DunsPlayFest25

With the money (£5200) that was given by the fund, DunsPlayFest25 was able to finance the pilot of a new venture; a black box studio theatre in the Cadet Hall next door to the Volunteer Hall, in Duns. 

This studio theatre space was hosted by community and early career technicians with FOH trainees and the space gave valuable opportunities to adult learners as well as young artists and technicians. 

 

                    

 

Small blackbox stage in the Cadet Hall with house capacity of 60 

We want to make theatre accessible to all: offering relaxed and interactive performances, wheelchair-accessible venues and a varied programme of quality work for free or at subsidised prices. The generous fund from Blackhill enabled this within our studio theatre and ensured quality theatre provision whilst supporting positive pathways into careers in the theatre industry for local young people. 

 

The Workshop Programme

Our Studio Theatre housed a workshop programme, which was offered on a Pay What You Feel basis, making free entry an option, and ensuring that money was not a barrier to participation. 

The Engagement Programme featured sessions led by local artists such as poet Tom Murray, performer Xander Cowan, writer Kevin Purvis, drama teacher Karen Anderson and singer Katie Forbes who offered a series of engaging, inspiring and informative workshops. Each professional workshop leader was offered payment.  Three workshops had a performance opportunity on our cabaret stage in which participants engaged enthusiastically. 

The programme generated local interest with 41 learners accessing the workshops. Areas covered included songwriting, poetry performance, monologue performance, playwriting, textual analysis and singing for wellbeing.

There were even two participants from America:

‘Visited the festival today from further afield as I love plays & festivals. It was fantastic – very welcoming to visitors The workshop I attended was delivered by very knowledgeable writers who were incredibly informative’

See Here for our online brochure which includes our workshop programme in more detail. 

Experimental Theatre                               

The studio theatre also hosted experimental work from students and graduates from Queen Margaret University who offered new writing and physical theatre to an audience capacity of 60. 

These included Unravel, a new piece of theatre by young writer Oscar Mc Donald from company MonEspoir on its way to Edinburgh Fringe, and Make Room by Nikita Doncheva.

 

Watch HERE for a short piece on young artist Nikita Doncheva who talks of her performance of MAKE ROOM. 

 

Rehearsal Space

As well as housing our successful workshop/engagement programme and performances of more experimental work, the space was used for rehearsals by visiting early career artists from Edinburgh and beyond, local youth theatre and the Duns Primary School Project, Duns Diner, led by local artists Karen Anderson and Katie Forbes. 

 

Film Sharing

The Studio Theatre also hosted a well-attended sharing of a beautiful piece of Dance Theatre Film by local dancer Laura Steckler, whose work explored the process of ageing. 

 

Audience comments:

I want to see it again; Its amazing…..I would see it again and again!

A brilliant piece of work!

Made me laugh out loud!

A beautiful, powerful piece

 

A Youth Led Venue

Most importantly, our interns (including young people from Berwickshire) had the opportunity to run their own theatre space under the mentorship of our experienced technicians. The Early Career Artists, together with young volunteers, were involved in all stages of the creation of the simple black box theatre from initial get-in and rigging to running lights and sounds for the technical rehearsals and shows under the watchful eye of experienced local technicians. As a team they ensured any technical requirements for the workshops, shows and film-sharing were met.

NB:

In this 2025 pilot project, the use of this space as a simple black box theatre proved highly successful. We are hoping, subject to funding, to build upon this success in DPF2026, offering a day each to run a venue for youth-led companies, emerging artists/ producers and educational establishments for their own scheduling. Running concurrently will be intergenerational support and skills sharing, with workshops and mentorship by established practitioners, with the purpose of developing the artistic practice of local emerging artists.   

Berwickshire High School, Performing Arts Studio Scotland, Borders Youth Theatre, as well as Edinburgh-based early-career producers and technicians have all expressed an interest in programming work. 

 

This real world opportunity (at a time when the cost of living crisis often prevents people from staging their work) is invaluable to the health of the community at large and the continuation of our beloved Theatre Industry.

  

We believe that creativity is at the heart of wellbeing and a contented life, and that live theatre promotes a wholesome expression of life and love through that creativity. DunsPlayFest supports every aspect of that expression as our earnest and idealistic theatre-makers embark on their creative careers in theatre. 

 

As Richard Demarco, Titan of The Arts and our patron said in his inspired address at the beginning of DPF25. 

 

‘When you are using the language of art, you are using the language of Love’

 

 

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