In 2018/2019 the Company carried out a year-long research and development programme engaging with many organisations, groups and communities across the West of Scotland. This work was informed by the recent Community Empowerment Scotland Act (2015) and to refresh and inform our artistic mission. This work was subsequent to major consultation with Renfrewshire Council on its UK City of Culture Paisley 2021 bid.
In the year we carried out the following engagement activities:
Meetings: 137
Organisations: 30
Participants: 1,510
Hours: 400
We also delivered a number of live performances over the year:
Glasgay Archive Publication Launch: 14 Feb 2019
Notorious – Lauren Barri Holstein Co.: 11 May 2019
P Project – Ivo Dimchev: 18 May 2019
Cuckoo – Jaha Koo: 22 May 2019
Listening Party – Asrun Magnusdottir: 22,23,24 May 2019
In-Cube Creative Crafts Trail (12 events): 5, 6 July 2019
Paisley Youth Arts Festival (55 events): 1-15 Sep 2019
Paisley Art Institute – 131st Annual Exhibition: 5 Sep-20 Oct 2019
Jesus Queen of Heaven: 30 Oct-2Nov 2019
O Evangelho Segundo Rainha Do Ceu: 31 Oct 2019
Untitled 2009: 2 Nov 2019
Total Audiences: 15,903
Where they came from:
Following:
Combined following 149,504 – across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Issuu, Mailchimp, Website.
Indie has joined the team recently after graduating from Gray’s School of Art. Indie has extensive experience in working with emerging artists. Indie brings with them a knowledge and contact base of emerging artists of varied backgrounds as well as experience in the community arts field – having performed themselves at GOMA with ‘Dial A for Whispers – Talk is Cheap’ and having worked with Look Again Festival, VictoriArt and Grampian Hospitals Art Trust. Indie has recently worked closely with John Walter as a chaperone for the artists’ work ‘The Fourth Wall’ with Look Again’s 2019 Festival. The narratives of people with protected characteristics are of extreme importance to Indie, specifically the narratives of queer and trans people. In their post as Visual Arts Officer, Indie will take care in developing creative programming, forming and maintaining vital relationships with communities and emerging artists.
PR & Marketing Manager marketing@outspokenarts.org
T: +44(0)141 847 1122
Lisa re-joins the Company after a spell of working on major events such as the Mackintosh Festival and other work with Glasgow’s Merchant Square. Lisa brings a wealth of experience in public relations, advertising, publishing and press campaigning.
Alphonso joined the Company as initially our Administrator in April 2007. He was previously Ticketing Director for NFL Europe League’s Scottish Claymores and England Monarch’s American football teams. He was also Box Office Manager for Promenade Production’s The Big Picnic at Harland & Wolff Engine Shed. Alphonso most recently worked for US military defence contractor Northrop Grumman. in his newly reformed post Alphonso will look after most aspects of artists, communities and participants engagement activities as well as programme and event management.
Steven has worked in the professional performing arts since 1983. He has worked at Glasgow’s Tron, Tramway, King’s and Mitchell Theatres as well as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). He followed that with a large scale project, The Big Picnic, with Bill Bryden and Promenade Productions. He worked subsequently for the Scottish Claymores and from 1998-2003 he was Administrative Director for New Moves International Ltd, producers of the New Territories festival. He ran the Glasgay! festival from 2004-2014 and subsequently transition the company into Outspoken Arts Scotland. He has also consulted, as a Creative Producer, for Renfrewshire Council supporting its Paisley 2021 UK City of Culture bid and an Event Legacy plan 2018-2022. Steven is the Co-chair of Erskine Music & Media Studios CIC and a lay committee member of the Paisley Art Insitute.
Design in The Dale – NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde: Design in the Dale Strategic Arts Group based at Leverndale Hospital is seeking to commission an Artist to collaborate with the appointed landscape architect, ERZ, and engage with patients, visitors, staff and the surrounding neighbours to develop a joined up concept for intuitive landmarks and clear signage within the Levendale Hospital grounds reaching into the local community, Within Pollok and Cardonald. More Information can be found here.
