Then, artists such as novelist and playwright Alan Bissett, performer and writer Molly Taylor and director Amanda Gaughan came through what were then known as the New Directors Placement Programme and the Emerging Artists Attachment Programme.
While the component parts of both schemes remain in place, the new catch-all umbrella title gives things a sense of unity as well as acknowledging the sort of crossovers between disciplines which, in the current economic and artistic climate, are more prevalent than ever.
While the three emerging directors have worked as assistant directors on major NTS productions, the four emerging artists will focus on developing pieces that will be presented as rough works in progress at a "scratch" night next month.
For NTS artistic development producer Caroline Newall, who has overseen the scheme, it is vital that the seven artists chosen for each strand are given time and space to develop their work in an open environment.
"It's about giving the space to go on their own journey, really," she says, "and, rather than giving any specific commissions, to give them the time to work on their craft. We've also tried to open things out to different disciplines. As far as the young directors go, now we're able to develop relationships with them over a longer period."
While Deborah Hannan has already assisted on the site-specific verbatim piece, Enquirer, and Rob Jones on Alan Cumming's tour de force as Macbeth, Sarah Macdonald will work alongside director Cora Bissett on her forthcoming Glasgow-based contemporary musical, Glasgow Girls.
The emerging artists include writer/performer Martin O'Connor developing a piece called A Govan of the Mind that looks at both religion and the Scots language, and Adura Onashile, best known as an actress in Roadkill, is planning her own site-specific piece, Ghosts of Glasgow.
Of the two Gaelic artists, Catriona Lexy Campbell has an already established relationship with the NTS via her year-long tenure as Gaelic associate artist. During that time, Campbell was instrumental in discovering her fellow recipient of the Bank of Scotland Emerge Programme, Eilidh Daniels, through a solo bilingual piece she performed, Zona Morriate.
"I want to explore what I can do with contemporary Gaelic theatre," Daniels explains. "Some people who don't know about Gaelic theatre think it's all about the old stories, and while I don't want to forget that, I also want to try and bring things forward."
Campbell is a useful creative ally in this respect, especially given her to approach Gaelic dialogue "as a creative thing rather than a purely political thing. This scheme is a chance to develop my writing for a piece I'll be performing myself, so I'll have writing time – and I also want to work with a magician."
Language is also important to O'Connor, who has been devising and performing his own work, including Inner Circle, performed on a Glasgow Subway train, for some years now.
"I've been looking at Scottish ballads," he explains, "alongside religious language that doesn't really mean anything any more."
Another juxtaposition can be seen in Onashile's proposed piece, exploring the "architecture and the dynamism of street life in various buildings in Glasgow".
On the directors' side, Jones's experience running his Flatrate company and organising a cabaret club at Summerhall during the Fringe looks set to be galvanised by his experience on Macbeth.
"There are a lot of people who think this industry is a bit mystical," he says, "but after working with John Tiffany on Macbeth for two months, you realise it's all about craft and hard work."
Hannan can certainly testify to that, as her first task on Enquirer was to listen to all 43 interviews that fed into the play's script. "I'm interested in spectacle," she says, "and working in different spaces in a visual and politically motivated way, so Enquirer was perfect for me."
Glasgow Girls looks at the real-life experience of a group of teenage asylum seekers, so Macdonald's placement was carefully thought out.
"I work with a lot of youth and community groups," she explains, "and young people get such a bad press, so to work on something that presents a positive picture is really important."
While the NTS provides the artistic skill-set to develop these talents on a practical level, the Bank of Scotland's ongoing support for the NTS schemes remain crucial, as Newall notes.
"Of the many things the Bank of Scotland give the NTS support for, I think supporting emerging talent in this way is the one that floats their boat the most," she says. "The NTS should and does produce work by leading artists in their field, but we also need to work out who the lead artists will be in five or ten years' time."
Lloyds Banking Group managing director Susan Rice added: "We're always excited when we meet one of these new directors or aspiring artists; for some, our support is the only way they can manage to continue learning and gaining experience. It's truly gratifying to be part of their journey with this focus on emerging talent."
A Bank of Scotland Emerge Programme Scratch Night will take place at the CCA, Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, on July 20.
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