates and artistic director Sarah Rose Graber. PCS runs regular residential Artistic Development Labs [in collaboration with Wigtown Festival Company, we deliver an annual Mentoring Programme, we host masterclasses, workshops, theatre trips and create new theatre productions. We work regularly with regional partners Theatre Royal Dumfries, Ryan Centre Stranraer and our primary funder The Holywood Trust.

We have previously collaborated with the National Theatre of Scotland and YTAS/Chrysalis Festival, we have toured productions regionally and nationally, we have two current associate artists Drew Taylor-Wilson and Fraser Macleod [who help to deliver our output alongside Sarah Rose Graber] and as part of our annual mentoring programme we work with 10 leading industry professionals.

Click below for further details of PCS’ Objectives

ANNUAL ACTIVITY

PCS’ annual output is varied, all geared toward nurturing, developing, and honing young theatre makers’ ambitions and skills.

Our programme of activity is focused on 3 main strands:

1. Delivering our annual Mentoring Scheme

2. Running regular residential Artistic Development Labs

3. Creating, rehearsing, and touring New Theatre Productions.

Our mentoring scheme is designed to help step-up young theatre artists 16-30 from SOUTHWEST SCOTLAND INTO THE ARTS INDUSTRY.

Over an 8 month period we twin experienced artists with our young directors, writers, performers, spoken-word artists, live-artists… young theatre artists that want to have a career in the performing arts.

WE RUN REGULAR RESIDENTIAL LABS, CREATING A STIMULATING SAFE SPACE TO HONE AND DEVELOP ARTISTIC AMBITIONS AND PERFORMANCE IDEAS.

At the Print Room in Wigtown we run 3 day residential artistic development labs creating an immersive space to learn new skills, try out new ideas, find collaborators, make art and have a lot of fun…

ALL OUR PRODUCTIONS COME FROM THE AMBITIONS OF THE COHORT OF ARTISTS.

Our first production “REMOTE CONTROL” toured across Scotland in 2018, supported by National Theatre of Scotland.

Our production “UNSUPERVISED ADULTING” was developed and performed in Autumn 2019. It then had a second, longer run in October 2022, touring across Dumfries, New Galloway, Stranraer, and Glasgow.

…we also have several new projects in development!

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