Established in 2008, Leith-based charity Strange Town was set up to ensure that everyone, no matter their experience or their background, gets the opportunity to access life-changing activities in the arts.
Founded by local Directors Steve Small and Ruth Hollyman, the organisation has expanded across the last 15 years and now reaches 2,000 local young people every year through youth theatre classes, holiday programmes, a touring company and agency support for young actors helping to develop the careers of some of Scotland’s best-known local talent including Tallulah Greive and Lewis Gribben.
Across all the charity’s activities, Strange Town creates high quality work that is daring and entertaining, tackling subjects of importance to young people’s lives, such as consent, knife crime and climate change anxiety.
The organisation tours local schools with educational performances that spark discussion, debate and often provides local young people with their first experience of a theatrical performance.
This week the charity’s Young Company (18-25) returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre after their sold out shows there last year. ‘The Dark Up Close’ by local writer Jack MacGregor has been specially commissioned for Strange Town’s Young Company.
Open to everyone age 12+ the play will run for two nights Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th March.
‘Two teenagers digging graves, an island full of conscripts and puffins, the guns are silent on the eve of World War III.
‘These are scenes from a near future Britain, a country in crisis, with national service reinstated for all young people. The old world is dying, and the new world has been delayed indefinitely.’
Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, EH1 1SR
Times: 7.30pm (1 hour)
Tickets Prices: £12 / £10
Ticket Link: https://scottishstorytellingcentre.online.red61.co.uk/event/913:5893/
Arts activities enrich lives, but organisations such as Strange Town are seriously under-funded, and the future is uncertain. Strange Town relies on its fundraising activities to deliver fully accessible activities for local young people.
Funders include the Backstage Trust, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Cordis Trust, Crerar Trust and others.
The charity also runs the 15for15 fundraising initiative where local people can donate monthly to support their life-changing work.
More details here https://strangetown.org.uk/about-us/donations-info-page/
Seek Alternative Funding – We’ll explore other grant opportunities, sponsorships, and partnerships to support the project. If you know of any funding sources or potential sponsors, we’d love to hear from you!