Stars Set for Traverse Theatre's CLASS ACT Schools Playwriting Project

The actors who will perform in this year's brand new set of plays written by young people from across Edinburgh have been announced today and include award-winning actors, from both TV and stage.

They are Kim Allan, Paul Cunningham, Scott Fletcher, Ryan Fletcher, Jamie Marie Leary, Buchan Lennon, Martin McCormick, Linda McLaughlin, Grant O'Rourke, Cristian Ortega, PameLA Reid, Nicola Roy and Gail Watson. The plays will be directed by Rosie Kellagher, Andy McNamee and Emily Reutlinger.

Class Act is the Traverse Theatre's annual schools playwriting project and this year celebrate 25 years of bringing young people's voices to the stage through this unique creative learning project. Over the past four months, five groups of young people have committed considerable time to collaborate with the Traverse on this unique project, offering eighty-seven young people a hands-on, real-life experience of what it feels like to be a playwright.

The schools in this year's Class Act are Leith Academy, Tynecastle High School, Broughton High School, WHEC and The Rock Trust. Aged between 15 and 18, Class Act participants have tried their hand at writing a short play, with the help of a professional playwright. The participants have worked with a Traverse director and team of professional actors to try out new ideas and develop their work. At all stages of the project, the young writers have been treated in the same way as a Traverse commissioned playwright.

Class Act provides an innovative creative learning experience, inspiring imagination, promoting literacy and advocating access to the arts for all. Class Act Silver playwright mentors include Catherine Grosvenor (Broughton & Rock Trust), Lesley Hart (WHEC), Nicola McCartney (Tynecastle), and Douglas Maxwell (Leith Academy).

Traverse Theatre Engagement Manager Sunniva Ramsay said, "One of the brilliant things about the Class Act model is that it continually evolves to respond and adapt to the young people participating each year. We work very closely with schools and teachers, to ensure that the project supports their internal curriculum, whilst also offering young people the opportunity to explore, experiment and develop their own interpretation of the world through creative writing. The young people are encouraged to write about any subject, topic, issue they like and the professional theatre makers are there to support the young people's decisions and offer guidance - there is never a 'right answer,' only a young person's unique point of view."

A number of Class Act writers have gone on to join the Traverse's in house writing programmes, Scribble (for 15-18 year olds) and Traverse Young Writers (18-25 year olds) and it's great to see how the Class Act programme has kick started their confidence in exploring creative writing. A number of past participants get in touch once they've gone on to university or beyond, keen to make contact once again. Even for those who don't go on to pursue a career in theatre, it's inspiring to see how many return as audience members, with a feeling of belonging and connection to the Traverse, that was nurtured from a genuine interest in what they wanted to say through a Class Act play.

Our Class Act Silver cohorts' work will be presented over two gala evenings of performance on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th of November 2016. The work of several groups from different areas will be showcased on each night, uniting Edinburgh's communities and celebrating the talent of the young people from across the city. Furthermore, at the end of the performances, each young playwright will be presented with a professionally printed anthology of all the Class Act Silver plays- a lasting and powerful memento that serves to highlight their creative writing accomplishments.

The Traverse Theatre is passionate about supporting new talent, at whatever age or stage it may emerge. We offer several different platforms for writers and artists from a variety of disciplines to learn and discover. For example Traverse Young Writers and our Masterclass programmes offer the opportunity for emerging writers (or those who are just curious) to learn from experienced artists. Programmes such as the Traverse Directors Programme and Hothouse, offer continued professional development for emerging artists.

The Traverse is passionate about new voices and new ideas. We want to start conversations through our work with emerging and established artists and, of course, with audiences, that respond to the world around us in a timely and provocative way. In order to facilitate the most interesting and relevant discussions, the Traverse works continuously to ensure that we keep offering the opportunity for new voices to join in and become involved in the conversation.

This year's performances will be:

- Wednesday 23rd of November: Leith Academy & Tynecastle High School (14 plays)

- Thursday 24th November: Broughton High School, WHEC, The Rock Trust (12 plays)

The Traverse is Scotland's new writing theatre. Formed in 1963 by a group of passionate theatre enthusiasts, the Traverse was founded to extend the spirit of the Edinburgh festivals throughout the year. Today, under Artistic Director Orla O'Loughlin, the Traverse nurtures emerging talent, produces award-winning new plays and offers a curated programme of the best work from the UK and beyond, spanning theatre, dance, performance, music and spoken word.

The Traverse has launched the careers of some of the UK's most celebrated writers - David Greig, David Harrower and Zinnie Harris - and continues to discover and support new voices - Stef Smith, Morna Pearson, Gary McNair and Rob Drummond.

With two custom-built and versatile theatre spaces, the Traverse's home in Edinburgh's city centre is a powerhouse of vibrant new work for, and of, our time. Every August, it holds an iconic status as the theatrical heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Outside the theatre walls, it runs an extensive engagement programme, offering audiences of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to explore, create and develop. Further afield, the Traverse frequently tours internationally and engages in exchanges and partnerships - most recently in Quebec, New Zealand and South Korea.

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