SCOTTISH Dance Theatreis delighted to announce that Liam Sinclair and Alice McGrath are joining the company in August as joint executive producers.
Both bring a wealth of experience as leading producers of award-winning work from their tenure at one of Scotland’s leading arts centres, macrobert, as artistic director/CEO and director of Creative Development, Participation and Research respectively.
Their time at macrobert also included the development of key partnerships with University of Stirling colleagues including a range of work on dementia friendly arts delivery; working with the School of Education to explore the role of creativity in schools in the context of the Curriculum for Excellence. And, as with Scottish Dance Theatre and Dundee Rep, they have also been leading a programme of organisational change as part of Creative Scotland’s equalities work.
Fleur Darkin, artistic director, said: “I am truly delighted to welcome Alice McGrath and Liam Sinclair into the company as executive producers. Their appointment means Scottish Dance Theatre can develop its process of making art and strengthen its commitment to thrill, move and inspire audiences. With Alice and Liam completing our executive team, Scottish Dance Theatre is building a deep in-house expertise that can navigate the company’s journey from studio to audience.”
She added: “This executive layer adds to a team of dancers and technical staff who have already significant experience in making, touring and sharing dance – from large stages in India to village halls in the Highlands. Liam and Alice’s perceptive clarity will inform the company’s method of nurturing artists to make exceptional work in Dundee which tours across Scotland and is exported to international stages with partners around the globe. With their focus and know-how, this producing duo herald a fresh approach to generate audiences across a range of platforms for the company. Alice and Liam will intensify Scottish Dance Theatre’s role as a powerhouse of dance creation for Scotland and the world.”
Liam Sinclair and Alice McGrath said: “We are delighted to be joining Scottish Dance Theatre as co-executive producers. We have admired the company’s work for a long time and over the last year have enjoyed working in partnership with the company, under Fleur’s new leadership, to present their work to a range of audiences. The company’s reputation for creating high quality and exciting dance performances is world-renowned and we are honoured to be taking up post to support and nurture their work and ambitious new developments.”
Philip Howard, chief executive and joint artistic director, Dundee Rep said: “’This is a wonderfully progressive appointment, not just for Scottish Dance Theatre, but for all of the team at Dundee Rep. Fleur Darkin’s inspiring vision of how a national dance company can flourish and engage its audiences has now found a brilliant new partnership in Liam and Alice to help realise that vision.”
For further information, images or interviews contact Wendy Niblock, Publicist on 07961 814834 / wendyjniblock@btinternet.com.
Notes to Editors: Biographies
Alice McGrath
Before taking up the new post of director of Creative Development, Participation and Research at macrobert, Alice McGrath was the development director with Imaginate, Scotland’s development agency for children and young people’s performing arts. During her time there she was responsible for leading the creative development of the art-form and creative learning programmes. Driving the vision and implementation of these areas of work, she helped move the organisation from primarily hosting an annual festival to now delivering a comprehensive and highly regarded year round programme that has helped in making children’s theatre one of Scotland’s greatest success stories. A graduate of Stirling University, Alice completed the School of Education’s Postgraduate Certificate in Creativity in 2008. She further developed her studies in 2009, attending and graduating from Creative & Cultural Skills Scotland Leadership Programme, a year-long programme, which aims to promote excellence in leadership across the creative and cultural industries in Scotland. Prior to her work with Imaginate, Alice managed a number of creative projects in the arts and voluntary sectors, including with TAG Theatre Company, Scottish Childminding Association and the Scottish Council for Single Homeless. Alice is a trustee with the Tom McGrath Trust, which was established in 2011, to honour the life and legacy of her father Tom McGrath, poet and playwright, who died in 2009.
Liam Sinclair
Liam is artistic director and chief executive of macrobert; a multi-discipline arts centre based in Stirling that delivers a varied programme of live and cinema events alongside an extensive programme of outreach, as well as producing new theatre and dance. Prior to this he was director of the Edinburgh Mela; an arts organisation with a focus on cultural diversity. There he was responsible for producing the annual Edinburgh Mela Festival, as well as a programme of arts development activities to increase culturally diverse practice within the arts and the participation of minority ethnic communities. He spent four years as head of YouthWorks Drama at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD) where he was responsible for establishing and developing the YouthWorks Drama programmes, as well as initiatives to promote and support diversity within the performing arts. A graduate of RSAMD (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), he has worked as a programme manager for Common Purpose (youth programmes) and education development officer for the City of Edinburgh Council (Dialogue Youth/Young Scot). He is chair of the Board for Birds of Paradise Theatre Company and is a trustee for Luminate.
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Contact: Wendy Niblock
Phone: 07961814834
Email: wendyjniblock@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.scottishdancetheatre.com/
