SCOTLAND'S first blind professional musical director is to work with Scottish Youth Theatre to deliver free drama workshops to deaf, blind and deafblind young people, it has been announced.
Sally Clay, the only professional director with an impairment working in mainstream music and theatre, will team up with a drama tutor from Scottish Youth Theatre and a deaf youth theatre specialist from theatre company Solar Bear to deliver the workshops next month.
The sessions, held part of as part of Scottish Youth Theatre's touring project National Roadshow, aim to build the confidence and self-esteem of young people who suffer from visual or aural impairments or both.
Clay lives in Glasgow and has more than 15 years' experience as a singer, songwriter, pianist and arranger.
"I am very proud to be working with Scottish Youth Theatre on this unique project, embodying the true meaning of accessibility within the arts, education and the wider community," she said.
"We want to inspire and enable deaf, blind and deafblind young people across Scotland to embrace their creativity, develop new skills and make a positive change in their communities."
Young disabled artists will also be involved in delivering the drama workshops which will allow young people to explore a number of themes including devising theatre to commemorate the centenary of the First Wold War.
Scottish Youth Theatre, whose graduates include Gerard Butler, Karen Gillan, KT Tunstall and Douglas Henshall, has delivered 242 free workshops to more than 5,000 pupils in 141 schools as part of its National Roadshow project since 2013.
The new workshops will extend access, Fraser MacLeod, Scottish Youth Theatre's Associate Artistic Director, said. "Scottish Youth Theatre is very excited to be working with first-class professionals to expand its National Roadshow to include deaf, blind and deafblind young people, as it truly realises the company's aim to give all young people the opportunity to develop transferable personal and social skills."
Schools including The Royal Blind School in Edinburgh, Donaldson's School in Linlithgow and Windsor Park School in Falkirk have already signed up for the free drama workshops.
"Through this programme of work we will ensure that all young people, regardless of their communication needs, can have access to creative learning experiences enjoyed by their hearing and sighted peers," said Gerry Ramage, artistic director of Solar Bear.
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