Mandate Go See Fund – SCAN and Engage Scotland want to encourage new voices in our community and provide them with more skills, confidence and knowledge. Mandate Go See Fund aims to ensure that a wider range of opinions and experiences are heard in policy developments in Scotland and across the UK. https://sca-net.org/projects/view/mandate-go-see-fund
Open Calls
RSA Annual Exhibition – Open Call: The RSA Annual Exhibition is the most extensive exhibition of contemporary art and architecture in Scotland. Having been a mainstay of the academy’s calendar since its inception 193 years ago, the Annual Exhibition has evolved over the years, showcasing Scottish art alongside invited international artists, often including topical or political elements, to give an uncensored, independent voice to artists on issues that matter to them. https://www.royalscottishacademy.org/artist/5314/
International Exhibition Open Call – Ecosse D’Oc are inviting artists of all disciplines to exhibit or create in a gallery in the South West of France in summer 2020. They encourage all exhibition and event ideas from individual artist’s or groups. https://www.ecossedoc.eu/menu/2020callforexpoentriesenglish.html
Queer Timɘs School Prints – PAID COMMISSION. Call for trans/non-binary/gender non-conforming artists of colour. CALL OUT for trans/NB/GNC artists of colour for a new GoMA – Glasgow Museums#queertimesschool PAID COMMISSION to mark Queen Jesus’ 10th anniversary. Inform young folx about queer identities & enter the collection. Pls help share! > https://bit.ly/36zDchz
Since its explosive premiere at Tron Theatre in 2009 ‘The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven’ has suffered mass protests and condemnation in the UK and threats of violence and attempts at censorship in Brazil. Simultaneously, the play had a HUGE impact on the world, the LGBTQ+ community and hundreds of lives, inspiring many people to be themselves.
Exactly 10 years on, Jesus, Queen of Heaven is returning to continue sharing the important message of LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion. Between Tuesday 29th October and Sunday 3rd November, Queen Jesus Productions will host a series of events marking the anniversary – including both the original production performed by Jo Clifford and a Scottish premiere of the Brazillian version, ‘O Evangelho Segundo Jesus, Raihna do Ceu’ performed by Renata Carvalho.
Since its explosive premiere at Tron Theatre in 2009 'The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven' has suffered mass protests and condemnation in the UK and threats of violence and attempts at censorship in Brazil. Simultaneously, the play had a HUGE impact on the world, the LGBTQ+ community and hundreds of lives, inspiring many people to be themselves.Join us to celebrate this milestone in theatre history with a MOMENTOUS mini-season. Back at The Tron exactly 10 years on from the controversial premiere in 2009 > https://www.queenjesusproductions.com/miniseasonFilm by Andrea Spisto.
2.30pm, Saturday 2 Nov, The Tron, Glasgow. Tickets £8.50 book here
Part of the 10th anniversary celebrations of The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven at Tron Theatre this Oct/Nov. Supported by Outspoken Arts Scotland.
Nelly Kelly – They/them
Nelly is a trans, non-binary playwright, performer maker and drag artist. They have a masters with distinction in Playwriting and Dramaturgy from the University of Glasgow and are a former Playwrights Studio Scotland mentored Playwright. Their works unapologetically sets out to take up space to put queer life and culture centre stage, with a particular focus on Trans identities.
Recent credits include; Queersa Gay: Fields of Gold, Buzzcut, CCA Glasgow (creator/performer). Haus of Gay, Queer Theory, Nice ‘n’ Sleazy Glasgow (drag art collaboration), The Dogwood, Pride Plays, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh (writer), Sacramental, Mintworks, Guest Projects London.
David Wood – He/him
David is a director and theatre-maker based in Glasgow. Originally hailing from Ayrshire, at the core of his practice is a desire to open access to the arts, regardless of economic or social background. David has worked alongside a number of Scotland’s leading theatre companies, including Bard in the Botanics, Capall Dorcha, Borderline and Visible Fictions. His work, though varied, often focuses on new writing, work for young audiences and queer theatre, topics particularly close to his heart.
