2021
Co-Composer & Music Direction

Produced by Lyra, Starcatchers and Imaginate

“A creative initiative by Lyra, Starcatchers and Imaginate, encompassing a travelling ensemble, creative play, and participatory performance making, all co-designed with children and young people across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Fife.

Supported by the Creative Scotland Youth Arts Targeted Fund, Where We Are recruited artists, practitioners, and production staff to engage over 6 months with refugee families, groups of children, and young mothers and babies through a programme of inspirational artistic activity. In partnership with organisations focused on tackling inequality, incl. Refuweegee, Multicultural Family Base and Fife Gingerbread, the three distinct project strands were informed by the wellbeing and needs of the children and young people involved.

The project partners delivered a comprehensive training and development programme for the artistic team including anti-racism and trauma-informed child protection training, with opportunities to share artistic practices and project learning.

Where We Are was all about connecting with children and young people through performance making, creative arts and play as we begin to look towards life beyond the pandemic…

Lyra will create a travelling theatre ensemble based at Artspace in Craigmillar, Edinburgh and led by Lyra’s Artistic Director, Jo Timmins. The ensemble will be a mini-theatre company, made up of performers and a production team, with a responsive outlook to the needs of children and young people in the local community, particularly in light of the ever-changing Covid landscape.

The Where We Are ensemble will meet children and young people in their own spaces and engage them in a range of experiences – from watching live performances that have been made especially for them, to learning new skills in multi-art forms, including design and backstage crafts. They will also create their own live performances and events to share with family and friends.

Jo Timmins, Lyra’s Artistic Director said:
“The Where We Are ensemble is an exciting new initiative that enables Lyra to provide ongoing work for a team of theatre professionals, while at the same time providing children and young people in Greater Craigmillar with a range of cultural experiences. The vision for the ensemble is to embed creativity in the young people’s own spaces, their nurseries, schools, community buildings and outdoors. The ensemble team will work side by side with children and young people, exploring ideas, sharing skills, and supporting them to create their own artworks.” “

Artistic Team
Concept: Jo Timmins
Director: Iain Reekie
Composer & Sound Designer & Ensemble Facilitator: Caitlin Mulgrew
Performer: Morgan Njobo
Performer: Sam Vaherleto
Performer: Padraic Riddle
Designer: Katy Wilson
Assistant Designer: Barbara Byahurwa
Dramaturg & Movement Director: Natalia Barua
Engagement Producer: Anna Plasberg-Hill
Ensemble Stage Manager: Lauren Desjardins
Assistant Stage Manager: Scott Ringan

LEARN MORE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE
lyra.co.uk/where-we-are