Gorbals school children amongst first to benefit as Citizens Theatre marks new era of community engagement

Theatre's landmark new Participate programme offers Glasgow communities creative opportunities to grow, inspire and connect.

Article Source: Citizens Theatre
Last Updated: 22 May 2025 12:15

Image: Citizens Theatre Participate - Work in Schools - Credit Alasdair Watson

As the Citizens Theatre prepares to re-open its doors later this summer, the company has revealed its new Participate programme, which will place Gorbals neighbours and the Glasgow community at the heart of its ongoing journey through 2025 and beyond.

Participate champions a range of new and evolving projects for all ages and backgrounds, including opportunities made possible by the new building. With major improvements to accessibility and new purpose-built spaces for Participate work, more participants than ever before will be able to take part and enjoy richer, more inclusive experiences within the Citz, as well as benefitting from the life-changing work that will take place beyond the walls of the theatre.

The programme represents a new era of engagement for the Citz, building on the legacy of over 20 years of community outreach and the projects and connections it has worked hard to nurture while the building has been closed for redevelopment – while celebrating the new opportunities that will be made possible by the theatre reopening.

This will include innovative drama education in local Gorbals primary schools, long-term community residencies with vulnerable groups, adult education and social participation sessions in the heart of the theatre, and the long-awaited return of Participate groups to their home stages in the Citz itself.

Catrin Evans, Participate Director, Citizens Theatre, said: “I am delighted to launch our Participate programme today and share our commitment to communities as part of the new era of the Citizens Theatre when we reopen later this year. With the incredible facilities of the new building matched to an exciting range of activities to connect and create together, we are able to offer truly inclusive opportunities to more people than ever before. At the Citz, we believe that theatre and drama are a powerful tool to give voice to our collective stories, rooted in both the local and global. We want everyone to feel a sense of belonging as they embark on their journey with us, both long-standing participants and those visiting for the first time. We can't wait to welcome everyone through our doors to play their part in our story.”

Deepening Engagement with Education

Education will be central to the new offer, with the Citz building long-term, meaningful connections with local primary schools, educators, and universities.

An exciting new after-school initiative, G5 Creators, will launch at the end of August, offering free, fully funded drama and creative sessions exclusively for P2 – P7 pupils from Blackfriars and St Francis primary schools in the Gorbals. Building upon two long-term school residencies, once the building reopens pupils will take the short walk to the Citz itself for weekly after-school creative sessions, culminating in sharing events across the next few years and even a Christmas Curtain Raiser for one of our Christmas productions in front of a busy audience including their fellow pupils, teachers and families.

Later this year, the Citizens Theatre will launch new learning packages for schools, supporting classroom learning and enhancing theatre visits linked to productions and the building’s heritage. The theatre will also introduce Teacher’s Prologues—informal gatherings for educators to connect and shape future collaboration.

The Citz continues its commitment to higher education through partnerships with the University of Glasgow and the University of the West of Scotland. In January 2026, as part of a unique partnership with the Theatre Studies department, Participate Director Catrin Evans will teach a module on Applied Theatre at the University of Glasgow. This will offer practical insights drawn from the theatre’s community work, with Masters Students taking their course at the new Citz. Our UWS relationship will also grow, with Catrin and Artistic Director Dominic Hill supporting final-year performance students and with the Performance staff from UWS delivering guest talks on theatre as part of our heritage programme at the Citz — an initiative that develops future practitioners and widens the reach of academic research to our own audiences.

Community groups return to their home stage

The Citz Homecoming season will see Glasgow’s community play a major role on-stage as well as off, with the building’s brand-new 150-seat Studio Theatre officially being launched by productions from two of the theatre’s longest-running Participate groups.

From 08 – 11 October The Young Co, the Citz’s flagship young company for the past 20 years returns to the stage with Close— a new script devised by the ensemble alongside writer Jenny Knotts. Inspired by the legendary, long-lost Close Theatre — the Citizens’ former studio space known for its radical spirit and boundary-pushing work — the show dives into the myths, memories and bold experimentation that defined it. What starts as an exploration of a long-lost venue evolves into a funny and heartfelt story about risk, rebellion, and imagining new futures at the Citz.

And from 22 – 25 October the Community Collective, the longest running participatory group at the Citz, will present Making Your Mark - a story about choice, and how powerful it can be when people come together. In a world where things often feel unfair or confusing, it asks: does your voice still matter? Does your vote make a difference?

The two Studio Theatre productions mark the beginning of an exciting new era for the Citizens Theatre, with the building’s innovative new spaces including the Participate Studio, Studio Theatre, and dedicated rehearsals room ready to offer a place for theatre-makers of all backgrounds to hone their craft, push creative boundaries, and explore radical ideas - ensuring everyone can feel at home in the heart of the Citz.

Community residencies bring engagement beyond the theatre

As well as work within the building, the Citz will undertake a new strand of community residencies, working alongside partner organisations to bring engagement work out to Glasgow groups and communities where it is needed most.

A key new strand of this work is Navigate, a multi-year project supported by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. Navigate will see the Citz working with local partners including Gorbals-based Freedom from Torture, supporting individuals who have experienced torture and persecution, and Amma Birth Companions, who provide pregnancy, birth, and postnatal support to those facing isolation and inequality. These 18-month residencies, co-led by a Citizens Theatre staff member and a freelance artist with an emphasis on Global Majority practitioners, will take place directly within the partner organisations' spaces, offering tailored creative engagement for those facing the highest barriers. Participants will also benefit from studio sharings and access to theatre performances at the Citz. A dedicated coordinator will oversee this crucial work over the next three years.

In parallel, Come Away In will actively invite partner organisations into the Citizens Theatre itself, providing a supportive and creative hub for groups working with marginalised communities. Initially four groups, including local charity Standing Tall Scotland, will take part in the project.

Furthermore, work will continue on All We Can Do, a vital programme supporting women navigating the complex challenges of homelessness, the criminal justice system, addiction, and poverty. This programme will see close collaboration with local partners including Tomorrow’s Women, Martha’s Mammies, and the Lilias Centre, and the work created through these diverse residencies will be celebrated and shared publicly later in the year.

Opportunities for all ages & backgrounds

As the Citizens Theatre prepares to reopen, a revamped package of workshops and classes that take advantage of the new opportunities presented by the building will help ensure the company’s commitment to nurturing creativity across all ages.

A new structured programme will offer pathways for local young people, including Young Creatives, which launches in September 2025 for primary school pupils; Young Artists, which from January 2026 will offer weekday evening sessions for secondary school students; and the newly-rebranded Young Makers, which will offer bespoke practical learning for learning disabled and/or neurodivergent teenagers aged S4 - S6, and will culminate in a final sharing at the Citz in June 2026.

Adult participants will also benefit with the introduction of Theatre Lab, a new programme commencing once the building re-opens in September 2025. Designed for non-professionals passionate about theatre, Theatre Lab will offer themed blocks throughout the year. The sessions will offer everything from collective playreading ties to selected Citz productions, to practical modules led by freelance artists which see participants developing performance skills and a grounding in theatre design.

Additionally, the long-running Friday Club will return under the new name 119 Players, continuing its tradition of community engagement for learning disabled and/or neurodivergent adults aged 18 years and over.

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