Pitlochry Festival Theatre Receives Funding From SSE Renewables' Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund

Pitlochry Festival Theatre has received funding from the SSE Renewables’ Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund, to deliver drama-based activities in local primary schools and for young people with learning disabilities in the community council areas of Aberfeldy, Dunkeld, Logierait and Kenmore. 

With the support of the SSE Renewables’ Fund, Pitlochry Festival Theatre will be running a project called Common Ground in partnership with four local primary schools – Breadalbane, Logierait, Dunkeld and Kenmore working with P4 to P7 students. We are also partnering with Highland Perthshire Plus and Aberfeldy Plus which supports children and adults with additional support needs and disabilities.  

Common Ground is in response to conversations with local people exploring what the Theatre can offer to enrich the local community and the lives of young people post pandemic. Currently there is a crisis of mental health, low self-esteem, and confidence in young people, especially those aged 9 to 11, preparing for secondary schools. The Theatre knows there should be more affordable arts provision available in the area to help overcome some of the challenges of rural isolation and disconnection due to limited public transport and creative opportunity.

Common Ground is also a response to a request from Highland Perthshire Plus asking what the Theatre could offer as a local alternative to young people with learning disabilities, who must travel to Edinburgh or Glasgow to access participative arts activity. The Theatre's engagement team will deliver arts activities and drama-based workshops in the schools to build confidence and play, especially for those transitioning to high school, bringing theatre to them and them to the theatre. The project will culminate in bringing all groups to the Theatre together to share work in the Theatre’s Studio performance space and establish relationships for further arts activity in the future. The project aims to enrich the skills development of the young people and create arts opportunities and connections with other young people in the area. 

Deborah Dickinson, Producer at Pitlochry Festival Theatre said. “We are thrilled that SSE Renewables Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund are supporting this important project enabling young people to be enriched by the arts, to learn about story-telling and making theatre and interact with other young people from different communities.”   

Craig Mullen, Senior Community Investment Manager at SSE Renewables said, “The local panel for the Griffin and Calliachar Community Fund is delighted to support the Common Ground project, which will help children in the area to experience new ways of learning.  We are looking forward to hearing about the value in this work as the project moves forward.”

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