Call out: Wee Ones Winter Commission
Call Out: Wee Ones Winter Commission
Three of Scotland’s largest performing arts organisations – Capital Theatres, Aberdeen Performing Arts and Eden Court Highlands – have launched a unique opportunity to support Scottish theatremakers and create accessible new work for young audiences. The multi-year Wee Ones Winter Commissions project will produce three small-scale festive productions to be performed across the country throughout the next three years.
This creative call-out is seeking festive-themed productions for children under seven, families and school groups. Each production will be developed with access as a core consideration, creating specially tailored experiences for children with additional support needs.
The chosen productions will open in December 2025 and be restaged in 2026 and 2027, giving each show a run at all three venues across three years: The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen, The Studio in Edinburgh and Eden Court in Inverness.
This exciting collaboration plays a vital role in nurturing Scottish artistic talent by offering producers and writers all the support, resources and budget required to put on a show. This includes production and running costs, funding to remount the show in subsequent years, technical and front-of-house support and a full marketing campaign.
The Wee Ones Winter Commissions builds on the success of the Early Years Festive Commissions in 2021. Featured were Barrowland Ballet’s The Gift, which won the 2023 CATS Award for Best Production for Children and Families; Unicorn Christmas Party written and performed by Sarah Rose Graber and Ruxy Cantir with Raw Material Arts and nominated for Best Production for Children and Young People in the 2024 CATS Awards; and The Enormous Christmas Turnip by Ivor MacAskill and Rosana Cade with Scottish Theatre Producers. In 2022, Barrowland Ballet and Capital Theatres co-produced The Unexpected Gift, a highly interactive and inclusive dance theatre show created for children with complex needs, inspired by The Gift.
Scottish theatremakers are invited to submit an expression of interest by 5 May outlining their artistic idea, details about the team involved and ways in which the production will be suitable for all children, including those with additional support needs. The commissioning team will select a shortlist of projects by 15 May. Applicants will then be asked to submit further details about their production, with a £250 contribution offered towards the time spent developing the proposal. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to discuss their proposals in a Zoom interview on 29 May and the selected projects will be announced in early June.
Interested artists and companies can download our call out pack and complete the expression of interest form by Monday 5 May to apply.
How To Apply
Click here to download the Call Out pack which contains information on the commission and how to apply.
And find the Express of Interest Form: Wee Ones Winter Commission here.
The deadline for applications is Monday 5th May 2025.
To find out more and ask the commissioning team questions, join the Zoom chat on Tue 15 April (2pm – 3pm). You can also email engage@capitaltheatres.com.
