creative learning
Business in the Community award winner, Tayside Business Awards
Our ambition is for Horsecross to be at the heart of community life - we want you to join in, feel liberated, be inspired and motivated. Our busy community team works right across Perthshire - and if you can't come to us we'll come to you. We work with you to create and run innovative, top quality arts projects - in music, drama and new media art. We work in schools and community settings and we run one of Scotland's most dynamic theatre companies for young people.
creative communities
music
Our music development programme involves everyone from age 0 and aims to support people who have never participated in creative music making before, as well as encouraging talented young performers to develop their skills.
We have many ongoing projects for you to join in with, including:
Horsecross Voices
In The Mood
Mini Music Makers
Summer Shorts
For more information on these, please see our outreach page
Our big project for 2007/2008 was Soundwaves in Highland Perthshire and in the regeneration areas of North Perth. Soundwaves was a creative music making project involving all ages, especially those in Primary 5, 6 and 7. It focussed on Scottish Traditional, World and Contemporary Music. We collaborated with world class musicians like Colin Currie and Trilok Gurtu. For more information on this project, please see our current projects page.
drama
Our drama development programme has earned a strong reputation in the field of arts and disability and specifically for the work we have undertaken with adults recovering from mental illness. We believe that it's possible to promote health and wellbeing through the arts. We run a music and drama collective for adults with learning disabilities and our big project for 07/08 is Artfull, a pioneering trainee community drama workers programme for adults recovering from mental ill health
new media art
Threshold is the only gallery for contemporary art in Scotland which is visited by more than 100,000 people a year . Events and exhibitions at the Threshold artspace are free for anyone to enjoy. We have on site talks, tours and we run artist led community projects annually encouraging community involvement in the production, presentation and collection of new media public art.
creative education
We work with schools and colleges offering tailor made workshops and projects for pupils at primary and secondary schools across the region supporting the ‘curriculum for excellence.'
We put on concerts and productions for young people and we make the most of our top class visiting artists from all around the world by having special performances, projects and workshops for schools.
We run a programme of professional development including talks, seminars, critical debate, mentoring and work shadowing. We produce explanatory materials like concert notes and exhibition guides to enrich our programme and productions in music, theatre and new media.
We run a regular drama forum for teachers to enable us to support, listen and respond to the needs of our schools.
Perth Youth Theatre
Perth Youth Theatre is our thriving and inclusive theatre company for young people aged 12-25 with 150 members and a waiting list. Unique in Perthshire and one of the most dynamic youth theatres in Scotland, we run weekly workshops for our core groups on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and stage 6 theatre productions annually.
PYT is highly regarded and is one of Scotland's leading youth theatres. We create exciting work for and by young people all over Perth and Kinross and set high artistic standards. We encourage young people to take ownership of their work and in a wider sense to take responsibility for their actions and their futures.
PYT is a young person-centred organisation and actively encourages input and decision making by the young participants. PYT offers participants the opportunity to work with theatre specialists in a professional theatre environment and to perform in a variety of theatre venues from the bar to the studio to the main house.
PYT's training scheme for trainee Youth Theatre Director's is unique in Scotland. We also run a playwriting group year round for PYT members and any other interested young people in the local area.
We employ professional tutors, designers and directors to raise production values and to provide career development opportunities for young people in all aspects of theatre.
If you want the chance to get creative, perform and meet new friends then get in touch.
PYT offers the following:
- weekly theatre skills workshops
- the chance to perform in a PYT production
- 6 productions every year
- free tickets for all Perth Theatre productions
Junior PYT (12–14 years): Tuesday evenings
Intermediate PYT (14–16 years): Wednesday evenings
Senior PYT (16–19, 19–25 years): Thursday evenings
You can apply at any time in the year. Recruitment workshops take place in August and anyone who has applied will be invited along. We can't offer everyone a place, but everyone who applies will be considered.
"Youth theatre is a great experience. A great way to meet people, a great way to practice techniques. The opportunity to take part in a performance was fantastic. Thank you!"
PYT Young Playwrights
Think you have an idea for a short scene or a play? Work with a Scottish playwright to develop your script ideas and see them performed by Senior PYT members.
PYT Young Playwrights (14 - 21 years): Monday evenings fortnightly
"an enjoyable and absorbing demonstration of the depth of talent and abundance of enthusiasm within this thriving youth theatre" Perthshire Advertiser
For info contact Gary Merralls on 01738 472700 or email gmerralls@horsecross.co.uk
