Two artists in Edinburgh have co-founded a new co-operative agency with the aim of giving professional actors, writers and directors greater ownership of their careers while building a collaborative community for Scotland’s creative talent. They have launched a call out for members and are encouraging other local artists to apply.
Theatre Maker Sarah Marie Mooney and actor Annabel Logan are two of five performing arts professionals who have co-founded Ignis Artists Agency which will bring together artists from across Scotland under the innovative co-operative model in which members run the agency themselves.
The agency will represent actors, writers and directors, putting its clients forward for professional roles and opportunities while also creating a space in which members can develop new work, strengthen their portfolios, build their industry knowledge and support one another throughout their careers.
They work alongside actors Cieran Low, Myette Godwyn and Elissa Grace. Ignis grew from their shared belief that artists can play a more active role in shaping their own careers and that greater collaboration across creative disciplines can open-up opportunities both for individual artists and for new work.
The five founders met while taking part in Lisa Nicoll’s Creative Hub, facilitated by Perth Theatre. The supportive environment of the Hub allowed artists to share work, keep match-fit through workshops and build creative relationships, and its collaborative ethos became an important influence on the development of Ignis.
Unlike an actor agency focused on a single discipline, Ignis has been created to bring actors, writers and directors together under one banner. The founders believe that connecting these different perspectives can help individual careers to develop while also creating the conditions for new writing, projects and collaborations to emerge through new and well-established contacts within the industry.
Ignis aims to provide its members with professional representation alongside opportunities for continued creative and professional development. The co-operative wants its artists to feel informed and confident about the industry, proactive about their careers and invested in the successes of the wider Ignis community.
Sarah, said: “With the arts and culture sectors changing in recent years, it has become increasingly important for performing artists to take greater control of their careers and collaborate with their peers to create opportunities for themselves.
“The actor cooperative agency model has been around for some time but is less well-known in Scotland. We want to change that by establishing and growing Ignis here, offering casting directors an exciting roster of actors while providing an opportunity for directors and writers to be represented too.
“Collaboration is key to my practice as a theatremaker, so working as part of a cooperative with the other co-founders, and soon our first members, feels like the perfect fit for me, allowing us to build on the networks of contacts we already have with venues, producers and creatives, while also making new and wider connections.”
Annabel said: “As someone who has at times felt isolated in an already challenging career path, the chance to have a community who not only understands this but who is ready to actively champion and lift up their peers, gives those in the performing arts industry a chance to perhaps be braver, brighter and bolder in our art and less afraid and affected by rejection or set backs.
“That is my hope for not only those represented by Ignis Artists Agency but for the wider Scottish professional performing arts community through a collective shift in how we make and find work.
“Personally, I love being a cheerleader for other people’s talents. There’s something incredibly rewarding about helping someone recognise their own potential and celebrating when they succeed.”
NEW MEMBER CALL OUT
Ignis Artist Agency has opened its books to its first new members. It has launched a call-out for applications from interested actors, directors and writers who would like to be represented by a cooperative agency. They are aiming to recruit their first five new members during October and November with auditions and interviews in Perth, Edinburgh and online, with further members joining in the New Year.
Actors
Submissions are now open to actors from across Scotland.
To apply, actors should fill in the following submission form.
The agency’s first auditions will take place at Perth Theatre on the 15th and 16th October, Utilita Energy Hub, Edinburgh on the 6th and 7th November or online.
Directors and Writers
Applications for writers and directors are also open.
To apply, directors and writers should fill in the following submission form.
Interviews will take place online.
If prospective actors, writers and directors wish to apply in a way more accessible to them or have any questions, then they can also email submissions@ignisartists.com.
The deadline for submissions will be the 6th October.
Building Relationships in Theatre, Film and TV
Alongside welcoming approaches from artists, Ignis is keen to establish relationships with casting directors, producers and other industry professionals looking for Scottish talent.
The agency aims to become a point of contact for theatre, film and TV productions casting in Scotland and further afield, connecting industry professionals with its growing roster of actors, writers and directors.
Looking ahead, Sarah and the other founders want Ignis to become more than an agency: a creative home where new writing can be developed, collaborations can begin and artists can continue to learn from and champion one another throughout their careers.
By bringing actors, writers and directors together, Ignis aims to build a community that reflects the collaborative nature of Scotland’s creative industries while giving its members the representation, knowledge, confidence and support they need to develop sustainable careers in Scotland and beyond.