David graduated with an MA in Classical and Contemporary Text (directing) from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, is a recipient of the Dewar Arts Award and is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Recent director credits include: Perfectly Norman (Puppetry Scratch Night); Play Me Out, A Word Please and Last Orders (Overlap Theatre Company) and A Beginner’s Guide to Populism (NoLogoProductions).
Associate/Assistant director credits include: A Ladder to the Stars and The Hidden (Visible Fictions); Playthrough (Borderline); Channelling Jabez (Play, Pie and a Pint) and Taming of the Shrew? (Bard in the Botanics)
Bel Pye – They/them
Bel graduated from BA Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2015. Since then they have been living with several chronic illnesses, which is a full time job in itself! They have also worked with the education team at the Citizens Theatre and had their visual art work exhibited in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and London.
Adam Kashmiry – He/him
Adam is a performer, a trans activist, and an inspirational speaker. He has made his professional debut as an actor in a theatre production called ADAM as part of the Fringe 2017. The play won the Fringe First award, the Scottish arts club award and was shortlisted for Amnesty’s international award for free speech. Adam won a Herald Angel award for his role in the play as well as being nominated for an Offies award 2018. Adam appeared on TEDx Glasgow 2018 and talked about stereotypes and the issues Trans people face. He has a YouTube channel in which he talks about his Transition and any related topics.
Goose Masondo – They/them
Goose is a Glasgow-based performer originally from Argentina/South London and currently studying at the University of Glasgow, in their third year of a Theatre Studies and English Literature degree. Primarily a musical theatre actor, Goose trained at Laine Theatre Arts and British Youth Music Theatre before coming to university, and is super excited to have their first professional role in a play, especially one so close to their heart.
Saerlaith Robyn McQuaid-O’Dwyer – She/her
Saerlaith is a theatre and performance maker, facilitator, curator and DJ. Their work includes two shows for the Dublin Fringe Festival, Cuomo (2013) and (Not) Belonging, (2015), and performance work in Dublin, Glasgow and Rotterdam. She founded the Trans Live Art Salon, a collective and arts platform for trans artists in Ireland in association with Live Collision, co-facilitated TLAS’ festival residency with Robbie Blake, won the Spirit of Fringe, Spirit of Project Award at Dublin Fringe 2017 with TLAS’ chill space and trans art festival, the Fully-Automated Luxury Gender Oasis, and curated a programme of trans work at Live Collision International Festival 2018. More recently, she has graduated from Trinity College Dublin’s Drama and Theatre Studies course, and moved to Glasgow.
Bibi June – They/them
Bibi June is a Glasgow-based poet, theatre maker, and performer. They co-founded and run spoken word theatre company In The Works. Their work focussed on liminal identities, social injustice, and alternatives to capitalism. Their first pamphlet ‘Begin Again’ was published by Speculative Books in 2017. Bibi has created and performed in several collaborative shows, including ‘A Matter of Time’ (2017) and ‘The 900 Club’, the latter of which received 4* and 5* reviews for its debut run at the Edinburgh Fringe. In 2019, they toured their newest collaborative spoken word theatre show ‘Make/Shift’ throughout the UK & Ireland.
Sadie Godiva – She/her
Sadie hails from Coventry, and arrived in Scotland, via Germany, more than six years ago. Now in her seventh decade, her passions, apart from performing, include playing lawn bowls and railway modelling. She is the proud parent of two adult children, who are both totally supportive. Her attraction to theatre started as a nine year old, when she witnessed her first Gang Show (at the now demolished Coventry Theatre) and was besotted by the spectacle. It’s been downhill ever since!
Fri 13 September 2019, 6.30-11.30pm, Tickets £7.06-13.52 book here
The Student Union, University of the West of Scotland, Storie Street, Paisley PA1 2HB
An evening of cool new bands and rising talent featuring – Man of Moon, Ghost Baby, Tiny Murder, Lunir + others.
Fresh from a summer tour taking in Kelburn Garden Party, Belladrum, King Tut’s and the Outwith festival, the formidable Man of Moon bring their juggernaut of sound to Paisley.
On the night they will be joined by up-n-coming Tiny Murder, who will bring their unique cinematic dream pop to the audience and one of the most talented young groups to come from Renfrewshire, the unmissable Ghostbaby.
