New Theatre Residencies Announced for Open To Ideas at Capital Theatres

Residency programme supports four new projects in Edinburgh’s The Studio

Capital Theatres has announced the return of its acclaimed Open To Ideas residency programme, offering vital space, funding and technical support to four theatremakers developing new work in Scotland. Now in its third year, the programme continues to champion innovation, experimentation and emerging talent through The Studio, Edinburgh’s dedicated development space for performance.

The 2025 residency cohort includes Louis Utieyin, Louis Barabbas, Isla Campbell and Amina Beg. Each will receive five days of complimentary rehearsal space, two days of technical support and £2000 in seed funding to explore a bold new theatrical idea without the pressure of delivering a finished product.

From black queer comedy to Highland firefighters: Four new stories take shape

Kicking off the programme in March is comedian and theatre maker Louis Utieyin with Diary of a DL Trade, his debut solo show. Blending poetry, music, stand-up and visuals, the piece tells the story of a Nigerian gay man navigating his sexuality in secret. The show confronts what it costs to live authentically under the weight of societal expectation. Supported by Wonder Fools, Utieyin will use the residency to further develop the script and performance.

April sees songwriter and firefighter Louis Barabbas begin early development of Wildfire Season, a new musical inspired by his own work with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on the Isle of Skye. Set in the Highlands, the show follows two firefighters as they battle both grass fires and existential questions. Influenced by Waiting for Godot and Groundhog Day, Barabbas’s project explores vulnerability, belonging and human connection in the face of uncontrollable natural forces.

In June, Edinburgh-based actor and writer Isla Campbell will start research and development on The March, a new drama inspired by the 1981 protest against the closure of Edinburgh’s public washhouses. Campbell’s grandmother was one of the women who carried a coffin marked “PUBLIC LAUNDRIES” to the City Chambers. The piece will explore working-class women’s culture, community resistance, and public service cuts in the Thatcher era, drawing parallels with today’s austerity measures.

Finally, July will welcome multidisciplinary artist and DJ Amina Aaliya Beg, who brings a genre-defying solo show Dada’s Mixtapes. Using archival tapes recorded by her late grandfather, the show fuses live DJing, poetry, animation and comedy to explore themes of political legacy, British Muslim identity and intergenerational memory. The piece promises to be a bold interrogation of the personal and political, with sound at its heart.

The Studio: Edinburgh’s space for exploration

The Open To Ideas residency is part of Open@TheStudio, Capital Theatres’ broader artist development programme, which also includes workshops, scratch nights, and industry talks. The Studio, a 155-seat black box venue tucked behind the Festival Theatre, has become a hub for Scotland’s next wave of theatremakers.

Claire Swanson, Head of Creative Engagement at Capital Theatres, noted the programme’s popularity: “We received 155 applications for this programme and it was tremendous to see the range of creative ideas being developed by Scottish theatremakers. These four projects each have something exciting to say about where we are now and how we’ve got there.”

She continued: “Open to Ideas offers artists the space, time and support they need to explore their ideas without the pressure to know all the answers straight away.”

Fiona Gibson, CEO of Capital Theatres, added: “We see this as a critical investment in the arts talent of the future, and we hope each not only has a valuable experience with us but they also have a lot of fun in the process.”

“These four projects each have something exciting to say about where we are now and how we’ve got there.”

Claire Swanson, Head of Creative Engagement at Capital Theatres

A space to try, fail, and grow

The programme has been praised by previous participants for its emphasis on process over product. Past recipient Heather Marshall said: “Open To Ideas allowed us to see what this project could be and, almost more importantly, could not be. It allowed us to experiment and rule out a lot of ideas until we settled on the right form for the piece. That truly is a gift.”

The approach aligns with Open@TheStudio’s wider ethos—to support not only finished work, but also the messy, nonlinear creative journeys that often precede it. Anonymous feedback from participants underscores the programme’s impact: “Capital Theatres is a space that artists can trust,” said one, while another praised its value for emerging practitioners.

Supported by Baillie Gifford, Open@TheStudio is part of Capital Theatres’ wider mission to increase access, inclusivity and innovation within Scottish theatre. It’s also wonderful that Capital Theatres, as with Scottish Opera, have refused to be bullied into denying Baillie Gifford’s invaluable backing in pursuit of impossible levels of ethical purity.

Alongside its work as a major receiving house for large-scale productions, Capital Theatres continues to foster new voices, offering a unique space for the development of Scotland’s creative future. Bravo!

Featured Image: Open Floor Musicals-June 2023-Image by Mihaela Bodlovic